Girl Singer, Rosie's latest, is a more straight forward account of Clooney's life than outlined in her 1977 book "This For Remembrance". As a performer who strives to be musically true, she is also obligated to be true to herself in telling her story. With the death of many significant people since Remembrance was published in 1977 including Sinatra, Dean Martin, Dietrich, Ava Gardner, Nelson Riddle and her uncle George Clooney, Rosie is freer to concentrate on the truth; including her affair with Riddle that she specifically denied in her 1977 narrative. However,there are two significant shortcomings; the pictures were not very interesting or evocative nor did they include dates. The "selected" discography by Michael Feinstein, who many laud as a "musical archivist" falls short due to it's numerous ommissions-there is no reason why Mr Feinstein could not have included a FULL and COMPLETE discography and utilized an additional 3 or 4 pages. Clooney fans would have certainly appreciated it.

What a life this wonderful woman has led and what a great story to tell! As a lifelong fan I've collected several of her albums & have followed her career. Rosie tells it all, about growing up in Kentucky, starting a singing career with younger sister Betty & hitting the big time in New York. Years ago I had the pleasure of seeing her perform in a radio sponsored concert in the Winter Garden in the World Financial Center. She knows how to please the crowd, chatting them up with little anecdotes and doing several of her big hits(not just a medley of them either). Rosie Clooney is one of the most down to earth performers on earth and a major talent. Read this book and get the Girl Singer 2 cd set. Both are very highly recommended. Thanks Rosie, for bringing so much pleasure to so many people over the years.

Anyone who has every heard Rosemary Clooney sings knows there is no one else quite like her. And so it would follow that her memoir would follow suit, and it most certainly does. I cried, I laughed, I loved this book more with every page I turned. Kudos to Barthel for bringing Rosie's voice to the page, and rendering poetry from such a soulful, remarkable life.