ePub Our Day Out (Modern Classics) by Willy Russell in Arts-Photography

Description

When people hear the name "Clooney;" they automatically think of George Clooney; one of Hollywoods biggest stars. But it was his aunt Rosemary who first catapulted the name into bright lights with a string of hit songs in the 1950s and a starring role alongside Bing Crosby in the immortal "White Christmas."Drawing on interviews with family members; managers; promoters; and the jazz musicians who worked with her; as well as contemporary newspaper articles and reviews; Late Life Jazz tells the unsung story of one of Americas finest singers; Rosemary Clooney. Ken Crossland and Malcolm Macfarlane trace Rosemarys life from her hardscrabble beginnings in Maysville Kentucky; through her first performances singing with the Barney Rapp Band in Cincinnati; through her rise to pop stardom in the early 1950s when she topped the Hit Parade with songs such as "Come On-a My House;" "Tenderly;" and "Half As Much." By the time the 1960s arrived; however; personal turmoil; fueled by depression and an addiction to prescription medication; almost destroyed Clooneys career-and her life. She underwent years of therapy and recuperation before she was able to perform again in the early 1970s. Few expected her to be anything more than a baroness of nostalgia; but Rosemary had other ideas. Rejuvenated by a series of concerts alongside her friend and mentor; Bing Crosby; she found a new medium in the midst of Americas finest jazz musicians; building a second career and with it a reputation as one of the finest interpreters of the Great American Songbook.Vividly written and painstakingly researched; Late Life Jazz explores the rise; fall; and final triumph of Clooney the First; Aunt Rosemary; jazz singer par excellence.