In every New
Year, we look for anniversaries and for example it’s
50 years since Bing recorded his “Hey Jude” album so it’s entirely appropriate
that Anton reviews this in depth later in this issue. On a more modest level,
it’s 25 years since I became Editor of this magazine. Ken Crossland
took over as Editor from the late Reg Bristo in 1989 with me acting as his Assistant and I
assumed sole responsibility with issue No. 103 in 1993. It’s been a very
satisfying journey for me and I look back with pleasure at the last 75
editions.
The announcement we had all been awaiting for some
years came on January 28 – Gary Giddins’ book Swinging on a Star – The War
Years 1940-1946 will be available in November this year! I emailed all
members whose addresses I had and naturally there was an overwhelmingly
enthusiastic response. We have further information on a subsequent page.
We send our congratulations to Nathaniel Crosby on his
appointment as Captain of the USA 2019 Walker Cup team but naturally those of us
in the UK are hoping that Great Britain and Ireland can regain the trophy.
As usual, Bing enjoyed his customary seasonal
popularity around Christmas-time and he even appeared in a Billboard chart. It
does seem that the Bing and Bowie duet is being heard more often than “White
Christmas” nowadays and this is a real pity because “Peace on Earth / Little
Drummer Boy” hardly represents Bing’s best work.
I am sure that all of you will be delighted with the
new CDs from Bing Crosby Enterprises and Richard Baker provides all the details
in Keeping Track. Ken Crossland has written an
excellent explanation of the source of “crooning” in his Crosbyana
article and Anton reviews Will Friedwald’s superb new
book in Books ‘n’ Bing. Martin McQuade tells us about a very important
banjo and Gord Atkinson explains how Bing helped shape his life. Sadly our
obituaries section shows no sign of reducing in size but I suppose that’s
inevitable with the passing of time.
After so many years it’s a real pleasure to have so
much material available for our magazine. I thank all our contributors for
making my job so easy. You all seem to like the use of colour throughout the
magazine and we’ll try to maintain this whilst funds permit.
This 56 page glossy magazine continues to be essential reading for the
serious Crosby supporter and order your copy of the magazine now by calling Wig Wiggins on (703)
241-5608 or by e-mailing the
Editor.
To see details of earlier issues, click here.
CONTENTS OF THE SPRING ISSUE
Editorial
Secretary / Treasurer’s Report
ICC accounts
Swinging on a Star – The War Years 1940-1946
Nathaniel Crosby selected to captain U.S.
teams
Bing back in the charts
Open house and film festival in
Spokane
Robert Bader Lecture
'Rosary Priest' on path to possible
Sainthood
Should Bing Crosby get his Way in
downtown?
Going My Way in Warrington
The Perils of Texting and Driving
The Cambria Film Festival
Keeping Up with Times: Hey Jude/Hey
Bing
Redeeming Bing Crosby, the Voice of
Christmas
‘White Christmas’ at 75
Bing Crosby’s legacy lives on in Elko
It Don't Mean
a Thing If It Ain't Got That Bing
Trading Post
Books ‘N’ Bing
The
Banjo's Back in Town
Celluloid Crosby
'The Bells of St. Mary's - A Century of Film
Trudy Who?
3 Good Reasons to skip the 'Fifty Shades' trequel
One Sweet Letter from You
A
Note from Australia
Ken Crossland’s Crosbyana
Bing on the Box
Gord Atkinson’s ‘The Crosby Years’
Once in a While
The Way We Were
Keeping Track