Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Crosby’s trademark warm bass-baritone voice made him the best-selling recording artist of all time, having sold over one billion analog records and tapes, as well as digital compact discs and downloads around the world.

The first multimedia star, from 1931 to 1954 Crosby was a leader in record sales, radio ratings, and motion picture grosses. His early career coincided with technical recording innovations such as the microphone. This allowed him to develop a laid-back, intimate singing style that influenced many of the popular male singers who followed him, including Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Dick Haymes, and Dean Martin. Yank magazine said that he was the person who had done the most for American soldiers’ morale during World War II. In 1948, American polls declared him the “most admired man alive”, ahead of Jackie Robinson and Pope Pius XII. Also in 1948, Music Digest estimated that his recordings filled more than half of the 80,000 weekly hours allocated to recorded radio music.

Bing Crosby Awards

Bing Crosby was a highly successful American singer and actor, and he won numerous awards and accolades throughout his career. Here are some of the most significant awards and honors he received:

Academy Awards: Bing Crosby won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 1944 for his performance in the film “Going My Way.” He was also nominated for the same award the following year for his role in “The Bells of St. Mary’s.”

Grammy Awards: Crosby won four Grammy Awards during his career, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1962. He also received numerous other nominations throughout the years.

Golden Globe Awards: Crosby won two Golden Globe Awards, the Cecil B. Demille award and one for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for his performance in “The Country Girl” in 1955.

Emmy Awards: Crosby won one Primetime Emmy Award in 1966 for his role in the television special “Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Music.”

Peabody Award (1969)

Hollywood Walk of Fame (1960)

American Film Institute: In 1998, the American Film Institute named Bing Crosby the seventh greatest male star of classic American cinema.

National Recording Registry: Several of Crosby’s recordings, including “White Christmas” and “Swinging on a Star,” have been included in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress.

Overall, Bing Crosby was widely recognized as one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th century, and his numerous awards and honors serve as a testament to his enduring impact on the music and film industries.
1969 Peabody Award Winner.

Quotes about Bing Crosby

“Bing Crosby was the greatest singer of the 20th century. His voice was pure magic.” – Frank Sinatra

“Bing Crosby was a true artist, a master of his craft. His music continues to touch people’s hearts to this day.” – Tony Bennett

“Bing Crosby was an iconic figure in American music. He had a style and a grace that was all his own.” – Michael Bublé

“Bing Crosby had an incredible ability to connect with an audience. He knew how to make people feel something special.” – Harry Connick Jr.

“Bing Crosby’s voice was like velvet. He had a way of making every song he sang sound like a classic.” – Norah Jones

“Bing Crosby was a true pioneer. He helped shape the music industry as we know it today.” – Diana Krall

“Bing Crosby was a consummate entertainer. He had a natural talent for making people laugh and feel good.” – Jamie Cullum

“Bing Crosby had a voice that was instantly recognizable. He was a true original.” – Michael Feinstein

“Bing Crosby was a legend, a musician whose influence can still be heard in popular music today.” – Paul McCartney

“Bing Crosby was one of the greats, a musician whose music will always be remembered and cherished.” – Willie Nelson

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions about Bing Crosby

David Bowie’s Mama Loved Bing Crosby

Here is how wikipedia describes the events surrounding the taping of the song – and Bowie’s reluctance to perform!

“Bowie’s appearance has been described as a ‘surreal’ event, undertaken at a time that he was ‘actively trying to normalise his career’. He later admitted to having only appeared on the show because ‘I just knew my mother liked him’. Buz Kohan was not sure that Crosby knew who Bowie was, but Ian Fraser claimed, ‘I’m pretty sure he did. Bing was no idiot. If he didn’t, his kids sure did.’

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The Crosby Clambake

The Crosby Clambake was an annual event hosted by Bing Crosby at his home in Pebble Beach, California, during the 1940s and 1950s. The event was a charity fundraiser and attracted a who’s who of Hollywood celebrities and other notable figures.

Among the famous participants were Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Phil Harris, and many other actors and musicians. The clambake was known for its lively atmosphere, with guests enjoying music, dancing, and plenty of food and drink. It was also a popular event for golfers, with many guests taking part in rounds of golf at the nearby Pebble Beach Golf Links.

One famous story about the Crosby Clambake involves the time when the actor and comedian W.C. Fields was invited to attend. Fields, who was known for his heavy drinking, reportedly showed up at the clambake already intoxicated and proceeded to cause a scene. Crosby later quipped that Fields “brought his own breathalyzer” to the event.

Overall, the Crosby Clambake was a beloved event among the Hollywood elite and helped to raise millions of dollars for various charitable causes over the years.

Bing Crosby Song List

1927

Muddy Water with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
Side by Side The Rhythm Boys with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“I’m Coming, Virginia” The Rhythm Boys with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“My Blue Heaven” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“The Calinda” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra

1928

“Changes” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“Ol’ Man River” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“Make Believe” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“Sunshine” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“Mississippi Mud” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“Mississippi Mud” with Frankie Trumbauer
“From Monday On” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“You Took Advantage of Me” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“Louisiana” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“It Was the Dawn of Love” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“I’m on the Crest of a Wave”with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“Out-O’-Town Gal” (with Paul Whiteman et al.)

1929

“Makin’ Whoopee” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“Let’s Do It” with Dorsey Brothers
“Louise” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“Little Pal” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“Your Mother and Mine” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“Waiting at the End of the Road” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“I’m A Dreamer, Aren’t We All?” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“If I Had a Talking Picture of You” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“Great Day” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“Without a Song” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“A Bundle of Old Love Letters” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra

1930

“After You’ve Gone” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“I Like to Do Things for You” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“Livin’ in the Sunlight, Lovin’ in the Moonlight” with Paul Whiteman Orchestra
“It Must Be True” with Gus Arnheim
“Three Little Words” with Duke Ellington et al.
“Them There Eyes” with Gus Arnheim & The Rhythm Boys

1931

“The Little Things in Life” with Gus Arnheim
“I Surrender Dear” with Gus Arnheim
“One More Time” with Gus Arnheim
“Just a Gigolo”
“Out of Nowhere”
“Ho Hum!” with Gus Arnheim & Loyce Whiteman
“Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams”
“Just One More Chance”
“Were You Sincere?”
“I Found a Million Dollar Baby”
“I’m Thru with Love”
“At Your Command”
“Many Happy Returns of the Day”
“Stardust”
“Dancing in the Dark”
“I Apologize”
“Sweet and Lovely”
“Goodnight, Sweetheart”
“A Faded Summer Love”
“Gems from George White’s Scandals”
(with Mills Brothers, The Boswell Sisters & Victor Young) \

1932

“Dinah” (with Mills Brothers)
“Can’t We Talk It Over?” (with Helen Crawford) 10
“Where the Blue of the Night (Meets the Gold of the Day)” (Bing’s Theme Song)
“Snuggled on Your Shoulder (Cuddled in Your Arms)”
“Paradise”
“Shine” (with Mills Brothers)
“Lazy Day”
“Sweet Georgia Brown”
“Cabin in the Cotton”
“Love Me Tonight”
“Some of These Days”
“Please”
“Waltzing in a Dream”
“Here Lies Love”
“Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”

1933

“Just an Echo in the Valley”
“I Don’t Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You”
“Street of Dreams”
“You’re Getting to Be a Habit with Me”
“Young and Healthy”
“You’re Beautiful Tonight, My Dear”
“I’ve Got the World on a String”
“You’ve Got Me Crying Again”
“Shadow Waltz”
“I’ve Got to Sing a Torch Song”
“Learn to Croon”
“Down the Old Ox Road”
“Blue Prelude”
“My Love”
“Thanks”
“The Day You Came Along”
“The Last Round-Up”
“Home on the Range”
“Beautiful Girl”
“Temptation”
“Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?”

1934

“We’ll Make Hay While the Sun Shines”
“Little Dutch Mill”
“Good Night, Lovely Little Lady”
“Once in a Blue Moon”
“Love Thy Neighbor”
“Ridin’ Around in the Rain”
“May I?”
“She Reminds Me of You”
“Love in Bloom”
“Straight from the Shoulder”
“Give Me a Heart to Sing To”
“Two Cigarettes in the Dark”
“The Very Thought of You”
“The Moon Was Yellow”
“June in January”
“Love Is Just Around the Corner”
“With Every Breath I Take”
“Maybe I’m Wrong Again”

1935

“Soon”
“Down by the River”
“It’s Easy to Remember”
“I Wished on the Moon”
“Without a Word of Warning”
“I Wish I Were Aladdin”
“From the Top of Your Head to the Tip of Your Toes”
“Red Sails in the Sunset”
“Silent Night” (gold record) –
“On Treasure Island”

1936

“Would You?”
“The Touch of Your Lips”
“Robins and Roses”
“It Ain’t Necessarily So”
“I’m an Old Cowhand”
“I Can’t Escape from You”
“Empty Saddles”
“Song of the Islands”
“South Sea Island Magic”
“Me and the Moon”
“Pennies from Heaven”
“Let’s Call a Heart a Heart”
“So Do I”

1937

“One, Two, Button Your Shoe”
“Sweet Leilani” (gold record)
“Blue Hawaii”
“Too Marvelous for Words”
“What Will I Tell My Heart?”
“Sweet Is the Word for You”
“Never in a Million Years”
“Moonlight and Shadows”
“My Little Buckaroo”
“Peckin'” (w/ Jimmy Dorsey)
“The Moon Got in My Eyes”
“(You Know It All) Smarty”
“It’s the Natural Thing to Do”
“Remember Me?”
“I Still Love to Kiss You Goodnight”
“Can I Forget You?”
“Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?)” (w/ Connee Boswell)
“Basin Street Blues” (w/ Connee Boswell)
“The One Rose (That’s Left in My Heart)”
“Sail Along, Silv’ry Moon”

1938

“When the Organ Played ‘O, Promise Me'”
“There’s a Gold Mine in the Sky” (w/ Eddie Dunstedter)
“On the Sentimental Side”
“The Moon of Manakoora”
“Let Me Whisper I Love You”
“When Mother Nature Sings Her Lullaby”
“Now It Can Be Told”
“I’ve Got a Pocketful of Dreams”
“Small Fry” (w/ Johnny Mercer)
“Mr. Gallagher & Mr. Shean” (w/ Johnny Mercer)
“Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (w/ Connee Boswell)
“Don’t Let That Moon Get Away”
“Mexicali Rose”
“My Reverie”
“You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby”

1939

“You’re a Sweet Little Headache”
“I Have Eyes”
“The Funny Old Hills”
“Someone Stole Gabriel’s Horn” (w/ The Dorsey Brothers)
“It’s a Lonely Trail”
“The Lonesome Road”
“I Cried for You”
“Between a Kiss and a Sigh”
“My Melancholy Baby”
“Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life”
“East Side of Heaven”
“Sing a Song of Sunbeams”
“Deep Purple”
“God Bless America”
“That Sly Old Gentleman (from Featherbed Lane)”
“Little Sir Echo”
“And the Angels Sing”
“Alla en el rancho grande”
“Whistling in the Wildwood”
“An Apple for the Teacher” (w/ Connee Boswell)
“Go Fly a Kite”
“A Man and His Dream”
“Start the Day Right” (w/ Connee Boswell)
“What’s New?”
“Ciribiribin (They’re So in Love)” (w/ The Andrews Sisters)
“Yodelin’ Jive” (w/ The Andrews Sisters)
“My Isle of Golden Dreams”

1940

“Between 18th & 19th on Chestnut Street” (w/ Connee Boswell)
“Sweet Potato Piper”
“I’m Too Romantic” (aka “Too Romantic”)
“The Singing Hills”
“Tumbling Tumbleweeds”
“April Played the Fiddle”
“I Haven’t Time to Be a Millionaire”
“Meet the Sun Half-Way”
“Sierra Sue”
“Mister Meadowlark” (w/ Johnny Mercer)
“Trade Winds”
“Can’t Get Indiana Off My Mind”
“That’s for Me”
“Only Forever”
“When the Moon Comes Over Madison Square”
“You Made Me Love You”

1941

“Along the Santa Fe Trail”
“Lone Star Trail”
“New San Antonio Rose”
“It Makes No Difference Now”
“Did Your Mother Come From Ireland?”
“Dolores”
“Paradise Isle”
“You and I”
“Brahms’ Lullaby”
“‘Til Reveille”
“Be Honest With Me”
“You Are My Sunshine”
“The Whistler’s Mother-in-law” (w/ Muriel Lane)
“The Waiter and the Porter and the Upstairs Maid” (w/ Mary Martin & Jack Teagarden)
“Clementine”
“Shepherd Serenade”
“The Anniversary Waltz”

1942

“Deep in the Heart of Texas”
“I Don’t Want to Walk Without You”
“Sing Me a Song of the Islands”
“Miss You”
“The Lamplighter’s Serenade”
“When the White Azaleas Start Blooming”
“Skylark”
“The Bombardier Song”
“Be Careful, It’s My Heart”
“White Christmas” (gold record)
“Moonlight Becomes You”

1943

“Constantly”
“Sunday, Monday, or Always” (gold record)
“If You Please”
“Mary’s a Grand Old Name”
“People Will Say We’re in Love”
“Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'”
“Pistol Packin’ Mama” (w/ The Andrews Sisters) (gold record)
“Vict’ry Polka” (w/ The Andrews Sisters)
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas” (gold record)
“White Christmas” (gold record)
“Jingle Bells” (w/ The Andrews Sisters)
“Let’s Start the New Year Right”

1944

“San Fernando Valley”
“Poinciana”
“I Love You”
“I’ll Be Seeing You”
“Swinging on a Star” (gold record)
“Going My Way” 15
“Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby” (w/ The Andrews Sisters)
“Amor”
“Long Ago (and Far Away)”
“The Day After Forever”
“Hot Time in the Town of Berlin” (w/ The Andrews Sisters)
“It Could Happen to You”
“Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral” (gold record)
“White Christmas” (gold record)
“Don’t Fence Me In” (w/ The Andrews Sisters) (gold record)

1945

“Evelina”
“Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive” (w/ The Andrews Sisters)
“The Three Caballeros” (w/ The Andrews Sisters)
“Sleigh Ride in July”
“Like Someone in Love”
“Just a Prayer Away”
“All of My Life”
“Yah-ta-ta, Yah-ta-ta (Talk, Talk, Talk)” (w/ Judy Garland)
“You Belong to My Heart”
“Baia”
“My Baby Said Yes” (w/ Louis Jordan)
“On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe”
“If I Loved You”
“Along the Navajo Trail” (w/ The Andrews Sisters)
“It’s Been a Long, Long Time” (w/ Les Paul Trio)
“The Road to Morocco” (w/ Bob Hope)
“I Can’t Begin to Tell You” (gold record)
“White Christmas” (gold record)
“Aren’t You Glad You’re You?”

1946

“In the Land of Beginning Again”
“Symphony”
“Give Me the Simple Life”
“The Bells of St. Mary’s”
“McNamara’s Band” (gold record)
“Day by Day” (w/ Mel Tormé & His Mel-Tones)
“Sioux City Sue”
“Personality”
“They Say It’s Wonderful”
“South America, Take It Away” (w/ The Andrews Sisters) (gold record)
“(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66” (w/ The Andrews Sisters)
“Night and Day”
“You Keep Coming Back Like a Song”
“White Christmas” (gold record)

1947

“A Gal in Calico”
“Easter Parade”
“That’s How Much I Love You”
“Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (w/ Al Jolson) (gold record)
“Tallahassee” (w/ The Andrews Sisters)
“There’s No Business Like Show Business” (w/ The Andrews Sisters & Dick Haymes)
“Feudin’ and Fightin'”
“The Freedom Train” (w/ The Andrews Sisters)
“You Do”
“How Soon (Will I Be Seeing You)”
“The Whiffenpoof Song” (gold record)
“White Christmas” (gold record)
“Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (w/ The Andrews Sisters)
“Silent Night” (new version)

1948

“Ballerina”
“Now Is the Hour” (gold record)
“You Don’t Have to Know the Language” (w/ The Andrews Sisters)
“Pass That Peace Pipe”
“But Beautiful”
“Blue Shadows on the Trail”
“A Fella with an Umbrella”
“White Christmas” (gold record)
“A Hundred and Sixty Acres” (w/ The Andrews Sisters)

1949

“Far Away Places”
“Galway Bay” (gold record)
“If You Stub Your Toe on the Moon”
“Careless Hands”
“Riders in the Sky”
“Some Enchanted Evening”
“Bali Ha’i”
“Dear Hearts and Gentle People” (gold record)
“Mule Train”
“Way Back Home”
“White Christmas” (gold record)

1950

“Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?” (w/ The Andrews Sisters)
“Quicksilver” (w/ The Andrews Sisters)
“Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy”
“I Didn’t Slip, I Wasn’t Pushed, I Fell”
“Play a Simple Melody” (w/ Gary Crosby) (gold record)
“Sam’s Song” (w/ Gary Crosby)
“La Vie en rose”
“I Cross My Fingers”
“All My Love”
“Beyond the Reef”
“Harbor Lights”
“White Christmas” (gold record)
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
“A Crosby Christmas” (w/ his sons)

1951

“A Marshmallow World”
“Sparrow in the Treetop” (w/ The Andrews Sisters)
“When You and I Were Young, Maggie Blues” (w/ Gary Crosby)
“Moonlight Bay” (w/ Gary Crosby)
“Gone Fishin'” (w/ Louis Armstrong)
“In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening” (w/ Jane Wyman)
“Shanghai”
“Domino”
“White Christmas” (gold record)

1952

“The Isle of Innisfree”
“Watermelon Weather” (w/ Peggy Lee)
“Till the End of the World”
“Zing a Little Zong” (w/ Jane Wyman)
“Silver Bells” (w/ Carol Richards)
“Keep It a Secret”

1953

“You Don’t Know What Lonesome Is”
“Open Up Your Heart”
“Hush-a-bye”
“White Christmas” (gold record)

1954

“Changing Partners”
“Y’all Come”
“Down by the Riverside” (w/ Gary Crosby)
“Young at Heart”
“Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep”
“White Christmas” (gold record)

1955

“Stranger in Paradise”

1956

“In a Little Spanish Town” (w/ Buddy Cole & his Trio)
“True Love” (w/ Grace Kelly)
“Well, Did You Evah!” (w/ Frank Sinatra)
“Now You Has Jazz” (w/ Louis Armstrong)

1957

“Around the World”
“How Lovely Is Christmas”

1960

“Adeste Fideles”

1968

“Step to the Rear”

1975

“That’s What Life Is All About”

1982

“Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy” (w/ David Bowie)

Bing Crosby Quotes

Oh, listen a lot and talk less. You can’t learn anything when you’re talking.

Frank (Frank Sinatra) is a singer who comes along once in a lifetime, but why did he have to come in mine?

[Louis Armstrong] was the only musician who ever lived, who can’t be replaced by someone.

My golf is woeful, but I will never surrender