Rosemary Clooney

The career of singer-actor Rosemary Clooney is actually two careers separated by a 20-year gulf of child-raising, marital troubles and substance abuse. Part 1 began in 1945 at the age of 16 when Cincinnati radio station WLW hired the Maysville, Kentucky native and her 13-year old sister Betty to sing duets for $20 apiece. Appearances with local bands brought them to the attention of bandleader Tony Pastor, and 'The Clooney Sisters' debuted with his big band at Atlantic City's Steel Pier in 1947. After Betty opted for the quiet life of Cincinnati, Rosemary struck out on her own for NYC, signing a recording contract with Columbia which yielded the star-making hit "Come On-a My House" in 1951. Hollywood beckoned and her appealing chirping style and cute personality made her an immediate screen star in movie musicals like "The Stars Are Singing" (her debut) opposite Anna Maria Alberghetti, "Here Come the Girls" (both 1953) with Bob Hope and "White Christmas" (1954), starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Vera-Allen.