Bing Crosby

Harry Lillis Crosby is better known by his stage name Bing Crosby. Born May 2, 1903, in Tacoma, Washington, Crosby was the fourth of seven children. His father was a brewery bookkeeper and his mother was a housewife. During Crosby’s young adulthood he attended Gonzaga University to study law, but he remained more interested in singing and playing the drums. Bing and the piano player of his local band eventually moved from Spokane, Washington, to the more entertainment-minded Los Angeles, California, in 1925.

Crosby’s career didn’t truly begin until one of his brothers, Everett, sent a recording of Crosby to the president of CBS. Needless to say, the president was pleased with what he heard. So much so in fact that Crosby’s performances were carried live over the national radio network for twenty consecutive weeks in 1932. This success led to Crosby’s first feature film. Paramount Pictures offered Crosby the lead in their new film The Big Broadcast in 1932, which included a whole host of popular radio stars of the day. The story revolved around a virtual unknown who became an instant hit with the radio listeners of America—a story obviously very near and dear to the young Crosby. The film also featured George Burns and Gracie Allen.

Crosby was known for his distinctively laid-back and easy-going style. It was therefore common to hear him singing about not needing a lot of money in order to be happy, which was exactly the message America needed while it was embroiled in the most crushing part of the Great Depression. In 1940, Crosby continued to make America smile with the first of the Road series films Road to Singapore. This romantic comedy also starred fellow golf-enthusiast Bob Hope and beauty Dorothy Lamour. The three went on to star in Road to Zanzibar in 1941, Road to Morocco in 1942, and Road to Rio in 1947.

In 1994, Crosby proved he dominated more media forms than just radio. His acting skills were acknowledged publicly when he starred in the 1944 comedy-drama Going My Way. The film was a wild success, sweeping the Oscars. For Crosby’s portrayal of a singing priest, he won Best Lead Actor. His co-star Barry Fitzgerald won for Best Supporting Actor, and the movie itself took Best Writing, Best Directing, and Best Film.

In 1954, Crosby added another quality film to his catalogue with The Country Girl. Starring with Grace Kelly, Crosby acted in his first pure drama. He played the part of Frank Elgin, a fading singer and actor shaken by insecurity and deeply mired in alcoholism. Kelly won the Oscar for Lead Actress as Crosby’s devoted wife, Georgie. Crosby was nominated for Best Actor but ultimately lost out to Marlon Brando’s legendary character in On the Waterfront.

Over Crosby’s illustrious career, he is estimated at selling well over 500 million albums worldwide. He also enjoyed thirty-eight #1 singles, a number that surpasses even music greats Elvis Presley and The Beatles. Crosby’s well-known holiday single “White Christmas” was the best-selling single for over fifty years, and was only overtaken in 1997 with Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind,” a tribute to the late Princess Diana. Crosby’s accomplishments are numerous and staggering, but his career was well summed up when he became the first recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1962.

Crosby died of a heart attack in Madrid, Spain, on October 14, 1977. He was playing golf, which was truly one of his passions in life. His last words are rumored to be, “That was a great game of golf, fellers.”

Crosby was married to Dixie Lee from September 1930 until her death in November 1952 from ovarian cancer. The couple had four children together, two of which tragically suffered from depression and eventually committed suicide—Lindsay Crosby in 1989 and Dennis Crosby in 1991. Crosby remarried to Kathryn Grant from 1957 and was with her up until his death in 1977. Grant and Crosby had another three children together one of whom, Mary Crosby, went on to be a successful Hollywood actress appearing in 'Dallas' with Larry Hagman, 'Knots Landing' with Joan Van Ark and on the big screen in 'The Legend of Zoro' in 2005 with Catherine Zeta Jones and Antonio Banderas.

YUDDY