Race/Nationality. All four of his sons from his marriage to Dixie Lee became heavy drinkers. Bill Cosby, 84, and his wife Camille Cosby, 77, have had five children during their 58-year marriage. The Crosbys lived here with much laughter, and many dreams, and a gracious ease. Crosby asked Harry Cohn, but Cohn had no desire to pay for the flight or to meet Armstrong's "crude, mob-linked but devoted manager, Joe Glaser". Crosby invested $50,000 in Ampex with the intent to produce more machines. Gary Crosby's adopted son, Steven Crosby, said in a 2003 interview: In the early years, I think, like any family you are going to butt heads with your mom, your dad and your brothers and sisters. ("Bingo" was a childhood nickname from one of his favorite comic strips.) Harry Crosby was 19 when his father, Bing, died in 1977. . (The live production of radio shows was also reinforced by the musicians' union and ASCAP, which wanted to ensure continued work for their members.) 1. The Clemmer Theatre, as the Bing Crosby Theater was originally called, opened in 1915. Philip Crosby Sr. is survived by his four children, Mary Elizabeth Crosby, Dixie Lee Crosby, Flip Crosby, and Philip Crosby Jr.; and three half-siblings from his father's second marriage. Shortly before Gary's book was actually published, Lindsay said, "I'm glad [Gary] did it. Amateur champion in golf). [87][88] The restored broadcast was shown on MLB Network in December 2010. Bing Crosby was born Harry Lillis Crosby in Tacoma, Washington, on May 3, 1903. In 1937, he became a founding partner of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and a member of its board of directors. Crosby's family includes his widow and his three children. In 1923, Crosby was invited to join a new band composed of high-school students a few years younger than himself. [90], Crosby also was a keen fisherman. [50] It was on this special that he recorded a duet of "The Little Drummer Boy" and "Peace on Earth" with rock musician David Bowie. [82] In 1960, NAFI purchased KCOP from Crosby's group. Without him, Jack Kapp wouldn't have had a chance in hell of making Decca work and the Great Depression would have wiped out phonograph records for good."[43]. After the war, the event resumed play in 1947 on golf courses in Pebble Beach, where it has been played ever since. In 1913, his father built a house at 508 E. Sharp Avenue. Although he was passionate about the team, he was too nervous to watch the deciding Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, choosing to go to Paris with Kathryn and listen to its radio broadcast. She passed down that love to her first daughter Catherine, who was born on February 7, 1873. For one thing, he enjoys hearing himself sing, and if ever a day should dawn when the public wearies of him, he will complacently go right on singingto himself. We were in the same boat in more ways than one, but I could not tell her so. Bing Crosby Enterprises gave the world's first demonstration of videotape recording in Los Angeles on November 11, 1951. It topped the charts again in 1945 and a third time in January 1947. Crosby had arranged for Ampex, another of his financial investments, to record the NBC telecast on kinescope. He was one of the first global cultural icons. Statistician Joel Whitburn at Billboard determined that Crosby was America's most successful recording act of the 1930s and again in the 1940s. [125][126] At the ninth hole, construction workers building a house nearby recognized him, and when asked for a song, Crosby sang "Strangers in the Night". Crosby left the network and remained off the air for seven months, creating a legal battle with his sponsor Kraft that was settled out of court. Bing and Dixie reconciled and he continued trying to help her overcome her alcohol issues. It is said that his nickname Bing was derived from "Bingo from Bingville" which a neighborhood kid had taken to calling him. 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. Family Life He married his college sweetheart Ashley. The 3-acre property at 101 Robin Road was built in . Crosby played the lead in a series of musical comedy short films for Mack Sennett, signed with Paramount, and starred in his first full-length film 1932's The Big Broadcast (1932), the first of 55 films in which he received top billing. He attended Gonzaga for three years but did not earn a degree. However, the document also clearly indicates that at their meetings a third person, on most instances Caulfield's mother, was present. He apparently viewed the complete film just once, and then stored it in his wine cellar, where it remained undisturbed until it was discovered in December 2009. [24][25] Through another line, also on his father's side, Crosby is descended from Mayflower passenger William Brewster (c.1567 1644). In 1954, Joan Caulfield admitted to a relationship with a "top film star" who was a married man with children who at the end chose his wife and children over her. He made a fortune from the Minute Maid Orange Juice Corporation, in which he was a principal stockholder.[73]. They performed together countless times on stage, radio, film, and television, and made numerous brief and not so brief appearances together in movies aside from the "Road" pictures, Variety Girl (1947) being an example of lengthy scenes and songs together along with billing. In time, Bingo got shortened to Bing.[34][35][36]. 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. Bing Crosby was born Harry Lillis Crosby on 03 May 1903 in Tacoma, Washington. "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You" was his most successful composition, recorded by Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Thelonious Monk, Billie Holiday, and Mildred Bailey, among others. * Live Theater * Concerts * Films * Events www.bingcrosbytheater.com Established in 1915. He would get an additional $40,000 from 400 independent stations for the rights to broadcast the 30-minute show, which was sent to them every Monday on three 16-inch (40-cm) lacquer discs that played ten minutes per side at .mw-parser-output .sfrac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .sfrac.tion,.mw-parser-output .sfrac .tion{display:inline-block;vertical-align:-0.5em;font-size:85%;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .sfrac .num,.mw-parser-output .sfrac .den{display:block;line-height:1em;margin:0 0.1em}.mw-parser-output .sfrac .den{border-top:1px solid}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}33+1/3 rpm. "[45] "In all, 60,000,000 Crosby discs have been marketed since he made his first record in 1931. Farben magnetic tape that Mullin had found at a radio station at Bad Nauheim near Frankfurt while working for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. As I passed a Hindu sitting on the corner of a street, I heard something surprisingly familiar. Crosby has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In the early 1970s, he made two late appearances on the Flip Wilson Show, singing duets with the comedian. Crosby admired Louis Armstrong for his musical ability, and the trumpet maestro was a formative influence on Crosby's singing style. One each for radio, recording, and motion pictures. Discover Bing Crosby's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. [52] Paul Whiteman's hiring of Crosby, with phrasing that echoed jazz, particularly his bandmate Bix Beiderbecke's trumpet, helped bring the genre to a wider audience. In the summer of 1966, he spent a week as the guest of Lord Egremont, staying in Cockermouth and fishing on the River Derwent. Crosby, Stills, and Nash's debut album, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, was released in 1969 and gained critical praise. Around the time Gary published his claims, Phillip stated to the press that "Gary is a whining, bitching crybaby, walking around with a two-by-four on his shoulder and just daring people to nudge it off. Harry: 2. bing!, and I would let him have it again, and then as his friends came to his rescue, shooting as they came, I would shout bing! 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 first time, in 1930, was to the actress-singer Dixie Lee, who died of cancer in 1952. Their duet was released in 1982 as a single 45-rpm record and reached No. "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. 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. Crosby hired Mullin to start recording his Philco Radio Time show on his German-made machine in August 1947 using the same 50 reels of I.G. [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. In the over 280 pages of Crosby's FBI files all but one reference to organized crime or gambling dens are content of a few of the many threats that Bing Crosby received throughout his life. Crosby was also an avid golfer. The Fireside Theater (1950) was his first television production. In the 1930s, his friend and former college classmate, Gonzaga head coach, Mike Pecarovich, appointed Crosby as an assistant football coach. bing! Above, Crosby appears in Los Angeles on September . Exact. Amateur championships, was a five-time club champion at Lakeside Golf Club in Hollywood, and once made a hole-in-one on the 16th hole at Cypress Point. It was one of the magnetic tape recorders that BASF and AEG had built in Germany starting in 1935. . [118] They were instead receiving several thousand dollars per month from a trust left in 1952 by their mother, Dixie Lee. Producer Jack Kapp establishes the U.S. branch. 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). All that matters to him is the words, and that's the only thing that ought to for you, too. 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. [29] The university granted him an honorary doctorate in 1937. Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby (03 May 1903 - 14 Oct 1977) and Olive Kathryn Grandstaff, aka Kathryn Grant Crosby, (b. 'I never expected affection from my father so it didn't bother me,' he once told an interviewer.'" And finally, Catherine . He was the number one box office attraction for five consecutive years, 1944 to 1948. $369,000. Homes similar to 1725 Bing Crosby Dr are listed between $274K to $369K at an average of $130 per square foot. The mega fame he achieved during his first marriage took a toll on his family due to all the commitments that frequently took him away. When the electric power failed during his performance, he continued singing without amplification. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. Bing Crosby: A Pocketful of Dreamsthe Early Years, 1903-1940. Belmont, California: Wadsworth. [112], Dennis Crosby reportedly "said his older brother (Gary) was the most severely treated of the four boys. A Crosby-led group purchased station KCOP-TV, in Los Angeles, California, in 1954. Her father's name was Bing Crosby(singer and actor) and her mother's name is . He became the first performer to prerecord his radio shows and master his commercial recordings onto magnetic tape. White Christmas is a 1954 American musical film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen. The Recording Industry Association of America did not institute its gold record certification program until 1958 when Crosby's record sales were low. 2000. The Crosby Family home. His family soon moved to Spokane, Washington. [64] His most popular film, White Christmas, grossed $30 million in 1954 ($303 million in current value). Crosby was born on May 3, 1903,[16][17] in Tacoma, Washington, in a house his father built at 1112 North J Street. 56 . 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 [27], Crosby graduated from Gonzaga High School in 1920 and enrolled at Gonzaga University. [8] In 1948, American polls declared him the "most admired man alive", ahead of Jackie Robinson and Pope Pius XII. [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 one of the first singers to exploit the intimacy of the microphone rather than use the deep, loud vaudeville style associated with Al Jolson. [60] Sources differ regarding the number of copies he sold: 300 million[61] or even 500 million. Specialties: The historic Bing Crosby Theater is an entertainment venue situated in the heart of the downtown Spokane entertainment district . 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. "I used to tell Sinatra over and over," said Tommy Dorsey, "there's only one singer you ought to listen to and his name is Crosby. This house went up for sale by its current owners in 2021 for $13.75 million. His first was Harry Crosby, born on August 8, 1958. [104], After Crosby's death, his eldest son, Gary, wrote a highly critical memoir, Going My Own Way (1983), depicting his father as cruel, cold, remote, and physically and psychologically abusive. Called "18 Holes with Bing: Golf, Life and Lessons From Dad," it's an affectionate portrait of his legendary. bing! Most fans of Bing Crosby remember his family from the iconic Christmas specials in which his wife Kathryn and their three grown children sang carols and palled around with celebrities like. Bing Crosby's family sold an equal stake in the rights to his estate to Primary Wave Music in an effort for a younger audience to hear his music. [42] Before the end of the year, he signed[clarification needed] with both Brunswick Records and CBS Radio. On March 20, 1977, after videotaping a CBS concert special, "Bing - 50th Anniversary Gala", at the Ambassador Auditorium with Bob Hope looking on, Crosby fell off the stage into an orchestra pit, rupturing a disc in his back requiring a month-long stay in the hospital. "Beloved and Notorious: A Theory of American Stardom, with Special Reference to Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.". The Binglin Stable partnership came to an end in 1953 as a result of a liquidation of assets by Crosby, who needed to raise enough funds to pay the hefty federal and state inheritance taxes on his deceased wife's estate. God I miss that voice. [39], Success with Whiteman was followed by disaster when they reached New York. bing! As music critic Henry Pleasants noted in The Great American Popular Singers, something new had entered American music, a style that might be called "singing in American" with conversational ease. Along with the psychological hardships she most likely gave her children and Bing Crosby himself, it also had physical consequences for the couple's two twin sons, Dennis and Phillip Crosby. [1] He was a leader in record sales, radio ratings, and motion picture grosses from 1926 to 1977. A number of Argentine-bred horses were purchased and shipped to race in the United States. Bing Crosby was one of the most beloved entertainers of the 20th Century with a successful career that spanned over six decades. Singing with the Arnheim Orchestra, Crosby's solos began to steal the show while the Rhythm Boys' act gradually became redundant. Sometimes, if Crosby was having fun with a song and not really working at it, we had to make it up out of two or three parts.