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Bing Crosby

Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, actor, television producer, and businessman. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a leader in record sales, network radio ratings, and motion picture grosses from 1926 to 1977. He was one of the first global cultural icons. He made over 70 feature films and recorded more than 1,600 songs.

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, Perry Como, Dean Martin, Dick Haymes, Elvis Presley, and John Lennon. Yank magazine said that he was "the person who had done the most for the morale of overseas servicemen" during World War II. In 1948, American polls declared him the "most admired man alive", ahead of Jackie Robinson and Pope Pius XII.: 6  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.

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. He was the number one box office attraction for five consecutive years, 1944 to 1948. 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. In 1963, Crosby received the first Grammy Global Achievement Award. He is one of 33 people to have three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in the categories of motion pictures, radio, and audio recording. He was also known for his collaborations with his friend Bob Hope, starring in the Road to... films from 1940 to 1962.

Crosby influenced the development of the post World War II recording industry. 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. He then persuaded ABC to allow him to tape his shows. He became the first performer to prerecord his radio shows and master his commercial recordings onto magnetic tape. Crosby has been associated with the Christmas season since Irving Berlin's musical film Holiday Inn, in which he starred and famously sang "White Christmas". 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. In addition to his work with early audio tape recording, he helped finance the development of videotape, bought television stations, bred racehorses, and co-owned the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team, during which time the team won two World Series (1960 and 1971).

Birth and Death Data: Born May 3, 1903 (Tacoma), Died October 14, 1977 (Madrid)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1926 - 1961

Roles Represented in DAHR: baritone vocal, lyricist, songwriter, speaker, composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 551-575 of 1149 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca DLA 2597 10-in. 7/30/1941 Let's all meet at my house (voBC, ML, WH) Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2598 10-in. 7/30/1941 Humpty dumpty heart Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2599 10-in. 7/30/1941 The whistler's mother-in-law (voML) Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2600 10-in. 7/30/1941 I ain't got nobody Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2827 10-in. 1/18/1942 I want my Mama Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2828 10-in. 1/18/1942 Deep in the heart of Texas Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2829 10-in. 1/18/1942 I'm thinking tonight of my blue eyes Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2830 10-in. 1/19/1942 Sing me a song of the islands Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2831 10-in. 1/19/1942 I'm drifting back to dreamland Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2832 10-in. 1/19/1942 The singing sands of Alamosa Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2833 10-in. 1/19/1942 Remember Hawaii Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2840 10-in. 1/24/1942 Miss you Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2841 10-in. 1/24/1942 Mandy is two Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2842 10-in. 1/24/1942 Angels of mercy Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2843 10-in. 1/24/1942 Skylark Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2844 10-in. 1/26/1942 Nobody's darlin' but mine Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2845 10-in. 1/26/1942 When the white azaleas start blooming Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2846 10-in. 1/26/1942 The lamplighter's serenade Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2847 10-in. 1/26/1942 Blue shadows and white gardenias Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2857 10-in. 1/27/1942 Blues in the night Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2858 10-in. 1/27/1942 Moonlight cocktail Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2859 10-in. 1/27/1942 I don't want to walk without you Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2946 10-in. 3/13/1942 Lily of Laguna Bing Crosby ; Mary Martin vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2947 10-in. 3/13/1942 Wait till the sun shines, Nellie Bing Crosby ; Mary Martin vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca DLA 2948 10-in. 3/16/1942 Got the moon in my pocket Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
(Results 551-575 of 1149 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Crosby, Bing," accessed October 31, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/101942.

Crosby, Bing. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/101942.

"Crosby, Bing." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 31 October 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/101942

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