Late Life Jazz: The Life and Career of Rosemary Clooney (48 page)

July 15
. Entertains at the Orange County Fair with Bob Hope.

July 17
. Performs at the Ramona Bowl in Hemet, California.

August 4–17
. Appears at the
Top of the World
, the supper club in the Contemporary Hotel in Walt Disney World, Florida. Her co-star is Dante DiPaolo with son Miguel on drums,

October 3–5
. Rosemary, with Miguel again on drums, performs at Valparaiso’s Bridge-Vu Theater in Indiana.

October 11
. Entertains at Jolly Friars Grand Ball at the Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco.

October 30
. Appears with Boots Randolph and Floyd Cramer at Centennial Concert Hall, Winnipeg, Canada. They also appear at Century II Convention Hall, Wichita, Kansas, in November.

February 13
. Entertains at the Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg, Florida, with Floyd Cramer and Boots Randolph. Later in the year, they also appear together at Will Rogers Memorial Auditorium, Fort Worth, Texas; the Bell Auditorium, Augusta, South Carolina; and at Wolf Trap Farm Park, Virginia.

March 17
. The
Bing Crosby and Friends
stage show takes place at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles.

Rosemary Clooney … came out in bright, bright orange, looking and sounding better than ever. Although hampered by a slight case of nerves in the beginning of her set, maturity has added depth and richness to her singing. With Crosby, she took a fast “Slow Boat to China,” and in her solo spot she showed a winning way with contemporary music with Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” and Leon Russell’s “Song for You.”

(Robert Kemnitz,
Los Angeles Herald-Examiner
, March 19, 1976)

March 20
. Appears at the Holiday Inn, Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

June 2
. The
Bing Crosby and Friends
stage show, including Rosemary, is at the Masonic Auditorium, San Francisco.

June 21–July 4
. The
Bing Crosby and Friends
stage show is at the London Palladium.

Rosemary Clooney, a welcome echo of the ‘fifties, features strongly in the Crosby bill, singing “Slow Boat to China” with Bing and hushing the house with a strongly felt performance of the Arthur Schwartz standard “By Myself,” one of the best songs of our time.

(Herbert Kretzmer,
Daily Express [UK]
)

July 1
. Bing and family plus Rosemary are guests of the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace.

July 12–13
. The
Bing Crosby and Friends
stage show is at the Gaiety Theater, Dublin.

July 15–16
.
Bing Crosby and Friends
stage show at Usher Hall, Edinburgh.

First Miss Clooney. Delectable. Distinctive. After dueting with Bing in Billy May’s ingenious arrangement of “Slow Boat to China” from their unforgettable album “Fancy Meeting You Here,” she showed her class with “By Myself” and “Just One of Those Things.”

(John Gibson,
Edinburgh Evening News
, July 16, 1976)

August 1
. Rosemary opens at the Moonraker in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

August 5
. Betty Clooney dies in Las Vegas, Nevada, from a brain aneurysm. Rosemary leaves her engagement in Virginia Beach to fly to Las Vegas.

August 7
. Betty Clooney’s funeral. Rosemary has to leave partway through to fly back to Virginia Beach. Betty had always been a conduit between the three siblings and Rosemary and her brother Nick make a pledge to take a vacation together every year without fail.

August 19–28
. Entertains at the Regency Hyatt O’Hare in Chicago.

September 14
. Appears at
Farm Fest ’76
at Lake Crystal in Minnesota with Boots Randolph and the Statler Brothers.

October 9
. Rosemary sings with Les Brown’s orchestra under London Bridge at Lake Havasu, Arizona.

November 26
. The
Bing Crosby and Friends
show is at the Aladdin Theater in Las Vegas. Rosemary, Joe Bushkin, and the Crosby family take part.

December 6
. Bing Crosby and Rosemary sing at New York’s Avery Fisher Hall as a benefit for Fordham Prep School

December 7–18
. The
Bing Crosby on Broadway
stage show is at the Uris Theater, 51st Street West. Bing is again accompanied by Rosemary, Joe Bushkin, and the Crosby family.

February 18–24
. The
Bing Crosby and Friends
show is at the Deauville Star Theater, Miami Beach.

The pounds have made more of a difference in Rosemary Clooney than the years: she comes on stage covered by a flowing, burnt-orange gown that contrasts strikingly with her taffy-colored hair. If you liked her during her ’50s heyday, you’ll enjoy her still as she offers “By Myself,” “Tenderly” and the romantically beautiful “Song for You,” among others.

(Christine Brown,
Miami Herald
, February 22, 1977)

February 26
. The
Bing Crosby and Friends
package is at the San José Center for the Performing Arts in California.

The star, whose good luck in working with leading ladies extends from Mary Pickford to Liza Minnelli, introduced one of his favorite co-stars with an a capella version of “Rosie,” which brought Miss Clooney on stage. After their fast classy version of “Slow Boat to China,” she provided some polished solos of oldies such as the lovely ballad “Tenderly” and new ones such as Paul Simon’s “Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover.” Joining the band to back her on this family night was her son, drummer Miguel Ferrer. It’s a treat to watch a pro at work and more of Miss Clooney’s songs would have been welcome.

(Gloria Tully,
San José News
, February 28, 1977)

April
. Rosemary contributes two tracks to the Concord Jazz album
A Tribute to Duke
.

July 7
. Records the
Everything’s Coming up Rosie
album. This is her debut album for the Concord Jazz label.

September 6–13
. Rosemary Clooney, Barbara McNair, Margaret Whiting, and Rose Marie, appear as
4 Girls 4
at Doheny Plaza, Los Angeles. Helen O’Connell later replaces Barbara McNair.

September 22
. The British tour of Bing Crosby’s new stage show opens in Preston, England. Rosemary, Kathryn Crosby, and Joe Bushkin are in support.

September 23
. Bing Crosby and Rosemary perform at Belle Vue, Manchester.

September 26–October 8
. The
Bing Crosby and Friends
show is at the London Palladium.

Of the support, Clooney gave exceptional value and should surely be more in evidence in top international cabaret halls. Crosby and Clooney both vocally hopped the decades by showing ability to evince the nostalgic past then cope with contemporary lyrics from writers of the Carole King and Neil Sedaka school.

(
Billboard
, October 22, 1977)

October 10
. Bing’s stage show, including Rosemary, has its final performance at the Conference Centre in Brighton.

October 14
.
Bing Crosby dies on a golf course in Spain
.

November
. Rosemary’s autobiography “This for Remembrance” is published.

November 22–December 11
.
4 Girls 4
at Huntington Hartford Theater, Hollywood.

December
. Rosemary flies to Tokyo and gives seven concerts in nine days.

January 6
. Rosemary records an album for Concord called
Rosie Sings Bing
.

March 7–12
. Appears at the Tierra Verde Hotel on Tierra Verde, Florida.

March 25
. Stars in “Terry Wogan’s Music Night” which is broadcast live on BBC Radio2 from London’s Royal Festival Hall.

May
.
4 Girls 4
appears at the Fairmont Hotel, New Orleans, and sets a new house record. This was the first time all four of the performers had been available since their appearance in December. They go on to appear at many locations throughout the United States during the rest of the year.

June 28
. Rosemary talks with Tom Snyder about mental illness on “NBC Reports: Escape from Madness.”

September
. Appears at the Minnesota State Fair at St. Paul supporting Bob Hope.

October
. Rosemary is signed to do television commercials for Coronet paper towels and bathroom tissue.

December 31
. Performs at the Hyatt Regency, Houston, Texas.

January 23
.
4 Girls 4
opens in Chicago and continues to appear regularly at many locations in the United States.

January 31
. Rosemary appears with Boots Randolph at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.

September 24–October 7
. Appears at the Top of the World Supper Club in the Contemporary Hotel at Walt Disney World, Florida.

December 23
. Gives three performances at Ted Hook’s OnStage in West 46th Street, New York.

Buys a house at 106 Riverside Drive, Augusta, Kentucky.

February 3–10
.
4 Girls 4
is at Harrah’s South Shore Room, Reno. Allen Sviridoff becomes road manager for the act. Bill Loeb remains as manager and the act continues to have many engagements throughout the year.

February 17–18
. Rosemary appears again at Ted Hook’s OnStage Supper Club in New York.

May 5–18
. Appears at the Top of the World Supper Club in the Contemporary Hotel at Walt Disney World.

October
. Performs at the Sahara, Las Vegas, with Don Rickles.

December
. Appears again at Ted Hook’s OnStage in New York.

March 6–8
. Sings at the Walker Theater Arts Center in Brooklyn, New York. Other performers on the bill are Kay Starr, The Four Lads, and Johnny Desmond.

March 27–28
. Rose Marie and Rosemary Clooney perform at Caesar’s, Atlantic City.

May
.
4 Girls 4
at Westbury Music Fair, Long Island. A dispute over the contract fees leads Bill Loeb to leave and Allen Sviridoff eventually takes over as manager.

June 11–16
.
4 Girls 4
at Caesars Boardwalk Regency, Atlantic City. Rose Marie decides to leave the act.

July 10
. Rosemary appears at the North Sea Jazz Festival at The Hague in Holland with the Concord All Stars.

September 15–20
. Sings with Mel Tormé and the Glenn Miller Orchestra at Valley Forge Music Fair, Pennsylvania. They repeat the show the following week at Westbury Music Fair, Long Island.

September 29–October 10
. Appears at Rick’s Cafe Americain in Chicago.

October 23–25
. Stars with Milton Berle in Caesar’s Cabaret Theater, Atlantic City.

November 17–29
. Rosemary and Margaret Whiting appear twice nightly at the New Ballroom at West 28th Street, New York.

December 2
. A
New 4 Girls 4
act makes its debut at the American Theater in St. Louis. Kay Starr has replaced Margaret Whiting.

January 17
. The
New 4 Girls 4
act appears in Phoenix and continues to perform at many locations for the rest of the year.

March 21
. Rosemary is in London and takes part in BBC Radio2’s
Saturday Night Is Gala Night
at the Fairfield Hall in Croydon, London.

Summer
. Rosemary, Dante, Nick, and Nina Clooney go on the Orient Express to Venice.

November 22–26
. Entertains with Tony Bennett and the Count Basie Orchestra at Valley Forge Music Fair in Pennsylvania. They repeat the show the following week at Westbury Music Fair, Long Island.

December 8
.
Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Story
, a two-hour biopic starring Sondra Locke is shown on CBS-TV.

January 10–14
. Entertains at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach.

February
. Rose Marie is persuaded to rejoin
New 4 Girls 4
in place of Martha Raye. They join the
Rotterdam
cruise ship in Los Angeles and sail to Honolulu and then Hong Kong giving performances en route.

May 6
. Rosemary is in Cincinnati for “Rosemary Clooney Day.” At 6:30
P.M
. she sings for 50 minutes at a free concert at the Serpentine Wall in front of a crowd estimated at 5,000.

May
. Entertains at Charley’s in Washington, DC.

May 27–29
. Rosemary and Tony Bennett perform at the Sands Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City. In June, they appear together at Caesars Boardwalk Regency in Atlantic City before going on to entertain in Reno, Nevada.

July 28–29
. The
New 4 Girls 4
act comprising Rosemary, Helen O’Connell, Kay Starr, and Rose Marie is at the Palace Theater, Philadelphia. Rosemary subsequently leaves the act.

August 3
. Rosemary, Lionel Hampton, and Les Brown and His Band of Renown entertain at the Hollywood Bowl.

August 7
. Performs at the Concord Jazz Festival.

August 29
. Leaves for Japan with Les Brown and His Band of Renown. They give concerts in Budokan, Tokyo; at Osaka Stadium, Osaka; and at Yokohama Stadium, Yokohama.