Crooner Week: Bing Crosby - Around The Web

by Lara on January 9th, 2008

I figured I’d post a collection of links and information around the web about Bing Crosby today as part of the very first Crooner Culture Crooner Week featuring Bing Crosby.

Bing’s grandson Phil Crosby (Jr.) would make his granddad proud I think, don’t you? It took him a while to find an attachment to his Jazz/Big Band roots, but he did it eventually. From the site’s about section:

“…an accomplished singer and up and coming Jazz artist who also happens to be the grandson of legendary singer, Bing Crosby; an Academy Award winning actor and American Icon of the thirties and forties! Phil Jr. started in entertainment at the age of 8, starring in several television shows and commercials. He began his singing career when, after high school, he helped put together a blues-rock fusion band from the talented members of his high school marching band! After several years of the L.A. rock scene Phil moved on to rediscover his Nashville roots and began playing guitar and singing Country and folk songs while traveling the country and appearing on street corners and coffee houses. After many years and many travels Phil returned to the classical study of music and performed on stage in operettas for the Humboldt County light opera company. Eventually, Phil would finally hear the siren call of his ancestry and take up a career in America’s greatest contribution to the arts, Jazz Music!

There’s a bunch of craziness going on over at Bing’s page on FindADeath.com. Some say Bing was a pretty bad guy, others say they’ve met him or knew him and that he really wasn’t. The site owner seems to think Bing was a real jerk though. Anyway, there are photos of one of his homes, his grave (as well as a tasteless photo of him in the casket), and the last photo taken before he died, when he was on the golf course.

The Bing Crosby Internet Museum is a wealth of information on the legendary crooner.

There is of course, the Official Bing Crosby web site. The photo on the home page is a great one, showcasing his beautiful eyes.

Did you know that Bing got an honorary PhD. from Gonzaga University? They have a statue of him there, and the pipe in his mouth has to be removed every night due to repeated theft! In 2003 they held a 3 day bash in recognition of the 100th anniversary of his birth. You can still buy memorabilia from the event it seems.