'Am I. Joan's sister Betty Caulfield confirmed the romantic relationship between Joan and Bing Crosby. But his chart success remains impressive: 396 chart singles, including roughly 41 number 1 hits. Let's go have a Coca-Cola." I think there was some father-son stuff that everyone has. Bing Crosby net worth: Bing Crosby was an American singer and actor who had a net worth equal to $50 million inflation adjusted dollars. When the two met, they became friends. It is said that his nickname Bing was derived from "Bingo from Bingville" which a neighborhood kid had taken to calling him. The comments made by FBI investigators in the memos discredited the claims made in the letters. 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. Harry "Bing" Lillis Crosby, Jr. was born May 3, 1903 in Tacoma, Washington. 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. The Crosbys were a musical family and lived in Spokane for many years. bing! [81] In the early 1950s, Crosby helped establish the CBS television affiliate in his hometown of Spokane, Washington. [116][117], Crosby's will established a blind trust in which none of the sons received an inheritance until they reached the age of 65, intended by Crosby to keep them out of trouble. If we didn't, we got punished. He got his name from a comic strip in The Spokesman-Review: Born Harry Lillis Crosby in Tacoma, Bing moved with his family to . Schofield, Mary Anne. The first time, in 1930, was to the actress-singer Dixie Lee, who died of cancer in 1952. 1. "Sail Away from Norway" (1977) Crosby wrote lyrics to go with a traditional song. 'I never expected affection from my father so it didn't bother me,' he once told an interviewer.'" Harry Barris wrote several of Crosby's hits, including "At Your Command", "I Surrender Dear", and "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams". 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. "Blondell: "I'm surprised they didn't call you "Killer" Crosby! They honed their skills with Morrissey. Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman (1947) is based on Lee's life. His parents were Harry Lincoln Crosby (aka Harry Lowe Crosby) and Catherine Harrigan. I couldn't believe it when I read the book because it just didn't sound like Gary. The trial court granted Dixie's trust's claim. "Bing was born on May 3, 1903. It was a happy childhood. Statistician Joel Whitburn at Billboard determined that Crosby was America's most successful recording act of the 1930s and again in the 1940s. At his death in 1977 at age 73, he left his money in a blind trust, which none of the sons--whose youthful escapades were well . In light of the court's ruling, it was unnecessary for the court to decide whether a right of publicity can be characterized as community property under California law. p. 24. Sforza, John: "Swing It! Crosby was associated with ABC's The Hollywood Palace as the show's first and most frequent guest host and appeared annually on its Christmas edition with his wife Kathryn and his younger children, and continued after The Hollywood Palace was eventually canceled. 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. Crosby and Lindsay Howard formed Binglin Stable to race and breed thoroughbred horses at a ranch in Moorpark in Ventura County, California. His great popularity throughout the continent led other African singers to emulate him, including Masuka, Dolly Rathebe, and Mriam Makeba, known locally as "The Bing Crosby of Africa. 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. She also appeared in the 1989 film adaptation of Stephen King's novel Pet Sematary. In addition to Claire, they have a son named Carson and two daughters named June and Millie. Primary Wave, founded 15 years ago by former top music executive Lawrence Mestel, is known for owning Kurt Cobain's Nirvana catalog.. The Crosby family lived at 10500 Camarillo Street in North Hollywood for more than five years. "[109] Nevertheless, Phillip did not deny that Crosby believed in corporal punishment. On October 18, 1977, following a private funeral Mass at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Westwood,[128] Crosby was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. To get better results, add more information such as Birth Info, . It was one of the magnetic tape recorders that BASF and AEG had built in Germany starting in 1935. Bing archives. In 2007, he was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame and in 2008 the Western Music Hall of Fame. Bing Crosby's youngest son Nathaniel has penned a book about his famous dad. University Press of Kentucky. [2] He made over 70 feature films and recorded more than 1,600 songs. Crosby had arranged for Ampex, another of his financial investments, to record the NBC telecast on kinescope. Bing Crosby and Family. [11] In 1963, Crosby received the first Grammy Global Achievement Award. Crosby has a number of grandchildren. Whiteman considered letting them go. Crosby had separate charting singles every year between 1931 and 1954; the annual re-release of "White Christmas" extended that streak to 1957. [125] About 20 yards (18m) from the clubhouse entrance, Crosby collapsed and died instantly from a massive heart attack. [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. [115], Bing's younger brother, singer and jazz bandleader Bob Crosby, recalled at the time of Gary's revelations that Bing was a "disciplinarian", as their mother and father had been. As minor parts of The Syncopation Idea Crosby and Rinker started to develop as entertainers. [111] However, after the book was published, Lindsay addressed the abuse claims and what the media had made out of them: He was a good father. He matured as a performer and was in demand as a solo singer.[40]. 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. Crosby also ensured behind the scenes that Armstrong received equal billing with his white co-stars. His biggest best seller is "White Christmas" 2,000,000 impressions of which have been sold in the U.S. and 250,000 in Great Britain. [83] They also established the Binglin Stock Farm in Argentina, where they raced horses at Hipdromo de Palermo in Palermo, Buenos Aires. The following year, Crosby and Hope reunited for one more Road movie, The Road to Hong Kong, which teamed them up with the much younger Joan Collins and Peter Sellers. "[45] "Nine out of ten singers and bandleaders listen to Crosby's broadcasts each Thursday night and follow his lead. Gender. 25 Nov 1933) were married in 1957 and had 3 children.1. 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. "[70] His popularity in India led many Hindu singers to imitate and emulate him, notably Kishore Kumar, considered the "Bing Crosby of India". That is also the year many film historians consider the beginning of the . 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. March 6, 2012 / 10:10 PM / AP. [81] NAFI Corporation and Crosby purchased television station KPTV in Portland, Oregon, for $4 million on September 1, 1959. [30] Gonzaga University houses a large collection of photographs, correspondence, and other material related to Crosby.[31]. A former Bay Area estate of the crooner Bing Crosby has come on the market for $13,750,000. 1934 July 13 Twins Dennis Michael Crosby and Phillip Lang Crosby are born. I can't even turn on the radio around Christmas time without crying anymore. He did make up for it at the end of the week by catching a number of sea trout. American Masters: Rediscovering Bing Crosby (2015) | PBS, I Found a Million Dollar Baby (in a Five and Ten Cent Store), Where the Blue of the Night (Meets the Gold of the Day), National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You, I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You, Chesterfield Cigarettes Presents Music that Satisfies, Bing Crosby on Armed Forces Radio in World War II, The Bing Crosby Show for General Electric, White Christmas (re-issue of album above), "MUSIC; Bing Crosby, The Unsung King of Song", "Sylvester Stallone Could Join Exclusive Oscar Company with 'Creed' Nomination", "Engineering and Technology History Wiki", "Crosby, Bing (19031977) and Mildred Bailey (19071951), Spokane", "Gonzaga History 19801989 Gonzaga University", "Bing Crosby and Gonzaga University: 19031925 Gonzaga University", "Bing Crosby ~ Timeline: Bing Crosby's Life and Career", "Bing Crosby and Gonzaga University: 19031925", "LibGuides: Manuscript Collections: Crosby", "She Loves Me Not, starring Bing Crosby and Nan Grey", "Harry Crosby Got Nickname from Cartoon; Started as 'Bingville' and Was Later Shortened to Bing", Early KHQ broadcast from the Davenport Hotel Spokane, "Bing Crosby- Bing! [78], With Frank Sinatra, Crosby was one of the principal backers for the United Western Recorders studio complex in Los Angeles.[79]. They traveled to Los Angeles, where Bailey introduced them to her show business contacts. [3][4][5], 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,[6] Perry Como, Dean Martin, Dick Haymes, Elvis Presley, and John Lennon. He later described Jolson's delivery as "electric". Gary said to me before I read it, "It's not the same book I wrote."[112]. "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. 1. [64] His most popular film, White Christmas, grossed $30 million in 1954 ($303 million in current value). They joined the Gus Arnheim Orchestra, performing nightly in the Coconut Grove of the Ambassador Hotel. "Bing Crosby: Through the years, volumes one-nine (195456). Nine things you might not know about legendary crooner Bing Crosby. [97], Crosby reportedly had an alcohol problem between the late 1920s and early 1930s, but he got a handle on his drinking in 1931. They had four sons - Gary (born 1934), Dennis and Phillip (born 1935), and Lindsay (born 1938). In 2006, Crosby's niece through his sister Mary Rose, Carolyn Schneider, published the laudatory book Me and Uncle Bing. Her birth name is Mary Frances Crosby and she is currently 61 years old. 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. [42] He sang four Academy Award winning songs "Sweet Leilani" (1937), "White Christmas" (1942), "Swinging on a Star" (1944), "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" (1951) and won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Going My Way (1944). Ten of the top 50 songs of 1931 included Crosby with others or as a solo act. "[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. $369,000. bing! "Now You Has Jazz" in the film High Society (1956). The Fireside Theater (1950) was his first television production. Now the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the tournament is a staple of the PGA Tour, having featured Hollywood stars and other celebrities. [125] On October 14, at the La Moraleja Golf Course near Madrid, Crosby played 18 holes of golf. Armstrong appreciated Crosby's progressive attitudes on race, and often expressed gratitude for the role in later years.[44]. The two Crosby families gave him countless grandchildren, including another Bing Crosby who was bestowed with his grandfather's name but never fell to the perils of addiction. Keyword. There was something magical for listeners in the fact that what they were hearing was being performed and heard live everywhere, at that precise instant. Crosby's insistence eventually factored into the further development of magnetic tape sound recording and the radio industry's widespread adoption of it. On October 13, 1977, Crosby flew alone to Spain to play golf and hunt partridge. Also quick to adopt tape recording was his friend Bob Hope. (AP) When they were young, Patricia and Joan Miller sang and danced for Bing Crosby, troops and their friends. I understand what he's trying to prove. When they appeared solo, Crosby and Hope frequently made note of the other in a comically insulting fashion. 4. Dennis Jr.'s daughter and Bing's grandmother, Kate, had a love for music. 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. I came back to see the man playing one of those old Vitrolas, like those of RCA with the horn speaker. [28] As a freshman, he played on the university's baseball team. But NBC and CBS refused to broadcast prerecorded radio programs. [60] Sources differ regarding the number of copies he sold: 300 million[61] or even 500 million. In the 1949 Disney animated film The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Crosby provided the narration and song vocals for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow segment. [3]:24[26], In 1917, Crosby took a summer job as property boy at Spokane's Auditorium, where he witnessed some of the acts of the day, including Al Jolson, who held him spellbound with ad-libbing and parodies of Hawaiian songs. [51] He was, by his own definition, a "phraser", a singer who placed equal emphasis on both the lyrics and the music. Exact. 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. At age three, the family moved to Spokane. But as . 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. And his star is still in the ascendant. She was born on September 14, 1959, in Los Angeles, California, USA.. Mary Crosby was born in Los Angeles, the daughter of Bing Crosby and Kathryn Grant. One each for radio, recording, and motion pictures. Back Bay Books. A couple of weeks later he had a show that wasn't very funny, and he insisted that we put in the salvaged laughs. I needed something to lift my spirits. [106] This house served as a setting for some of the family's Minute Maid orange juice television commercials. 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. 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. The whole world knew and loved Bing Crosby. Dennis died in 1991 at the age of 56. In a poll of U.S. troops at the close of World War II, Crosby topped the list as the person who had done the most for G.I. [96], In the most recent Crosby biography, Bing Crosby: Swinging on a Star; the War Years, 1940-1946, Gary Giddins published excerpts from an original diary of two sisters, Violet and Mary Barsa, who, as young women, used to stalk Crosby in New York City during December 1945 and January 1946 and who detailed their observations in the diary. In 1950, Crosby became the third person to win the William D. Richardson award, which is given to a non-professional golfer "who has consistently made an outstanding contribution to golf". In film, on the radio or on record, he seemed cool and collected, a perfect picture of a laid-back family man. Bing Crosby is the ultimate Christmas crooner and his defining hit 'White Christmas' is not only an anthem of the festive season, it's also the world's best-. At the end of the 20th century, TV Guide listed the Crosby-Bowie duet one of the 25 most memorable musical moments of 20th-century television. 15 Minutes with Bing Crosby, his nationwide solo radio debut, began broadcasting on September 2, 1931. [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. In time, Bingo got shortened to Bing.[34][35][36]. In his heyday, Crosby attributed his unique nickname of. Both Dennis and Lindsay died due to suicide. From the mid-1950s, Bing was more comfortable in a bass range while maintaining a baritone quality, with the best octave being G to G, or even F to F. In a recording he made of 'Dardanella' with Louis Armstrong in 1960, he attacks lightly and easily on a low E flat. The "telefilms" were syndicated to individual television stations. In 1963, he and his wife Kathryn moved with their 3 young children from Los Angeles to a $175,000 10-bedroom Tudor estate in Hillsborough because they did not want to raise their children in Hollywood, according to son Nathaniel. The auditorium is in Jepson Center on the Gonzaga campus, 502 E. Boone Ave. To learn more about the event's program, go here. Their duet was released in 1982 as a single 45-rpm record and reached No. 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. Mary. 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?)" Family life and death. As I passed a Hindu sitting on the corner of a street, I heard something surprisingly familiar. Hammar, Peter. "[109][110] Unlike Gary, Lindsay stated that he preferred to remember "all the good things I did with my dad and forget the times that were rough". Called "18 Holes with Bing: Golf, Life and Lessons From Dad," it's an affectionate portrait of his legendary. Mary Frances Crosby was born in Los Angeles, California on September 14, 1959. The three children from Bing Crosby's marriage to Kathryn are all alive - Harry, 54, Mary, 53, and Nathaniel, 51. [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. [3]:8. [109] "Lindsay Crosby supported his brother (Gary) at the time of its publication but had a tempered view of its revelations. The 6.5mm ferric-oxide-coated tape could record 20 minutes per reel of high-quality sound. 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". [124] Accompanied by the Gordon Rose Orchestra, Crosby's last recorded performance was of the song "Once in a While". He was already spending much time on the golf course while touring the country in a vaudeville act or with Paul Whiteman's orchestra in the mid to late 1920s. [83][84] Operating from the Del Mar Racetrack at Del Mar, California, the group included millionaire businessman Charles S. Howard, who owned a successful racing stable that included Seabiscuit. [42] Shortly before his death in 1977, he had planned another Road film in which he, Hope, and Lamour search for the Fountain of Youth. ABC was formed from the sale of the NBC Blue Network in 1943 after a federal antitrust suit and was willing to join Mutual in breaking the tradition. His first wife was actress and nightclub singer Dixie Lee, to whom he was married from 1930 until her death from ovarian cancer in 1952. His contract with Decca runs until 1955. Harry Crosby was 19 when his father, Bing, died in 1977. . Crosby admired Louis Armstrong for his musical ability, and the trumpet maestro was a formative influence on Crosby's singing style. He partnered with Ed Craney, who owned the CBS radio affiliate KXLY (AM) and built a television studio west of Crosby's alma mater, Gonzaga University. and helped morale of the American public. They moved in when Gary was only seven, the twins were four . Bing Crosby was born Harry Lillis Crosby on 03 May 1903 in Tacoma, Washington. (1990), Bob Hope wrote, "Dear old Bing, as we called him, the Economy-sized Sinatra. Mullin continued to work for Crosby to develop a videotape recorder (VTR). Bing and Dixie reconciled and he continued trying to help her overcome her alcohol issues. In the early 1970s, he made two late appearances on the Flip Wilson Show, singing duets with the comedian. 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. 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. It gave us a chance to ad-lib as much as we wanted, knowing that excess ad-libbing could be sliced from the final product. "Marketing Iron Pigs, Patriotism, and Peace: Bing Crosby and World War IIA Discourse. [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. ", Her Heart Can See: The Life and Hymns of Fanny J. Crosby By Edith L. Blumhofer, Edith Waldvogel Blumhofer pg. . They appeared as guests on each other's shows and on Armed Forces Radio Service during and after World War II. Edit Search New Search Jump to Filters. 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]. 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. In 1913, his father built a house at 508 E. Sharp Avenue. The Fanchon and Marco Time Agency hired them for thirteen weeks for the revue The Syncopation Idea starting at the Boulevard Theater in Los Angeles and then on the Loew's circuit. [84] In 1943, Binglin's horse Don Bingo won the Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Today he is a kind of national institution. He would appear in 79 pictures. ", Gilbert, Roger. Stanley, Bob, Let's Do It: The Birth of Pop Music, Pegasus Books, 2022, pg 220, Grudens, 2002, p. 236. The Northern California home that movie star Bing Crosby once lived in hits the market for $13.75 million Dennis Mayer | OMARSHALL Real Estate The 3 acre Northern California estate where "White. [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. [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. Discover Bing Crosby's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. [3]:9297[37] Crosby and Al Rinker obtained work at the Clemmer Theatre in Spokane (now known as the Bing Crosby Theater). During the 1940s, Crosby consistently had difficulties trying to stay away from home while also trying to be there as much as possible for his children.[95]. Exact. [91], Crosby was married twice. Bing Cosby was born on May 3, 1903, and his birth name is Harry Lillis Crosby. Crosby's family includes his widow and his three children. Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, 37 (6): 490496, 498, 500, 502, 504, 506, 508, 510, 512; June 1989. Thus the laugh-track was born. Jack Mullin: The man and his Machines. Specialties: The historic Bing Crosby Theater is an entertainment venue situated in the heart of the downtown Spokane entertainment district . [23][3] His father was of Scottish and English descent; an ancestor, Simon Crosby, emigrated from England to New England in the 1630s during the Puritan migration to New England. "[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. [108], Crosby's younger son Phillip disputed his brother Gary's claims about their father. These are the first pictures ever taken inside their house. In 1999, the parties settled for approximately $1.5 million. He could do four shows a week, if he chose, and then take a month off. [83] Charles' son, Lindsay C. Howard, became one of Crosby's closest friends; Crosby named his son Lindsay after him, and would purchase his 40-room Hillsborough, California estate from Lindsay in 1965. Sterling, C. H., & Kittross, J. M. (1990). However, he. He learned how to pronounce German from written scripts and read propaganda broadcasts intended for German forces. Bing's grandchildren even perform their grandpa's world-famous song White Christmas every year in tribute to the master crooner. Times have changed, and Spokane has grown, but you can still see a show at the historic theater in Washington . [3]:6[9] In 1948, Music Digest estimated that his recordings filled more than half of the 80,000 weekly hours allocated to recorded radio music in America.[9]. Fisher, J. "[109], The author of the most recent biography on Bing Crosby, Gary Giddins, claims that Gary Crosby's memoir is not reliable on many instances and cannot be trusted on the abuse stories. All that matters to him is the words, and that's the only thing that ought to for you, too. He competed in both the British and U.S. [42] Before the end of the year, he signed[clarification needed] with both Brunswick Records and CBS Radio. Exact. They had four sons Gary, Dennis, Phillip, and Lindsay. [121], Following his recovery from a life-threatening fungal infection in his right lung in January 1974, Crosby emerged from semi-retirement to start a new spate of albums and concerts.