Mrs. Crosby, how would you describe your married relationship with Bing? [64] His most popular film, White Christmas, grossed $30 million in 1954 ($303 million in current value). It was something that one of his boys had done, and it was really frightening. Hed had four kidney stones. I like horses. I didnt know he had built Del Mar racetrack (laughs). [20][21], He was the fourth of seven children: brothers Laurence Earl "Larry" (18951975), Everett Nathaniel (18961966), Edward John "Ted" (19001973), and George Robert "Bob" (19131993); and two sisters, Catherine Cordelia (19041974) and Mary Rose (19061990). 3. Mar. Crosby would marry again after Lee's death, to actress Grant in 1957. I asked him if he liked baseball. Crosby had arranged for Ampex, another of his financial investments, to record the NBC telecast on kinescope. My mother got to go to one of the World Series games, and it was very exciting. Bing signs a deal with director Mack Sennett to appear in a series of short comedic films, and signs his first solo contract, with Brunswick Records. Their duet was released in 1982 as a single 45-rpm record and reached No. In January 1974 he felt so ill he consented to be hospitalized, and a large tumor was found in his left lung. "[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". Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Many people associate Bing Crosby with the yuletide season primarily because of his TV specials, the 1954 film, White Christmas, and the hit single of the same name. [30] Gonzaga University houses a large collection of photographs, correspondence, and other material related to Crosby.[31]. They had three children: Harry Crosby, Mary Crosby, and Nathaniel Crosby. Belmont, California: Wadsworth. This was across the street from Paramount, a little place called Lucys.We only ever had romantic dates. Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): What was Bings relationship with the children you had together (Harry, Mary and Nathaniel)? 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". Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) He would appear in 79 pictures. Bing receives the Cecil B. DeMille Golden Globe award from the Hollywood Foreign Press. Spring/Early Summer The Rhythm Boys disband. Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): And then came Bing , Kathryn Crosby: I had lots of experiences all this time, and I met Bing Crosby. They honed their skills with Morrissey. [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. But Jack Kapp, manager of Brunswick and later Decca, talked him into dropping many of his jazzier mannerisms in favor of a clear vocal style. Kathryn Crosby: They loved them! They got enormous laughs, which just went on and on. His recording was so popular that he was obliged to re-record it in 1947 using the same musicians and backup singers; the original 1942 master had become damaged due to its frequent use in pressing additional singles. The 77-year-old was hurt and her husband, Maurice William Sullivan, 85, killed in the November . [125] Crosby, who had a 13 handicap, won with his partner by one stroke. They were working in television, so I got to do a lot of short films. A holiday perennial, the song was repeatedly re-released by Decca, charting another sixteen times. They joined the Gus Arnheim Orchestra, performing nightly in the Coconut Grove of the Ambassador Hotel. So was it a case of abandoning her career in favour of family life? Feb. Bing meets future wife, Kathryn Grant, for the first time. A nearby bridge carrying U.S. Route 158 over the Yadkin River is named for Kathryn Crosby. Bing said, Yeah. Harry Crosby is an investment banker who occasionally makes singing appearances. [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. 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?)" Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Did you ever have to worry about Bing and his female co-stars becoming more than friends? He starred in radio shows for nearly 30 years, remained a hit on tele vision for 25 years and had well over 300 chart singles, including more than 40 No1s. I couldn't believe it when I read the book because it just didn't sound like Gary. and helped morale of the American public. A number of Argentine-bred horses were purchased and shipped to race in the United States. bing! [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. Crosby invested $50,000 in Ampex with the intent to produce more machines. Dec. Bing sings White Christmas on the NBC programKraft Music Hall, marking the first time the public has heard the soon-to-be Number 1 single of all time. Oct. Harry wouldve loved to have that experience, but he made his own experiences. But it made no difference at all because I was kind of precocious. Mar. There have been disputes between Crosby's two families beginning in the late 1990s. Thats my job. 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). On October 13, 1977, Crosby flew alone to Spain to play golf and hunt partridge. I had more fun doing that. A few years later, Bob came to Hollywood, and they were very good friends at that time. We had our differences, but we were raised to respect our parents, to do what they said. Then the children did it with me, and we had a good time. 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. His first commercial sponsor on radio was Cremo Cigars and his fame spread nationwide. Kathryn Crosby: He loved me, and I knew it. Im terribly proud, says Kathryn, his champion down the years. Well print that. Films Road to Rio, a film is financed by Crosby, Hope and Paramount. He had a great tolerance for people. Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 October 14, 1977) was an American singer and actor. The song Only Forever reaches Number 1 and remains for there 10 weeks. "Entertaining Catholics: Bing Crosby, Religion and Cultural Pluralism in 1940s America. 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. SAYS Kathryn: He loved his sons. Theres a priest friend of mine up there whos going to perform the service. The reporters ran off. Crosby died in 1977 following a British tour but May 3 would have been his 110th birthday, an anniversary celebrated by the release of 11 albums, including some material which has never previously been heard. We shot the movie in Ishpeming, Michigan. How old was Bing Crosby when he married Kathryn Grant? But they said I was too young and pretty something they said to everyone!She was only 20, 30 years younger than Crosby and the same age as the eldest of his four sons Gary, by singer and actress Dixie Lee, who had died from cancer in 1952 after 22 years of marriage. They traveled to Los Angeles, where Bailey introduced them to her show business contacts. He is also arrested for drink driving and is later sentenced to 60 days in jail, but he is released under escort for filming. Giddins, Gary (2002). Narrated by Stanley Tucci, the film features new interviews with all surviving members of Crosbys immediate family: wife Kathryn, daughter Mary and sons Harry and Nathaniel. Nov. Bing starts work in his first film, King of Jazz, a musical revue starring Paul Whiteman. It was halfway finished then. I always loved acting. However, the addition of pianist and aspiring songwriter Harry Barris made the difference, and The Rhythm Boys were born. Bing Crosby was married to Dixie Lee for 22 years, and Kathryn Grant for 20 years. Bing Crosby married actress Kathryn Grant in 1957 and raised a second family. It was very frightening to know which one they were going to operate on because you have to have one functioning kidney when youre operating on the other. Bing Crosby married actress Kathryn Grant in 1957 and raised a second family. June The film Robin and the 7 Hoods is released, with Bing starring alongside Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. Sept. The Bing Crosby Show sitcom premieres on CBS. Born Wilma Wyatt, actress and singer Dixie Crosby married Bing Crosby in 1930. The Fireside Theater (1950) sponsored by Procter & Gamble, was his first television production. Bing had certain health problems, but after we did the Christmas show at the London Palladium, we traveled to Manchester and Brighton, and then he went to Spain to shoot grouse with a good friend. Currently listed for just under $3.5 million, the mid-century modern home was built for Crosby and his second wife, Kathryn Grant, shortly after their marriage in 1957. Sept. He took Bob salmon fishing up in Canada once, and they had just pulled off to sea when Bob said, I have to go back in. Bing asked, Why? Bob Said, Fish dont applaud. Bob and Bing spent an hour a day on the phone. Again I didnt know that hed built Del Mar racetrack in California.There was so much of his life that I didnt know about. I was so innocent, just out from Texas. An Afternoon with Jack Mullin. San Fernando Valley reaches Number 1. We had a twelve-grade schoolhouse, and anytime there was a senior high school play, and they needed a child, I was elected. "Where the Blue of the Night (Meets the Gold of the Day)", with his trademark whistling, became his theme song and signature tune. Oct. Nathaniel Patrick Crosby, Bings last son and third child with Kathryn, is born. Since Bing Crosby's death in 1977, she has taken on a few smaller roles and the lead in the short-lived 1996 Broadway musical State Fair. I became aware of someone behind me and he touched his chair to the back of my knee so I flopped down unceremoniously, she says, recalling an unlikely start to a relationship that was to last almost a quarter of a century and touch her for the rest of her days.What made it even more unlikely was that under the warmth of the California sun and after their meeting Crosby, king of stage and screen, ambled back on set to continue filming White Christmas, one of Hollywoods best-loved movies of all time. Crosby, 74, died from a heart attack, four days after his final concert. I can't even turn on the radio around Christmas time without crying anymore. Oct. Its Been a Long, Long Time with Les Paul reaches Number 1. [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. They had four sons: Gary, twins Dennis and Phillip, and Lindsay. [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). [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. [78] In 1948, the second season of Philco shows was recorded with the Ampex Model 200A and Scotch 111 tape from 3M. [2], Born Olive Kathryn Grandstaff in West Columbia, Texas, she graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1955. I said, Yes. American Masters: Rediscovering Bing Crosby (2015) | PBS, Last edited on 27 February 2023, at 19:40, 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! 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