1. But his chart success remains impressive: 396 chart singles, including roughly 41 number 1 hits. Other than that, he fathered five kids - James Raymond, Erika Keller Crosby, and Donovan Crosby.. While in the UK, Crosby recorded his final album, Seasons, and his final TV Christmas special with guest David Bowie on September 11 (which aired a little over a month after Crosby's death). [127] At the clubhouse and later in the ambulance, house physician Dr. Laiseca tried to revive him, but was unsuccessful. In 1960, he starred in High Time, a collegiate comedy with Fabian Forte and Tuesday Weld that predicted the emerging gap between him and the new younger generation of musicians and actors who had begun their careers after World War II. [90], Crosby also was a keen fisherman. "Entertaining Catholics: Bing Crosby, Religion and Cultural Pluralism in 1940s America. Bing's name and his artistry saved the recording industry. [125] On October 14, at the La Moraleja Golf Course near Madrid, Crosby played 18 holes of golf. I stopped and smiled in grateful acknowledgment. Crosby's vocal style helped take popular singing beyond the "belting" associated with Al Jolson and Billy Murray, who had been obligated to reach the back seats in New York theaters without the aid of a microphone. In that way, we could take out jokes, gags, or situations that didn't play well and finish with only the prime meat of the show; the solid stuff that played big. morale, ahead of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, General Dwight Eisenhower, and Bob Hope. * Live Theater * Concerts * Films * Events www.bingcrosbytheater.com Established in 1915. He was the number one box office attraction for five consecutive years, 1944 to 1948. Crosby has a number of grandchildren. After Crosby's death in 1977, he left the residue of his estate to a marital trust for the benefit of his widow, Kathryn, and HLC Properties, Ltd., was formed for the purpose of managing his interests, including his right of publicity. Crosby and Al continued at the Clemmer Theatre for several months often with three other men Wee Georgie Crittenden, Frank McBride and Lloyd Grinnell and they were billed The Clemmer Trio or The Clemmer Entertainers depending who performed.[38]. He had investments in real estate, mines, oil wells, cattle ranches, race horses, music publishing, baseball teams, and television. Through audio recordings, he produced his radio programs with the same directorial tools and craftsmanship (editing, retaking, rehearsal, time shifting) used in motion picture production, a practice that became the industry standard. 3 Beds. They had four sons - Gary (born 1934), Dennis and Phillip (born 1935), and Lindsay (born 1938). They honed their skills with Morrissey. In his 1950 film Mr. Music, he is seen singing into an Ampex tape recorder that reproduced his voice better than anything else. Denise Crosby (granddaughter) Dixie Lee (born Wilma Winifred Wyatt; November 4, 1909 - November 1, 1952) was an American actress, dancer, and singer. [93] They had three children: Harry Lillis III (who played Bill in Friday the 13th), Mary Frances (best known for portraying Kristin Shepard on TV's Dallas), and Nathaniel (the 1981 U.S. The auditorium is in Jepson Center on the Gonzaga campus, 502 E. Boone Ave. To learn more about the event's program, go here. Edit Search New Search Jump to Filters. His first commercial sponsor on radio was Cremo Cigars and his fame spread nationwide. The man was listening to Bing Crosby sing, "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive". A number of Argentine-bred horses were purchased and shipped to race in the United States. He became the first performer to prerecord his radio shows and master his commercial recordings onto magnetic tape. Crosby admired Louis Armstrong for his musical ability, and the trumpet maestro was a formative influence on Crosby's singing style. Some of the best moments in comedy came when a line was blown and the star had to rely on wit to rescue a bad situation. [83] They also established the Binglin Stock Farm in Argentina, where they raced horses at Hipdromo de Palermo in Palermo, Buenos Aires. "My son, Nicholas, and daughter, Thea, sing and play White Christmas on the piano for everyone," says Harry, who lives in New York. Crosby won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Going My Way (1944) and was nominated for its sequel, The Bells of St. Mary's (1945), opposite Ingrid Bergman, becoming the first of six actors to be nominated twice for playing the same character. [39], Success with Whiteman was followed by disaster when they reached New York. His family soon moved to Spokane, Washington. Prigozy, Ruth, and Walter Raubicheck, eds. Bing's first wife, singer, danger Dixie Lee, died of ovarian cancer in 1952 at the age of 42, leaving him a widower with four sons. His parents were Harry Lincoln Crosby (aka Harry Lowe Crosby) and Catherine Harrigan. 56 . They had a lively style that was popular with college students. Mary Crosby was born in Los Angeles, the daughter of Bing Crosby and Kathryn Grant. Like his father and grandfather, Dennis Crosby had seven children, too. $369,000. Alexander M. Poniatoff ordered Ampex, which he founded in 1944, to manufacture an improved version of the Magnetophone. bing! [84] In 1943, Binglin's horse Don Bingo won the Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Keyword. They've been living in their Holmby Hills home for ten years that's a lot of memories. In 1917 . Bing Crosby Enterprises gave the world's first demonstration of videotape recording in Los Angeles on November 11, 1951. "[45] "Nine out of ten singers and bandleaders listen to Crosby's broadcasts each Thursday night and follow his lead. Bing's grandchildren even perform their grandpa's world-famous song White Christmas every year in tribute to the master crooner. Collins was used in place of their longtime partner Dorothy Lamour, whom Crosby felt was getting too old for the role, though Hope refused to do the film without her, and she instead made a lengthy and elaborate cameo appearance. [55][56], Crosby elaborated on an idea of Al Jolson's: phrasing, or the art of making a song's lyric ring true. On Christmas Eve, 1944, somewhere in Europe, presumably during the Battle . Armstrong appreciated Crosby's progressive attitudes on race, and often expressed gratitude for the role in later years.[44]. Bing Crosby with his four sons Gary, Lindsay, Dennis and Phillip (Image: GETTY) Mary Crosby has disputed her half-brother Gary's claims (Image: GETTY) "And Gary said to me that the publishers. Stay Tuned: A Concise History of American broadcasting (2nd ed.). After seeing a demonstration of a German broadcast quality reel-to-reel tape recorder brought to the United States by John T. Mullin, he invested $50,000 in the California electronics company Ampex to build copies. It was a happy childhood. Image Credit: Nbc Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock. Eventually, Crosby became accomplished at the sport, at his best reaching a two handicap. This house went up for sale by its current owners in 2021 for $13.75 million. children: Mary Crosby Gary Crosby Harry Crosby Dennis Crosby Phillip Crosby Lindsay Crosby Nathaniel Crosby Born Country: United States Quotes By Bing Crosby Actors Height: 5'7" (170 cm ), 5'7" Males political ideology: Republican Died on: October 14, 1977 place of death: La Moraleja, Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain U.S. State: Washington [106] This house served as a setting for some of the family's Minute Maid orange juice television commercials. His parents were Harry Lowe Crosby[22] (18701950), a bookkeeper, and Catherine Helen "Kate" (ne Harrigan; 18731964). Records which he made ten years ago are selling better than ever before. Billboard magazine used different methodologies during his career. He gave one of the first Ampex Model 300 recorders to his friend, guitarist Les Paul, which led to Paul's invention of multitrack recording. They were his most frequent collaborators on disc from 1939 to 1952, a partnership that produced four million-selling singles: "Pistol Packin' Mama", "Jingle Bells", "Don't Fence Me In", and "South America, Take it Away". "[70] His popularity in India led many Hindu singers to imitate and emulate him, notably Kishore Kumar, considered the "Bing Crosby of India". The Crosby Family home. Gary Crosby died of lung cancer in 1995 at age 62, and Phillip Crosby died of a heart attack in 2004 at age 69.[120]. In 1937, Crosby hosted the first 'Crosby Clambake', a pro-am tournament at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, California, the event's location prior to World War II. Bing's second and third children were twin boys, Dennis and Phillip Crosby. It seemed like Bing Crosby's first family was doomed. In 1929, the Rhythm Boys appeared in the film King of Jazz with Whiteman, but Crosby's growing dissatisfaction with Whiteman led to the Rhythm Boys leaving his organization. [68], Crosby's popularity around the world was such that Dorothy Masuka, the best-selling African recording artist, stated that, "Only Bing Crosby the famous American crooner sold more records than me in Africa." However, Crosby had already sold his Elko ranch a year earlier, in 1958, and it is doubtful how much he was really involved in that meeting. Also quick to adopt tape recording was his friend Bob Hope. [42] Before the end of the year, he signed[clarification needed] with both Brunswick Records and CBS Radio. [74] Crosby's radio career took a significant turn in 1945, when he clashed with NBC over his insistence that he be allowed to pre-record his radio shows. [74] Mullin explained how one new broadcasting technique was invented on the Crosby show with these machines: One time Bob Burns, the hillbilly comic, was on the show, and he threw in a few of his folksy farm stories, which of course were not in Bill Morrow's script. However, while Crosby can be called a jazz singer, he was not strictly only a jazz singer as he modeled the style and techniques to a broad scope of music that he performed, ranging from Jazz to Country to even such material as operetta arias. Bing Crosby was born on May 2, 1903, in Tacoma, Washington to Harry Lowe Crosby and Catherine Helen Kate.He was the fourth child of seven by his parents. [65], He received 23 gold and platinum records, according to the book Million Selling Records. ", Smith, Anthony B. [97], Crosby reportedly had an alcohol problem between the late 1920s and early 1930s, but he got a handle on his drinking in 1931. ", Her Heart Can See: The Life and Hymns of Fanny J. Crosby By Edith L. Blumhofer, Edith Waldvogel Blumhofer pg. Age, Biography and Wiki. Stanley, Bob, Let's Do It: The Birth of Pop Music, Pegasus Books, 2022, pg 220, Grudens, 2002, p. 236. Filmed in Technicolor, it features the songs of Irving Berlin, including a new version of the title song, "White Christmas", introduced by Crosby in the 1942 film Holiday Inn. Family Explored. Bing Crosby: A Pocketful of Dreams, The Early Years 19031940. [91], Crosby was married twice. After the war, the event resumed play in 1947 on golf courses in Pebble Beach, where it has been played ever since. [125] At about 6:30 pm, as Crosby and his party headed back to the clubhouse, Crosby said, "That was a great game of golf, fellas. Called "18 Holes with Bing: Golf, Life and Lessons From Dad," it's an affectionate portrait of his legendary. Hammar, Peter. When Mack Sennett signed Crosby to a solo recording contract in 1931, a break with the Rhythm Boys became almost inevitable. Bing Crosby's youngest son Nathaniel has penned a book about his famous dad. He was a frequent guest on the musical variety shows of the 1950s and 1960s, appearing on various variety shows as well as numerous late-night talk shows and his own highly rated specials. March 6, 2012 / 10:10 PM / AP. The nation's appetite for Crosby's voice and personality appears insatiable. In 1977, after Crosby died, the song was re-released and reached No. [125] Crosby, who had a 13 handicap, won with his partner by one stroke. Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby (03 May 1903 - 14 Oct 1977) and Olive Kathryn Grandstaff, aka Kathryn Grant Crosby, (b. He returned to broadcasting for the last 13 weeks of the 19451946 season. He Had A Different Name The man we now know as Bing Crosby was actually born with a different name: Harry Lillis Crosby Jr. To complete his image, he wrapped his family round him in photo . . The document reveals that during that time Crosby was indeed taking Joan Caulfield out to dinner, visited theaters and opera houses with her and that Caulfield and a person in her company entered the Waldorf Hotel where Crosby was staying. The game was one of the most famous in baseball history, capped off by Bill Mazeroski's walk-off home run that won the game for Pittsburgh. These were his last words. He was one of the first global cultural icons. Amateur in 1981 at age 19, becoming the youngest winner in the history of that event at the time. He learned how to pronounce German from written scripts and read propaganda broadcasts intended for German forces. Mary Frances Crosby was born in Los Angeles, California on September 14, 1959. 3 in the UK singles charts. Advertisement Trachtenberg satisfied his curiosity after he showed the boys' photos to USC specialists. [8] In 1948, American polls declared him the "most admired man alive", ahead of Jackie Robinson and Pope Pius XII. Associated With He and his daughter appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Giddins, Gary (2002). Audio engineer Steve Hoffman stated, "By the way, Bing actually saved the record business in 1934 when he agreed to support Decca founder Jack Kapp's crazy idea of lowering the price of singles from a dollar to 35 cents and getting a royalty for records sold instead of a flat fee. 3 Baths. She confided to me that she desperately wanted to marry Bing Crosby. This ad-lib way of working is commonplace in the recording studios today, but it was all new to us. [47] It has since become a staple of holiday radio and the final popular hit of Crosby's career. The 3-acre property at 101 Robin Road was built in . Bing Crosby was married twice. Bing Crosby was one of the most beloved entertainers of the 20th Century with a successful career that spanned over six decades. [72], According to Shoshana Klebanoff, Crosby became one of the richest men in the history of show business. Was Bing Crosby a better father the second time around with your family than with his first four sons, do you think? ", "Top Ten Money Making Stars of the past 79 years", "Bing Crosby Western Music Association Hall of Fame", "Day by Day by Malcolm Macfarlane, see August 31, 1944", Bing Crosby and Gonzaga University: 1925 1951, "Throwback Thursday: Bing Crosby Took a Swing at Baseball in the 1940s", "In Bing Crosby's Wine Cellar, Vintage Baseball", "Nathaniel Crosby wins 1981 U.S. Mullin's 1976 memoir of these early days of experimental recording agrees with Crosby's account: In the evening, Crosby did the whole show before an audience. Robert Trachtenberg, a documentary expert, claimed they might have suffered fetal alcohol syndrome. At Reina Victoria Hospital he was administered the last rites of the Catholic Church and was pronounced dead. bing! The book was I think an attempt of my dad to come to grips with some things in his life. Father, with singer Dixie Lee, of sons Gary Crosby, Phillip Crosby & Dennis Crosby (twins) and Lindsay Crosby. bing! The nickname "Der Bingle" was common among Crosby's German listeners and came to be used by his English-speaking fans. Crosby was also an avid golfer. The additional voice meant they could be heard more easily in large New York theaters. Before 1958, gold records were awarded by record companies. [122] His first performance after the accident was his last American concert, on August 16, 1977, the day Elvis Presley died, at the Concord Pavilion in Concord, California. Crosby was born on May 3, 1903, in Tacoma, Washington, in a house his father built at 1112 North J Street.In 1906, his family moved to Spokane in Eastern Washington state, where he was raised. She was born on September 14, 1959, in Los Angeles, California, USA.. His exceptional career took up most of his time and focus. "[32][33], As it happens, that story was pure whimsy for dramatic effect; the Associated Press had reported as early as February 1932as would later be confirmed by both Bing himself and his biographer Charles Thompsonthat it was in fact a neighborValentine Hobart, circa 1910who had named him "Bingo from Bingville" after a comic feature in the local paper called The Bingville Bugle which the young Harry liked. He matured as a performer and was in demand as a solo singer.[40]. [118] They were instead receiving several thousand dollars per month from a trust left in 1952 by their mother, Dixie Lee. Ten of the top 50 songs of 1931 included Crosby with others or as a solo act. The series of 26-minute shows was filmed at Hal Roach Studios rather than performed live on the air. Listen to Bing Radio. 15 Minutes with Bing Crosby, his nationwide solo radio debut, began broadcasting on September 2, 1931. Harry Crosby was 19 when his father, Bing, died in 1977. . [30] Gonzaga University houses a large collection of photographs, correspondence, and other material related to Crosby.[31]. Homes similar to 1725 Bing Crosby Dr are listed between $274K to $369K at an average of $130 per square foot. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. [51] He was, by his own definition, a "phraser", a singer who placed equal emphasis on both the lyrics and the music. Mullin had not yet succeeded with videotape, so Crosby filmed the series of 26-minute shows at the Hal Roach Studios, and the "telefilms" were syndicated to individual television stations. The quartet's Top-10 Billboard hits from 1943 to 1945 include "The Vict'ry Polka", "There'll Be a Hot Time in the Town of Berlin (When the Yanks Go Marching In)", and "Is You Is or Is You Ain't (Ma' Baby?)" (1990), Bob Hope wrote, "Dear old Bing, as we called him, the Economy-sized Sinatra. and helped morale of the American public. [42] His recording of "White Christmas", has sold over 50 million copies around the world. In time, Bingo got shortened to Bing.[34][35][36]. A landmark piece of Peninsula property is on the sales block with the listing of Bing Crosby's family home in Hillsborough for $13.75 million. Gary's first wife of 19 years, Barbara Cosentino, of whom Gary wrote in his book, "I could confide in her about Mom and Dad and my childhood",[114] and with whom Gary stayed friendly after the divorce, stated: I do not know if what's in the book is true but he never said anything to me about whippings. Crosby's insistence eventually factored into the further development of magnetic tape sound recording and the radio industry's widespread adoption of it. They made one film appearance together in Road to Rio singing "You Don't Have to Know the Language", and sang together on the radio throughout the 1940s and 1950s. (The live production of radio shows was also reinforced by the musicians' union and ASCAP, which wanted to ensure continued work for their members.) All 4 deceased. Denise Crosby, Dennis Crosby's daughter, is also an actress and is known for her role as Tasha Yar on Star Trek: The Next Generation and for the recurring role of the Romulan Sela after her withdrawal from the series as a regular cast member. Crosby influenced the development of the post World War II recording industry. A former Bay Area estate of the crooner Bing Crosby has come on the market for $13,750,000. The Fireside Theater (1950) sponsored by Procter & Gamble, was his first television production. ISBN 978-0316886451; Grudens . [82] In 1960, NAFI purchased KCOP from Crosby's group. A Crosby-led group purchased station KCOP-TV, in Los Angeles, California, in 1954. As I passed a Hindu sitting on the corner of a street, I heard something surprisingly familiar. Times have changed, and Spokane has grown, but you can still see a show at the historic theater in Washington . bing!, as my luckless victim fell clutching his side, I would shout bing! By 1936, he replaced his former boss, Paul Whiteman, as host of the weekly NBC radio program Kraft Music Hall, where he remained for the next ten years. [10] At his screen apex in 1946, Crosby starred in three of the year's five highest-grossing films: The Bells of St. Mary's, Blue Skies and Road to Utopia. (1928), with Harry Barris and, "Ev'rything's Agreed Upon" (1930), with Harry Barris, "Believe Me" (1931), with James Cavanaugh and, "You Taught Me How to Love" (1931), with H. C. LeBlang and Don Herman, "My Woman" (1932), with Irving Wallman and Max Wartell, "Cutesie Pie" (1932), with Red Standex and, "I Was So Alone, Suddenly You Were There (1932), with, "Love Me Tonight" (1932), with Victor Young and Ned Washington, US, no. The Clemmer Theatre, as the Bing Crosby Theater was originally called, opened in 1915. I hope it clears up a lot of the old lies and rumors. [19] The house sits on the campus of his alma mater, Gonzaga University, as a museum housing over 200 artifacts from his life and career, including his Oscar. His records produced hits during the Depression when sales were down. In 1928 he had his first number one hit, a jazz-influenced rendition of "Ol' Man River". [24][25] Through another line, also on his father's side, Crosby is descended from Mayflower passenger William Brewster (c.1567 1644). Cohn gave in; Armstrong's musical scenes and comic dialogue extended his influence to the silver screen, creating more opportunities for him and other African Americans to appear in future films. . Bing Crosby was born Harry Lillis Crosby on 03 May 1903 in Tacoma, Washington. Built in 1930, the English country manor sits in the upscale enclave of Hillsborough, CA, about 20 miles . [85] The Bing Crosby Breeders' Cup Handicap at Del Mar Racetrack is named in his honor. The first time, in 1930, was to the actress-singer Dixie Lee, who died of cancer in 1952. In 1937, he became a founding partner of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and a member of its board of directors. 'Am I. 2000. She is the only daughter of famed entertainer Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby and his second wife, retired singer-actress Kathryn Grant. [75][76][77] He used his clout, both professionally and financially, for innovations in audio. In 1923, Crosby was invited to join a new band composed of high-school students a few years younger than himself. His contract with Paramount runs until 1954. "[57], Critic Henry Pleasants wrote in 1985: [While] the octave B flat to B flat in Bing's voice at that time [1930s] is, to my ears, one of the loveliest I have heard in forty-five years of listening to baritones, both classical and popular, it dropped conspicuously in later years. Crosby was initially a member of a vocal trio called The Three Harmony Aces with Al Rinker accompanying on piano from the pit, to entertain between the films. A "Battle of the Baritones" with singer Russ Columbo proved short-lived, replaced with the slogan "Bing Was King". "Road to Spokane: Bing Crosby's Family History" is a free event taking place at Gonzaga University's Wolff Auditorium from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for Going My Way in 1944 and was nominated for the 1945 sequel, The Bells of St. Mary's. "Now You Has Jazz" in the film High Society (1956). The scheduling could now be done at the star's convenience. [81] In the early 1950s, Crosby helped establish the CBS television affiliate in his hometown of Spokane, Washington. Bing had three children from his second marriage. In the wake of a solid decade of headlining mainly smash hit musical comedy films in the 1930s, Crosby starred with Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour in six of the seven Road to musical comedies between 1940 and 1962 (Lamour was replaced with Joan Collins in The Road to Hong Kong and limited to a lengthy cameo), cementing Crosby and Hope as an on-and-off duo, despite never declaring themselves a "team" in the sense that Laurel and Hardy or Martin and Lewis (Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis) were teams. His first marriage was to a shy 20-year-old actress, Wilma Wyatt, whose stage name was "Dixie Lee." Her father and friends generally opposed the marriage to Bing, age 27, on the grounds that he was an irresponsible playboy. The 6.5mm ferric-oxide-coated tape could record 20 minutes per reel of high-quality sound. The fourth of seven children in a poverty-level family who loved to sing, he was briefly sent to vocal lessons early on by his mother, until he grew tired of the training. "Bing Crosby: Through the years, volumes one-nine (195456). I think it all got a little out of hand. [119], Lindsay Crosby died in 1989 at age 51, and Dennis Crosby died in 1991 at age 56, both by suicide from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. In 2007, he was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame and in 2008 the Western Music Hall of Fame. [109] "Lindsay Crosby supported his brother (Gary) at the time of its publication but had a tempered view of its revelations. Crosby had arranged for Ampex, another of his financial investments, to record the NBC telecast on kinescope. The California Court of Appeal reversed, however, holding that the 1999 settlement barred the claim. Amateur champion in golf). On November 8, 1937, after Lux Radio Theatre's adaptation of She Loves Me Not, Joan Blondell asked Crosby how he got his nickname: Crosby: "Well, I'll tell you, back in the knee-britches day, when I was a wee little tyke, a mere broth of a lad, as we say in Spokane, I used to totter around the streets, with a gun on each hip, my favorite after school pastime was a game known as "Cops and Robbers", I didn't care which side I was on, when a cop or robber came into view, I would haul out my trusty six-shooters, made of wood, and loudly exclaim bing! His organization, the Crosby Research Foundation, held tape recording patents and developed equipment and recording techniques such as the laugh track that are still in use.