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Bing Crosby
1903-1977
Recording
Artist, Film, Radio, Television
 Harry
Lillis Crosby was born in Tacoma, Washington on May 3, 1903.
His mother side, the Harrigan's were all Irish and the Crosby's
had also emigrated from Ireland. The family moved to Spokane,
Washington in 1906 where Bing grew up and attended Gonzaga
High School and Gonzaga University. Crosby left school along
with his friend Al Rinker to look for work in the music business
in Los Angeles.
Paul Whiteman, who led the most popular
band in America, heard Crosby and Rinker in California and
hired them to join his band. There Crosby began studying music
with some of the greatest musicians of the era: Bix Biederbecke,
Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Joe Venuti and jazz guitarist Eddie
Lang. Later Crosby and Rinker were united with Harry Barris
and  they
became "The Rhythm Boys". For the next three years
they were very successful at theaters throughout the country
and selling records.
In 1931 Crosby made his first movie in a
short musical-comedy film called "I Surrender Dear"
directed by Mack Sennett. It was so successful that Crosby
decided to go solo and left The Rhythm Boys. On Septembert
2, 1931 Crosby made his first radio show. He soon was dominating
all areas of American entertainment.
In 2001 Gary Giddins wrote the first novel
of a two book biography on Bing Crosby titled "Bing Crosby;
A Pocketful Of Dreams, The Early Years, 1903-1940." In
this thoroughly researched biography Giddins refutes the negative
rumors surrounding Crosby and his first family with Dixie
Lee. The book also tells us of Crosby's philanthropy, which
was never before published. It  seems
that Crosby helped many of his Hollywood and musical friends
out when they were in need.
Crosby was also a great reader and answered
many of his fan letters personally. At his peak he was getting
over 50,000 letters a year, all of which were answered. Crosby
was also a very successful businessman. He was a leading partner
in the establishment of the Del-Mar Race Track and years later
he purchased the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team. He also
was an avid sportsman appearing many times on the famous American
Sportsman TV show.
Bing Crosby: Multi-Media
Superstar Facts
- Crosby was the first full-time vocalist
ever signed to an orchestra.
- He made more studio recordings than any
other singer in history.
- He made the most popular record ever,
"White Christmas," the only single to make American
pop charts twenty times.
- Between 1927 and 1962 he scored 368 charted
records under his own name, plus twenty-eight as a vocalist
with various bandleaders, for a total of 396. No one else
has come close; compare Paul Whiteman (220), Frank Sinatra
(209), Elvis Presley (149), Glenn Miller (129), Louis Armstrong
(85), the Beatles (68).
- He scored the most number one hits ever,
38, compared with 24 by the Beatles and 18 by Elvis Presley.
- In 1960 he received a platinum record
as First Citizen of the Record Industry for having sold
200 million discs, a number that doubled by 1980.
- Between 1915 and 1980 he was the only
motion-picture star to rank as the number one box-office
attraction five times (1944-1948), Between 1934 and 1954
he scored in the top ten fifteen times.
- He was nominated for an Academy Award
for best actor three times and won for "Going My Way".
- He was a major radio star longer than
any other performer, from 1931 until 1954 on network, 1954
until 1962 in syndication.
- He appeared on approximately 4,000 radio
programs, nearly 3,400 his own shows.
- He made the largest number of V-discs
and army broadcasts of any American entertainer and raised
$14.5 million in war bonds.
- He financed and popularized the development
of tape, revolutionizing the recording industry.
- He created the first and longest-running
celebrity pro-am golf championship, playing host for over
35 years and raising millions for charity.
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