Bing Crosby

Bing Crosby
Singer, Actor

Bing Crosby was an American singer and actor. He was one of the most popular and influential music artists of the 20th century worldwide. He has made over 70 feature films and recorded over 1,600 songs. His early career coincided with recording innovations that allowed him to develop an intimate singing style that influenced many male singers who followed, such as Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Dean Martin, Dick Hammes, Elvis Presley and John Lennon.

Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. was born on May 3, 1903 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. In 1906, his family moved to Spokane, Washington state, where he grew up. In the 1630s, his father moved from England to New England (a region comprised of six US states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont). Crosby graduated from Gonzaga High School in 1920 and attended Gonzaga University for three years but did not earn a degree. As a freshman, he played on the varsity baseball team. The university awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1937.

In 1923, Crosby was invited to join a new band, made up of high school students junior to him. The group disbanded two years later. In October 1925, Crosby and Al Rinker traveled to Los Angeles.

Bing and Al Rinker made their first record "I've Got the Girl" with Don Clark's Orchestra in Los Angeles. They then joined the Paul Whiteman Orchestra in Chicago in October 1926. Harry Barris joined in 1927 and Paul Whiteman's "The Rhythm Boys" were born. The Rhythm Boys appeared weekly on the Old Gold Radio Hour from February 5, 1929 to April 15, 1930. Crosby began to gain attention in Hollywood. The Rhythm Boys broke up and Crosby's solo career began.

After a long run in New York, Crosby returned to Hollywood to film his first feature film, 1932's The Big Broadcast (1932). Crosby starred with Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour in six of seven Road Two musical comedies between 1940 and 1962. The series includes Road to Singapore (1940), Road to Zanzibar (1941), Road to Morocco (1942), Road to Utopia. (1946), Road to Rio (1947), Road to Bali (1952), and The Road to Hong Kong (1962).

Crosby won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Going My Way (1944). In 1962, Crosby received the first Grammy Global Achievement Award. He is one of 33 people with three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the categories of motion pictures, radio and audio recordings.

Crosby's popularity around the world was such that he sold more records in Africa than Dorothy Masuka, the best-selling African recording artist. Throughout Europe and Russia, Crosby was also known as "Der Bingle".

His last American concert was on August 16, 1977, the day Elvis Presley died, at the Concord Pavilion in Concord, California. On August 27, Crosby gave a televised concert in Norway. In September, Crosby, his family and singer Rosemary Clooney embarked on a concert tour of Britain that included two weeks at the London Palladium. His last TV appearance was a Christmas special, Merry Old Christmas, taped in London in September 1977.

On October 13, 1977, Crosby flew alone to Spain to play golf. On October 14, at La Moraleza Golf Course near Madrid, Crosby played 18 holes of golf. Later that evening, about 18 meters from the clubhouse entrance, Crosby collapsed and died instantly of a massive heart attack at the age of 74. On October 18, 1977, following a private funeral at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Westwood. Crosby was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.

Home Town: Spokane, Washington
Years active: 1927–1977
Died: October 14, 1977 (aged 74)

Bing Crosby Songs

* Stardust 1931
* June in January (1934)
* Its Easy to Remember (1935)
* Red Sails in the Sunset (1935)
* Empty Saddles (1936)
* I'm an Old Cowhand (1936)
* Pennies From Heaven (1936)
* Blue Hawaii (1937)
* Remember Me (1937)
* Sweet Leilani (1937)
* There's a Gold Mine in the Sky (1937)
* Too Marvelous for Words (1937)
* I've Got a Pocketful of Dreams (1938)
* My Reverie (1938)
* Deep Purple (1939)
* I Have Eyes (1939)
* Only Forever (1940)
* Singing Hills (1940)
* Trade Winds (1940)
* Sierra Sue (1940)
* Yodelin' Jive (1940)
* New San Antonio Rose (1941)
* Dolores (1941)
* It's Always You (1941)
* Shepherd Serenade (1941)
* Til Reveille (1941)
* You and I (1941)
* White Christmas (1942)
* I'll Be Home For Christmas (1943)
* Moonlight Becomes You (1943)
* Oh What a Beautiful Morning (1943)
* People Will Say We're in Love (1943)
* Pistol Packing Mama (1943)
* Sunday Monday or Always (1943)
* I Love You (1944)
* I’ll be Seeing You (1944)
* San Fernando Valley (1944)
* Swinging On a Star (1944)
* There’ll be a Hot Time in the Town of Berlin (1944)
* Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive (1945)
* Along the Navajo Trail (1945)
* Don't Fence Me In (1945
* I Can't Begin to Tell You (1945)
* If I Loved You (1945)
* It's Been A Long, Long Time (1945)
* Just A Prayer Away (1945)
* On the Atchison Topeka And Santa Fe (1945)
* The Three Caballeros (1945)
* You Belong to My Heart (1945)
* South America Take It Away (1946)
* Sioux City Sue (1946)
* Symphony (1946)
* The Whiffenproof Song (1946)
* Now Is the Hour (1948)
* Far Away Places (1949)
* Galway Bay (1949)
* Some Enchanted Evening (1949)
* Dear Hearts and Gentle People (1950)
* Quicksilver (1950)
* Sam’s Song - Gary & Bing Crosby (1950)
* Simple Melody - Gary & Bing Crosby (1950)
* True Love (1956)

More about Bing Crosby

The Big Broadcast is a musical comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Bing Crosby, Stuart Erwin, and Leila Hyams. The Film was released on 14th October 1932.

Too Much Harmony is a black-and-white musical film directed by A. Edward Sutherland and released by Paramount Pictures. It Stars Bing Crosby, Judith Allen and more. The film was released on 23rd September 1933

We're Not Dressing is a 1934 pre-Code screwball musical comedy directed by Norman Taurog. Based on the 1902 J. M. Barrie play The Admirable Crichton. It stars Bing Crosby, Carole Lombard. The film was released on 26th April 1934.

Bing Crosby with his wife Dixie Lee and their three young children, sitting on a picnic blanket outdoors in 1935.

Road to Utopia is a comedy film directed by Hal Walker and starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. Filmed in 1943 but not released on 27th February 1946. Road to Utopia is the fourth film of the "Road to …" series. Written by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama.

The Emperor Waltz (German: Ich küsse Ihre Hand, Madame) is a 1948 American musical film directed by Billy Wilder and starring Bing Crosby and Joan Fontaine.[5][6] Written by Wilder and Charles Brackett. The film was released on 2nd July 1948.

Mr. Music is a film starring Bing Crosby and Nancy Olson, directed by Richard Haydn. The film was released on 8th December 1950.

Just for You is a 1952 American musical film starring Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman and the final motion picture to be directed by Elliott Nugent. It was nominated for two Academy Awards in 1953. The film was released on September 1952

White Christmas is a musical romantic comedy film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen. The film was released on 14th October 1954.

The Country Girl is a drama film directed by George Seaton and starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, and William Holden. Kelly won the Academy Award for Best Actress for the role. Adapted by George Seaton from Clifford Odets' 1950 play of the same name. The film was released on 15th December 1954.

Bing Crosby and his future wife Kathryn Grant attend the Academy Awards ceremony on March 30, 1955 in Los Angeles, California.

High Society is a 1956 American musical comedy film directed by Charles Walters and starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, and Frank Sinatra. The film was produced by Sol C. Siegel for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film was released on 17th Jun 1956.

High Time is a 1960 American comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and starring Bing Crosby, Fabian, Tuesday Weld, and Nicole Maurey. The film was released on 16th September 1960.