The Music of Rosemary Clooney Quiz | Music

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Rosemary Clooney's first four Billboard Hot 100 top 25 hits came as a duet with an Italian American saxophone player and band leader. Who was this individual that performed the duet "Grieving For You" with Rosemary Clooney in 1949?

Answer: Tony Pastor

In the mid 1940s Rosemary Clooney performed with her sister Betty in Cincinnati. After attending one of their performances Tony Pastor was so impressed that he decided to tour with them and sing several duets with Rosemary. The other chart-topping duets that Rosemary Clooney and Tony Pastor collaborated on include "You Started Something", "It's Like Taking Candy From a Baby", and "A You're Adorable".

2. In 1951 Rosemary Clooney had her first song appear at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. What was the name of this inviting song that ironically Clooney mocks in the 1953 film "The Stars are Singing"?

Answer: Come On-a My House

"Come On-a My House" remained at number one for six weeks in 1951. It was actually written in 1939, 12 years before the release of the song. Pulitzer Prize winning author William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian co-wrote the song and based the melody on an Armenian folk song.

Interestingly years later Rosemary Clooney confessed to hating the song and that she was forced to release it or be fired by her producer Mitch Miller. The incorrect answer choices were also 1951 releases by Rosemary Clooney but none of them cracked the top ten.

3. The year 1952 saw the release of a song that would be the theme song for Rosemary Clooney's variety show that aired from 1956-57. What is the name of this song that begins "The evening breeze caressed the trees ________"?

Answer: Tenderly

Rosemary Clooney's 1952 rendition of "Tenderly" reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. The music for the song "Tenderly" was written by Walter Gross with lyrics by Jack Lawrence. The 1953 musical film "Torch Song" starred Joan Crawford and one of the seven songs that she sang was "Tenderly".

4. Written by Curley Williams, Rosemary Clooney's second Billboard Hot 100 number one hit was released in 1952. Describing a love that is not fully returned, what is the name of this song which Hank Williams also released in 1952?

Answer: Half as Much

The lyrics to "Half as Much" begin "If you loved me half as much as I love you
You wouldn't worry me half as much as you do." In addition to the versions by Rosemary Clooney and Hank Williams, other artists to release "Half as Much" include Patsy Cline and Ray Charles in 1962, Petula Clark in 1974, and Van Morrison in 2006.

5. Recorded with back up vocals by the Mellomen our next song incorporated words from different languages. In what 1954 song by Rosemary Clooney can you find the words siciliano, tarantella, mozzarella, and pizza?

Answer: Mambo Italiano

"Mambo Italiano" peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1955. The song was famously written by Bob Merrill on a paper napkin in New York City in an Italian restaurant while he was close to a deadline. In addition to the aforementioned words in Italian, the song also includes the Spanish words mambo, enchilada, and rumba.

6. 1954 was a very successful year for Rosemary Clooney as her third and fourth Billboard Hot 100 number one hits were released in that year. One of these hits was "This Ole House" whose lyrics specifically mention several things that need fixing. Which of the following is mentioned as a part of the house needing fixing?

Answer: Shingles

Some of the lyrics to the song's second verse include "Ain't got time to fix the shingles, Ain't got time to fix the floor." "This Ole House" is the flip side to Rosemary Clooney's other 1954 number one hit "Hey There". Although she performed for several more decades Rosemary Clooney did not have any solo number one Billboard Hot 100 hits after 1954.

7. Rosemary Clooney's highest Billboard Hot 100 hit of 1956 was sung with a jazz musician that would swing his way to great success from the 1930s to the 1980s. Who was this individual that Rosemary Clooney sung the duet "Memories of You" with in 1956?

Answer: Benny Goodman

Known as the "King of Swing", Benny Goodman was an influential jazz musician who led one of the first successful racially integrated jazz groups. "Memories of You" peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. Other collaborations by Rosemary Clooney and Benny Goodman include "A Fine Romance", "It's Bad For Me", and "Goodbye".

8. Rosemary Clooney recorded several albums in the early 1960s including her only one recorded under the Reprise Records label. What was the pessimistic name of this 1964 album that featured the songs "Just One of Those Things", "The Man That Got Away", and "Miss Otis Regrets"?

Answer: Thanks for Nothing

The 1960s were a turbulent time for Rosemary Clooney as an extra-marital affair with composer Nelson Riddle contributed to the end of her marriage. After the release of the album "Thanks for Nothing" in 1964 Rosemary Clooney did not release another solo album for 12 years. Clooney would struggle with depression and dependence on pills in the late 1960s.

Her career turned around after she signed with the Concord Jazz record label in 1977.

9. Referencing a popular song from the 1959 musical "Gypsy", Rosemary Clooney's 1977 album began a stretch of 25 straight years during which she'd release an album for Concord Records. Including her nickname in its title, what was the name of this album that included the songs "As Time Goes By", "I Cried for You", and "More Than You Know".

Answer: Everything's Coming Up Rosie

"Everything's Coming Up Rosie" was the first of 25 albums that Rosemary Clooney would record for Concord Records and Clooney admitted that it helped her get her career back on track after her nervous breakdown. Other albums released by Rosemary Clooney that included her nickname are "Ring Around Rosie" (1957), "Swing Around Rosie" (1958), "Rosie Swings Softly" (1960), "Rosie Solves the Swingin' Riddle!" (1961), and "Rosie Sings Bing" (1978).

10. Rosemary Clooney's final album, "The Last Concert", was her only live album and it was released in 2002. Recorded just two months after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the last song on the album had a patriotic feel to it. What was the name of this song that was written by Irving Berlin and famously sung by Kate Smith in 1938?

Answer: God Bless America

Recorded in November 2001 and released a year later, "The Last Concert" was distributed five months after Rosemary Clooney's death in June 2002. Other songs on the album include "Sentimental Journey", "Just in Time", and "They Can't Take That Away from Me". Celine Dion and New York City police officer Daniel Rodriguez both released versions of "God Bless America" that made the Billboard Hot 100 chart in late 2001.

Source: Author Triviaballer

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The Music of Rosemary Clooney Trivia Quiz

Rosemary Clooney was both an accomplished musician and actress. This quiz will focus on her music career which spanned seven decades. Good luck!

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