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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 1076-1100 of 1149 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca L 8071 12/23/1954 Dissertation on the state of bliss-3 Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 8218 4/4/1947 Nobody Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 8232 3/11/1955 Jim, Johnny and Jonas Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 8233 3/11/1955 Farewell-1 Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 8527 7/1/1955 Angel bells Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 8529 7/1/1955 Let's harmonize Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 8805 11/22/1955 Christmas is a-comin' Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 8806 11/22/1955 The first snowfall Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 8807 11/22/1955 The possibility's there-1 Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 8808 11/22/1955 The next time it happens Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 8816 11/23/1955 Something in common Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 8817 11/23/1955 Look to your heart Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 8818 11/23/1955 Suddenly there's a valley Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 8819 11/23/1955 Moments to remember Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 8820 11/23/1955 Is Christmas only a tree Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 8821 11/23/1955 The longest walk Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 8848 11/23/1955 Ol' man river Buddy Cole Trio ; Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 8849 11/23/1955 In a little Spanish town Buddy Cole Trio ; Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 8895 12/27/1955 John Barleycorn Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 8896 12/27/1955 When you're in love-1 Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 8991 2/23/1956 All through the night Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 8992 2/23/1956 You're the top-1 Bing Crosby vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 9026 3/7/1956 Ya gotta give the people hoke Bing Crosby ; Donald O'Connor vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 9027 3/7/1956 Blow Gabriel blow Bing Crosby ; Mitzi Gaynor ; Zizi Jeanmaire ; Donald O'Connor vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca L 9028 3/7/1956 A second hand turban and a ; crystal ball Bing Crosby ; Donald O'Connor vocalist, baritone vocal  
(Results 1076-1100 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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