Bing Crosby is a mega-popular crooner and "pioneer" of the new directions of the last century - the film industry, broadcasting and sound recording.
Crosby was permanently included in the "golden" list of the United States. In addition, he broke the record of the XNUMXth century - the number of records of his songs sold was over half a billion.
Childhood and youth of Bing Crosby
Crosby Bing's real name is Harry Lillis Crosby was born on May 3, 1903 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. The little lover of clippings from newspapers and magazines received his nickname at the age of 6 (“Bingo” is a type of loto). The family grew up seven children, the fourth of which was Harry.
The future artist began performing in school jazz. Then at the university, Harry got together with Al Rinker. A friend's sister was a singer and helped young people find jobs in nightclubs. The duo achieved some notoriety.
Exit to the big stage
Through a sister-singer, the guys met Paul Whiteman, a well-known performer in America. Paul proposed to create the group The Rhythm Boys, which consisted of three people (except for Harry and Al, it included Gary Barris).
Bing Crosby became so popular within a short time that his jazz composition Ol' Man River became the hallmark of the Whiteman Orchestra. In the same period, Crosby began to get too carried away with strong drinks, and, in addition, clashed with Paul.
As a result, he left the Rhythm Boys and accepted an invitation from the Gus Arnheim Orchestra. Together with him, two other members of the trio went there. But since Crosby "pulled" all the glory for himself, a breakup occurred among former friends, and Bing decided to pursue a solo career.
The rise of Bing Crosby
In September 1931, Crosby's first solo radio performance took place, and at the end of the year a contract was signed to host a weekly program that became very popular. During this period, the hits Out of Nowhere, Just One More Chance, At Your Command became leaders in sales.
In the 1930s, Bing Crisby became the No. 1 singer in the US. He also continued his film career and appeared in comedy short musical films by Mack Sennett. In addition, cooperation with the Decca recording company began and shooting took place in the full-length feature film "Big Transfer". This picture was the first of the subsequent 78. Crosby actively continued to work on the radio.
When World War II began, Bing Crosby performed a lot "live" in front of the soldiers of the American army. Having mastered the German pronunciation, he conducted propaganda for the German military on the radio.
The Germans called him Der Bingle, and with their "light" hand, the nickname spread among the Americans. When, at the end of the war, a survey was conducted among American soldiers, it turned out that it was he, Bing Crosby, who became the leader in raising the morale of the soldiers, leaving even President Roosevelt behind him.
"The song of a lifetime" for Crosby was the immortal hit White Christmas, performed on the radio on Christmas Eve 1941, immediately taking 1st position in the charts and holding out there for a whole year. This song was also a leader in 1945 and 1947, hitting the Guinness Book of Records. 100 million records have been sold worldwide!
Crosby was awarded the title of the best world performer in the post-war period, and 11 more times he got into the top 10 of the best. Crosby's collection of achievements included 23 gold and platinum records. Bing Crosby won a Grammy in 1962.
Crosby became the founder of the so-called "crooner" style of singing, which later became an integral component of jazz.
The last years of Bing Crosby's life
In the 1970s, the singer began to have rather serious problems with his lungs, but, having improved his health, he entered a new stage in his creative activity.
Many concerts were given and a number of albums were recorded. In 1977, Crosby suffered a severe spinal injury after accidentally falling into the orchestra pit during a performance.
Bing Crosby's last concert in the US took place in August 1977, and in September he went on tour in the UK. In England, the singer recorded the album Seasons, which became the final one in his life.
And a few days after the final concert, the famous artist died on the outskirts of Madrid, where he flew in to hunt and play golf. The medical diagnosis was a heart attack.
Bing Crosby's personal life
Bing Crosby's first wife was singer Dixie Lee, with whom he lived for 22 years. She died of cancer, and Crosby was left with four sons. After several romances with actresses, Crosby remarried 5 years later to Catherine Grant. In this marriage, the couple had a son and two daughters.
Crosby's weakness for alcohol and marijuana is known. He stopped smoking the last one only after the operation in 1974.
Bing had two main hobbies - horses and sports, namely football. He was also an ardent fan of golf. He did not miss amateur championships, in which he was often the winner.
The eldest son Harry wrote a memoir about his father, where he showed him as a rather cold and unpleasant person. But the other Crosby children disagreed. Be that as it may, the singer's contribution to American and world culture can hardly be overestimated.
