Bing Crosby

Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was a multifaceted American talent, recognized as a singer, actor, television producer, and businessman. As the inaugural multimedia star, he held a prominent position as one of the foremost and influential musical figures of the 20th century on a global scale. From 1926 to 1977, Crosby led in record sales, network radio ratings, and motion picture revenues, establishing himself as one of the earliest international cultural icons. With a prolific career, he starred in over 70 films and recorded a staggering repertoire of more than 1,600 songs.

Crosby’s early career coincided with innovations in recording technology, enabling him to cultivate an intimate singing style that left an indelible mark on subsequent male vocalists, including Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Dean Martin, Dick Haymes, Elvis Presley, and John Lennon. During World War II, Yank magazine credited him as the individual who contributed the most to the morale of overseas servicemen. In 1948, he was declared the “most admired man alive” in American polls, surpassing figures like Jackie Robinson and Pope Pius XII. Music Digest estimated that Crosby’s recordings occupied more than half of the 80,000 weekly hours allocated to recorded radio music in America.

Crosby’s accolades extended beyond music and film. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in “Going My Way” (1944) and received a nomination for its sequel, “The Bells of St. Mary’s” (1945). This made him one of six actors to be nominated twice for playing the same character. Dominating the box office, he was the top attraction for five consecutive years from 1944 to 1948. In 1963, he received the inaugural Grammy Global Achievement Award and holds three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for motion pictures, radio, and audio recording. His collaborations with Bob Hope in the “Road to…” films from 1940 to 1962 are also noteworthy.

Crosby’s influence extended to the post-World War II recording industry. Witnessing a demonstration of a German reel-to-reel tape recorder, he invested $50,000 in Ampex, a California electronics company, to replicate the technology. Crosby became the first artist to prerecord radio shows and master commercial recordings onto magnetic tape. Renowned for his association with the Christmas season, particularly through the classic “White Christmas” from Irving Berlin’s “Holiday Inn,” he applied cinematic production techniques, such as editing, retaking, rehearsal, and time shifting, to his radio programs, setting an industry standard. Additionally, Crosby played a pivotal role in the development of videotape, owned television stations, bred racehorses, and co-owned the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team, contributing to their two World Series victories in 1960 and 1971.