It's a sad day today.

Rosemary Clooney was an inspirational role model for me when I first started singing jazz standards (late 80's). I've always admired her wonderful sense of vocal 'phrasing and 'timing', both conversational & believable . . . one of the marks of a great singer. Ms.Clooney is a singer who will be greatly missed. Thankfully she will live on forever in her music.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2002/06/29/obituary0021EDT0139.DTL

Scott

Tonight, I'll fall asleep ....... counting my blessings.

Uncle Dave,

Me too. Without drugs or booze.

Grandpa Doug

Sorry, but I 'don't get' it. Your comment makes no sense (to me), especially in context to the annoucement of Rosemary Clooney's unfortunate death from cancer. As usual, what exactly were you "TRYING" to say?

Hi Scott,
Rosemary Clooney was a great performer !!
i have a consert on video of here with a group on the north sea jazz festival and i like here style of singing. I like here to hear singing on "meditation" and "just the way you are" She was a great lady always play with good musicians.
Greetings,
Notlos. www.mp3.com/dirkbaert

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I'm sure no disrespect was intended. It is well known that Rosemary Clooney went off the rails for many years in the middle of her career, but then pulled her life back together again, even setting up a clinic for addictions, and having a great re-emergance to a new set of fans.

When you see some of these old films from the 40s and 50s you are often struck by just how good some of these vocalists were, with crystal clear diction, artistic phrasing of popular lyrics, and the ability to put over the meaning of a popular song, even if sometimes the lyrics may have been a bit corny. Can that many modern performers do the same, particularly the ability to make a song your own i.e. so that when you hear anyone else sing it, you yearn to hear the original again?

I've seen plenty of articles rating Rosemary Clooney's later career singing for jazz fans...

Scott:
I think Uncle Dave was simply stating the lyrics of one of Clooney's well-known recordings.

I sure was. Rosy & Bing in "White Christmas" - remember??????
..When I'm tired and I can't sleep,
I count my blessings instead of sheep .... "

C'mon Scott - lighten up. Everyone else got it.

'Everyone' else got it? I don't think so. It wasn't till J. Larry said it was the lyrics of one of her songs, that it became evident. When I responded to your reply, I was only trying to ask you to explain what you meant. Hey remember, 'White Christmas' came out quite a few years 'before' I was born. I admittedly don't know a lot about Ms. Clooney's earlier career hits (except for Come On A My House), or about her bouts with drugs & depression. My memories of her were as a warm & generous teacher who showed me how to 'bring out' a song lyric and make it 'your own'.

Anyway, I 'got it' NOW ! I now count 'my' blessings for our Uncle Dave!: both friend, teacher, and wit-ist, all rolled into ONE . . . always coming up with yet another surprise when you least expect it. I gotta go out & rent 'White Christmas' (in July) now.

Don't worry UD, Scotty was a bit slow off the mark here. Maybe he's a bit young to remember the tune.