Chapter 10

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The Final Years, 1975–1977

 

Bing had been tempted back into the recording studios by producer Ken Barnes and quickly made three albums with him in London. He also made two LPs, which he financed himself, and during an extended stay in the U.K. in the summer of 1975, he made many appearances on radio and television shows. His appetite for show business seemed to have returned and then he decided to give a series of concerts to celebrate his fifty years as an entertainer. Starting in California, and then coming across to the London Palladium for a two-week stint, his performances were a revelation to many, including the author, and Bing was clearly enjoying himself.

The opening of the show in London was clever, featuring as it did a 1944 newsreel of Bing singing at the opening of the Stage Door Canteen. The screen then lifted away, the orchestra played the opening bars of “Where the Blue of the Night,” and Bing Crosby himself walked onto the stage to tumultuous applause. In unusually high temperatures, he was on stage at the Palladium for most of the two and a half hour show and he wound up with a thirty-five minute medley of his old hits, with the audience joining in enthusiastically, before closing with the song “That’s What Life Is All About.”

     Bing returned to New York for another two weeks of appearances. Then in March 1977, near tragedy struck when he fell off the stage at the end of a concert in Pasadena. Bing ruptured a disc at the base of his spine and his recovery was slow. However, to everyone’s surprise, at the last moment he agreed to continue with another tour of the U.K. in August, and despite being in pain with his back, the somewhat frail Bing again gave some memorable performances, although, to the author’s ear, his voice did not seem as strong.

He then flew to Spain for a few days golf. . . .

 

1975

 

January 3, Friday. Bing writes to Mrs. Jean Pochna in East Dennis, Massachusetts.

 

Dear Jean:

Thanks for your letter and Christmas card.

I have written the Bennington College authorities asking for some literature or catalogs or brochures about the college.

My daughter, Mary Frances, is keenly interested in pursuing the dramatic part of the theatre. Although she has been 9 or 10 years with the ballet, she doesn’t aspire to ever becoming a ballerina, and is only taking classes now to keep in shape and to be sure that she doesn’t lose touch with the art.

Delighted to hear that your two children are doing so well, and I’m going to have to look up the W. C. Fields book if there are some things in it from Morrow.

Poor Bill. How we miss him! He was a marvelous man.

I hope this finds you in abundant good health –

Warmest best wishes, Bing

 

January 5, Sunday. The Crosby family flies from Las Cruces to San Francisco.

January 16, Thursday. Begins recording the A Southern Memoir album at T.T.G. Studios in Hollywood with Paul Smith and his Orchestra. Bing eventually leases the tracks to English Decca following negotiations with producer Geoff Milne.

 

Crosby can be sampled on his own to pleasant effect in “A Southern Memoir” which in conformity with its title is a relaxed, easy-going selection of numbers from below the Mason-Dixon Line…

(The Gramophone, February, 1976)

 

In 1975, Bing was encouraged by John Scott Trotter (who had been a long-time friend of Geoff Milne’s) to talk to him about Decca in the UK issuing the ‘Southern Memoir’ tracks which Bing had recorded at his own expense in January 1975 and which no record company seemed interested in picking up. Naturally, Geoff was delighted to become involved and he recalled that the negotiations were with Bing direct and were very relaxed as Bing didn’t drive a particularly hard bargain. He always found Bing warm and friendly.

(Malcolm Macfarlane, Milne Magic, BING magazine, summer, 2005 [#140])

 

This collection of “Southern-cum-mammy” type songs was a pet project of Bing’s and his affection for the material reveals itself time and again throughout each of the twelve songs. The small-band backings arranged by pianist-conductor Paul Smith are beautifully written and very well played. Bing sings with greater spirit and drive than on his album with Basie and some of the tracks, notably “Carolina in the Morning,” “Swanee,” and “Sailing Down the Chesapeake Bay” stand comparison with some of his best-ever up-tempo performances. There is also a finely sung “On the Alamo” with seldom-heard verse and a beautiful “Sleepy-Time Down South.” The tongue-in-cheek “Where the Morning Glories Grow” has a highly humorous Lombardo-style arrangement but the song itself is hardly worth the time that Crosby and Smith spent on it. At the other end of the spectrum there is a wild rock arrangement of “Georgia on My Mind” which, though well played and sung, is an equal waste of time in an album of this sort. But these two last tracks apart, the combination of Crosby and Smith (and one should not overlook the latter’s brilliant piano-playing) is sheer magic.

(Ken Barnes, The Crosby Years, page 98)

 

January 19, Sunday. (2:30-3:15 p.m.) The American Sportsman program on ABC-TV features Bing, Phil Harris and Curt Gowdy as they pursue Canadian geese on the Delmarva Peninsula in Maryland.

January 21, Tuesday. Completes the recording of the A Southern Memoir album at T.T.G. Studios in Hollywood with Paul Smith and his Orchestra.

January 22, Wednesday. Bing drives down for the Pro-Am Clambake at the Monterey County Fair Grounds. No-Host cocktails at 6 p.m., Dinner at 7 p.m. and the show at 8 p.m.

January 23-26,Thursday–Sunday. Bing attends the thirty-fourth Bing Crosby National Pro-Am and returns to his role as a commentator in the television coverage. Gene Littler is the winner. The tournament sets an all-time gate receipt record of nearly $600,000. The cost for commercial TV sponsorship is about $40,000 for each minute, producing gross revenues of almost $1m for ABC. The bill for 3M alone was over $300k. All profits from the tournament go to the Bing Crosby Youth Fund which provides grants to youth organizations and interest-free scholarships. Celebrities playing include Andy Williams, Pat Boone, Ernie Ford, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., George C. Scott, Oleg Cassini, Jack Lemmon, Robert Stack, Clint Eastwood, Hank Ketcham and Glen Campbell. Campbell is the only celebity to make the cut. Bing's nephew, Howard Crosby (5 handicap), plays with the pro Bob Eastwood. Bing and Kathryn drop in at the house occupied by Francis Brown and Winona Love for drinks on the Friday night. On the Saturday night, Bing and Ray Herzog (CEO of 3M) host the annual cocktail party in the Del Monte Lodge library. Bing is presented with a sculpture commemorating his famous hole-in-one at the 16th at Cypress Point.

 

...Now the tournament’s existence is threatened because the Tournament Players Division of the PGA is demanding 30 per cent of the television money, or approximately $85,000.

Bing is reluctant to agree to this, noting that it would mean a substantial cut in the money annually turned over to charity through the Youth Fund. His brother, Larry Crosby, says Bing will cancel the tournament before agreeing to the demands of the TPD.

“The success of the tournament is due to Bing through his sponsorship, and the success of the charity fund which is so dear to his heart,” said Dan Searle, longtime friend of Bing’s, former mayor of Monterey and this year’s tournament director.

“Bing takes pride in turning over thousands of dollars every year to the Youth Fund. To make this possible, not a dime in salary is paid to anyone. More than 400 unpaid volunteers put in some 20,000 working hours to make the tournament the success that it is.”
(Roger Williams, The San Francisco Examiner, January 28, 1975)

First stop was San Francisco, where I shook off the dirt from my spikes and played a few holes with Uncle Bing at his nearby club, the Burlingame Country Club. I don’t recall much about the round, except how warm it was in the Bay Area after the winter blizzards in Spokane. Then I trekked on down to Carmel, and settled into Mary Rose’s spare bedroom for the duration. It was an idyllic time for a 22year old fresh college graduate. Every day was golf from dawn to dusk, hit practice balls, practice putting, then play Pebble Beach or Cypress Point, then come home to a fabulous home cooked meal from a darling Aunt, who took great delight in the copious quantities of food I could ingest.

A couple of days before the pros and celebrities arrived, Uncle Bing showed up in town, and called to see if I wanted to meet him at Cypress for a bit of golf the next day. Of course I was up for that, so we planned to meet at the Pro Shop at 7:30 the next morning. When I got there, Uncle Bing was already sitting on the trunk of his car, changing into his golf shoes. Then he asked the assistant pro if there were any caddies who could play a bit….and he said there were a couple of single digit handicappers back there. So Bing hired the two kids to fill out a foursome, plus two more to carry bags, and away we went. I remember thinking at the time that there were undoubtedly hundreds of the wealthiest, most prominent citizens of Carmel/Pebble Beach who would have loved to be in that foursome with Bing Crosby, and here he goes and hires a couple of caddies. How typical of Bing.

(Howard Crosby, Bing’s nephew, writing in BING magazine, winter, 2003)

 

January 28, Tuesday. In Las Vegas to rehearse with Paul Smith, Bing has a walk-on appearance on the Merv Griffin show and receives a standing ovation.

Got off a plane the other afternoon in Las Vegas and the first person I ran into was Merv Griffin who had just finished a week of taping at Caesars Palace.

“You will never believe who walked on my show this afternoon while was interviewing Danny Thomas,” said Merv. He the supplied the answer, “Bing Crosby.”

It’s seldom, if ever, you hear about Bing being in Las Vegas, let alone doing a surprise walk-on an a TV tape show. He came to town--not to fish at Lake Mead--but to rehearse with pianist Paul Smith for some upcoming TV appearances.

Smith is one of the top pianists in the business but he looks less like a pianist than John Hadl of the Rams. Smith looks like the deputy sheriff in Yazoo City, Miss.

Marv said the whole audience stood up and gave Bing a five-minute standing ovation. His appearance was a surprise to both Merv and Danny, although both are Bing’s close friends. Bing has a sense of humor that emerges unexpectedly.

(James Bacon, Hollywood, The Scranton Times, January 30, 1975)

January 29, Wednesday. Bing flies to La Paz, Las Cruces, Los Planes and Guadalajara and has to endure dreadful weather all the way.

February 8, Saturday. Bing writes to Ken Barnes in detail about the forthcoming recording sessions in London.

 

I got two cassettes with a lot of material on them relating to the songs we’re to do there in London, and they were very helpful to me. I have a few suggestions which I’d like you to relay to Pete Moore.

He mentioned in the cassettes that he was thinking of doing ‘Heat Wave’ and ‘I Got Rhythm’ in the style of the record which you played on the cassette of Johnny Mercer singing ‘Something’s Got To Give’.

This might be all right for ‘I Got Rhythm’, but I have a different conception of ‘Heat Wave’. I think ‘Heat Wave’ should open very softly and sneaky. Vamp. And I’d like to do the verse, of course, on this.

The other song, ‘I Got Rhythm’, I think should open with just a rim shot or maybe a 16th note chord with the brass, and then start very soft accompaniment underneath—fast, very fast rhythm, and the band can build toward the end, something in the style of the arrangement he used for ‘Something’s Got To Give’.

I don’t believe I’d want to use the verse on ‘I Got Rhythm’.

‘Hello Dolly’ should be a gently sweeping type of tempo. Typical stage delivery. Not too much going on underneath—just hold solid chords.

The repeat endings on some of the songs—or what we call ‘the tag’ over here, are somewhat repetitive. I could change the lyrics in the repeat endings. For instance, like in ‘Just Breezin’ Along’, the second time I’d say, ‘Just Wheezin’ Along’ —although that’s not the word either—but something like that, and then go back ‘Just Breezin’ Along’ and do this with all of them.

I can change the lyrics, of course, but maybe melodically there should be some changes made so that they’re varied and different and not all the same. I think it would be a necessary contrast.

With regard to ‘Have a Nice Day’, I like very much the band accompaniment of John Davidson’s record, and I hope you can develop something in that general style.

From what I’ve heard on the cassettes, it seems to me the whole chore should go along very smoothly, without any problems. The songs are good. I think Pete does wonderful work with the arrangements and you’ve allotted certainly enough time to do them all.

Maybe after the first session, you might want to do a little more on each session. I just did an album here, and I did six songs quite easily on a three hour session. Of course, it was a small group and wasn’t quite as intricate as it would be with a large band.

I note in the schedule you sent me you’ve omitted Friday, February 21st. I’m wondering if there’s some reason for this. If the studio is not available, or if it’s impossible to get the musicians you’ll require. I certainly don’t need a rest or a day off or anything like that, because the more I sing, the easier it is for me.

I say this now, of course, without any knowledge of the engineering set-up you have there in London or what technical problems might be involved. I only know about the schedules that we’re able to maintain in the United States when recording.

Perhaps we can just see how it goes and if on the first session we find we have time, throw in another one if it’s ready, and for this purpose, maybe Pete can see that he always has a stand-by number to be knocked off if time allows.

It’s quite possible a redubbing session may be necessary on Thursday, February 26th, but I would like to leave London on the 27th, if possible, because I have some things of importance to take care of before the end of the month.

      One further note. I do hope that you’ll avoid any sort of news release about my being there and that when we’re recording, the studio will be absolutely clear of everybody except those directly connected with the recording itself—and I include the Control Room. Just you and Pete, the engineer, the band and myself. I find we get a lot more done that way, in a lot less time.

      When the sessions are concluded—maybe the last day or so—we can have some of the Fan Club people in and play some of the records for them, or I’ll sing a couple for them if the band is still there. Maybe at the conclusion of the last session. It’s just not possible for me to concentrate and get the work done when there are people watching from all sorts of vantage points.

      I’ve stayed at Claridges quite often, but they always become a bit disturbed when newspaper people bother them with phone calls and come to the lobby and make inquiries about me, so if it’s possible, I would like to keep it quiet where I’m staying. I suppose this will inevitably leak out.

      I know I sound like I’m a matinee idol or something, but for some reason or other, when I’m working there in London, I’d just like to be undisturbed.

      All best wishes to you and Pete and your staff,

As ever, Bing Crosby

(As reproduced in The Crosby Years, pages 42-43)

 

February 12, Wednesday. Bing’s brother Larry, age eighty, dies from cancer at Century City Hospital in Los Angeles, and Bing attends his funeral at St. Victor’s Church, West Hollywood, on February 15.

 

On 6 February, I received the following telegram in which Bing confirmed his arrival and flight details.

ARRIVE 7.40 AM FEB SEVENTEENTH TWA FLIGHT 760

BING CROSBY

On 14 February I received a phone call from Bing. ‘I’m afraid I won’t be coming on the 17th, Ken,’ he said. I felt a sudden chill on hearing these words. Here was another of Alan Fisher’s predicted ‘surprises’.

At this point I should explain that, according to the Musicians Union, once a player has been booked for a recording session—even though the engagement is purely verbal—that player must be paid whether the session takes place or not. In total the fees for the Crosby sessions would come to something like £5,000 (around 10,000 dollars). Of course, all would not be completely lost because the accompaniments could be recorded and Bing would be able to put his voice on at a later date. But his utter dislike for this manner of recording was well known. He preferred always to record live. I was on the verge of getting rather angry with this man whom I had admired all my life. But I thought: ‘Well, at least he had the decency to phone me. I might as well hear him out.’ Almost immediately I regretted my anger as Bing explained that his elder brother, Larry, had just died.

‘The funeral’s on Sunday,’ Bing explained. ‘So I won’t be able to fly to London until Monday. But I’ll still be able to make the sessions as planned. It just means I’ll be arriving a day later than scheduled. If you could meet me at Heathrow Tuesday instead of Monday, I’d appreciate it.’

(Ken Barnes, The Crosby Years)

 

February 13, Thursday. CBS air a TV film called Queen of the Stardust Ballroom. Bing watches this and decides to record "I Love to Dance Like They Used to  Dance" from the score. This is achieved on February 19.

February 15, Saturday. (9:30 a.m.) Bing and Kathryn are at St. Victor's Church, West Hollywood for the funeral of Larry Crosby. Gary Crosby is also in attendance. Burial takes place at Holy Cross Cemetery.

February 18, Tuesday. Bing arrives at Heathrow airport in London in the early morning to record two albums for United Artists, That’s What Life Is All About and At My Time of Life, which are to be produced by Ken Barnes. He checks in at Claridges at 8:30 a.m. Ken Barnes and Pete Moore pick him up at Claridges at 4:30 p.m. and take him to Chappells where he rehearses songs for the forthcoming albums until 6:30 p.m.

 

On February 16th, Bing was sufficiently recovered from his Mexican flights to head on to London for a recording session. From there, he wrote to inform me that he was presently working with a forty-two-man band in an excellent recording facility.

“They’ve furnished security, a Rolls, and chauffeurs,” he continued. “You’d think that I’d arrived here to star in a major film.

I’m taking long walks daily, and feel fine, except for the lingering cough. A full course of tetracycline afforded no appreciable results, but an inhalant offers temporary relief. I’m sure I’d sing better without the malady, but the folks at the studio have persisted in being complimentary.

I’ll be home around the end of the month, after a stop off in New York to see a couple of shows.”

(Kathryn Crosby, writing in My Last Years with Bing, page 349)

 

February 19/20, Wednesday/Thursday. Recording sessions at Chappells, London, with Pete Moore and his Orchestra. Ken Barnes directs the proceedings.

Bing’s back – still stepping out in front

Bing Crosby stepped into a London recording studio yesterday and firmly waved away the aids used by pop stars half his age. Instead of going into a protective vocal booth he insisted on standing right out in front with the band. “I’m a band singer,” he said, “and I want to sing with them. That’s why I came all this way.” His producer Ken Barnes fussed about the strength of his lungs which only a year ago underwent a major operation. Crosby brushed him aside. “If the band get louder.” he said, “I get louder.” And he did as he went into his old favourites such as “The Best Things In Life Are Free”, “Breezin' Along with the Breeze” and “Some Sunny Day”. Just as if he did not know what it is to be 73, or to have nearly died under the surgeon’s knife. He is here to make two LPs. One is to be called “That’s What Life Is All About”. The other Barnes wanted to call “Bing - Back on the Ball”. The Old Groaner would not have it. He protested that it was too much like Sinatra’s “Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back”. Sternly he demanded: “What does everyone mean by a comeback? I’ve never been away.”
(Daily Mirror, February, 20, 1975)

February 22, Saturday. Records five more tracks with Pete Moore and his Orchestra at Chappells. Later, at around 2:20 p.m., appears on Grandstand, a live BBC-TV sports program introduced by Frank Bough, and during this he places a bet on a horse called “Uncle Bing” which duly wins the 3:00 p.m. race at Kempton Park. He donates his £200 appearance fee to the National Society for Cancer Relief.

February 23, Sunday. Bing presents rosettes at the indoor horse show held at the Priory School of Equitation in Frensham, Surrey.

February 24–26, Monday–Wednesday. More recording sessions at Chappells, London with Pete Moore and his Orchestra. After the recording session on February 26, Bing meets members of the International Crosby Circle in the listening room at Chappells Studio.

 

. . . Here was a smallish listening-room, equipped with enormous speakers and with plate-glass down one side instead of a wall: as Ken Barnes opened the door there was a flood of high-powered music – with the majestic, so familiar, voice of Bing, so dominant, sounding every bit as great as Ken had assured that it was, with Bing so completely recovered from his severe illness.

And as we heard the voice – we saw the man! There was Bing, seen through the plate-glass! Bing singing, in person, at last! At a music-stand, but holding the music in his hands, spread out with that inevitable peaked cap, a cardigan, and a loose-at-the-neck shirt….Bing himself!

Bing was two yards to the right of the musical director – Pete Moore, of course – casting a seemingly casual yet knowing and penetrating glance at him every so often… musicians in incredible “disarray”, all fitted with headphones, were at work with  the seeming complete ease of the top professionals. By “disarray” I mean the musicians seemed to be in no coherent pattern as far as brass, reed, strings, piano, harp etc were concerned! The floor was a mass of cables, microphones were everywhere – and yet everyone, especially Bing and Pete, gave the impression everything was fine, everything was going well, everything was going to plan.

We entered when they were running through the number “Yours Sincerely”…in other words, it wasn’t a recording “take” for Pete Moore was still modifying his arrangement of the song – all arrangements, incidentally, were hand-written specifically for each instrument.

And we had some glorious examples, before our very eyes, of the famous ad libbing of which Bing is such a master….

“What happened to the orchestra?” he asked as they came to a thin passage and it seemed the band was deserting Bing!

“That’s a *** note!” complained Bing on another occasion.

Then Bing stood patiently, quizzically, looking from Pete to the musicians while a little discussion went on between them as to how to iron out this *** note.

“But Derek will be playing D sharp while I’m playing D natural.”

“No, no,” says Pete, “You come in when Derek has finished – more an overtone….” Everybody nodded as if to say: That’s it.

“Ready now are we?” gently says Bing.

“Okay Bing, says Pete, “will you take it again from the first eight?”

“Sure,” says Bing, “Ready when you are… we double up on tempo then…right…good! All clear.”

Artists of the highest calibre making difficult work look easy: I’m sure Ken was delighted in the control-room as we all were in the listening room.

Because everyone wore headphones they were all in ready, conversational contact with each other, and while Pete discussed points with the strings, say, the rest of the musicians went on playing their own phrases as if making use of the time to perfect things.

I personally could have watched this “rehearsing” all day, but in a surprisingly short time – not more than half-an-hour – all was ready for a pukka “take”. This was signalled by an extremely loud bang from the loud-speakers – loud enough indeed, to make one jump from one’s chair!

Pete Moore held up his hand and got dead silence for about 10 seconds, then gently brought the music to life…a short intro from the orchestra, Bing stretched his neck upwards…glanced at Pete, an almost indiscernible nod from Pete to Bing…and in came Bing, majestic, resonant, full, rich-voiced…and straight through to the end. No interruptions, no breaks for discussion…a complete and perfect “take”.      

So absorbing had been the spectacle, that I’d barely noticed the other occupants of the listening-room, but with the “take” safely made, we had time to greet Bob Roberts, our “Guinness Book of Records” collector, Frank Murphy our former Secretary, inevitably the incredible Leslie Gaylor (I think he must have spent the entire time of Bing’s visit in London!), Eric Crowder, down from Nottingham post-haste, John Ewens from Essex, and Phil Clarke, up from Southampton. And a tight-fit we were in that listening room. As I explained, recording studios are purely functional!

After this full “take”, the musicians seemed to be taking a break…and we saw Bing arrange his scores on his stand…and then he began to wend his way through the cables, microphones, instruments and other paraphernalia in our direction…

Then he was standing in the doorway:

“Hullo you folks. Nice of you to come and see me…good to see you…”

I must confess it was rather an overwhelming moment for me. Bing standing there, after all these years, so pleasant looking, so at-ease, so casual (sartorially and otherwise!)… In those few fleeting seconds before I stepped forward to shake his hand and bring him the greetings of all ICC members, I found myself thinking, in truly a flash, of all those songs, all those films, Bob Hope, the Andrews Sisters, and goodness knows what else! An incredible experience. What did I say? I cannot be sure but I think I said something to the effect that it was impossible to be original, I knew he had heard it a million times, but…it was a tremendous thrill and pleasure to meet him, shake his hand.

“You’re very kind,” said Bing. Just like that. We shook hands, firmly, warmly.

Then the spell broke: “May we have some pictures Bing?”

“Sure,” said Bing and soon he was turning this way and that in response to “Bing – this way please!” Soon he was signing albums, photographs, plaques, drawings…chatting easily to Bob, Frank, Les, and the rest of us. Someone presented him with a very artistic plaque – “Perhaps, you’ll send it to me?” said Bing, no doubt wondering how he could look after it and preserve it.

This must have gone on for thirty or forty minutes, then Bing looked up after signing the last autograph: “Any more?” Everyone appeared satisfied at last. I found this significant because of an incident that happened later.

Ken Barnes came in much later, when Bing had gone, and asked for Bob Roberts, Leslie Gaylor, John Bassett and myself to join him in the control-room where he wanted some shots of us with Bing in that sanctum. Making our way through the aforementioned paraphernalia of the studio, we found Bing had been collared by a professional photographer for some publicity shots.

Bing stood there, patiently, while I swear this photographer took a hundred shots. The flash was popping incessantly…this went on for a good ten minutes, while the four of us stood waiting in the background. At last the photographer signified he’d finished. “Thank you Mr. Crosby.”

Bing turned and walked out…he had gone to the control room as we discovered when we entered with Ken.

“I thought we’d have a few shots in here, Bing, with some of your greatest fans,” said Ken.

Bing stood up, shook his head: “Been enough shots for one day, Ken” and walked out. And I didn’t blame him! Bing had patiently stood and submitted to pictures from us, to signing autographs, until everyone was satisfied. “Any more?” Bing had asked.  And that was his portion of time. Perhaps because he has found it necessary; perhaps on medical orders, I don’t know but it seems to me Bing sensibly apportions what he has to do and does it in rotation, patiently, calmly, cheerfully. And when he has done it, HE HAS DONE IT! And eminently sensible, eminently reasonable, I feel. His days would be impossible, I fancy, if it were otherwise.

For instance, when Bing finally left us – he went straight to a working lunch in the restaurant upstairs. A private restaurant, that is, belonging to the studios, where Bing was to be interviewed – and photographed – for a Sunday Times Colour Supplement. And then he was roped in for the Pete Murray radio show. This gives an idea of just what a hectic time Bing would always have, especially in London and why, in my estimation, he sensibly schedules his day.

Needless for me to say, in view of the foregoing, that it was a truly momentous day. To meet Bing and to have the added privilege of seeing and hearing him “at work” was the fulfillment of 40 years unswerving admiration. I am extremely grateful to Ken Barnes for the opportunity afforded.

(Reg Bristo, writing in the March 1975 issue of BING magazine [37])

 

Bing goes on to give an in-depth interview to George Perry of the Sunday Times. The album of That’s What Life Is All About enters the UK album charts in September 1975 and peaks at No. 28 during its 6 weeks in the charts.

 

BING CROSBY: “THAT’S WHAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT” (United Artists). All right, Bing Crosby's voice isn’t as great as it was 20, 30 or whatever years ago. So what? He’s a brilliant stylist and there’s plenty of voice left as he demonstrates here on 13 tracks…

(Variety, March 24, 1976)

 

Bing Crosby—That’s What Life Is All About—United Artists UAG 29730—Producer: Ken Barnes.

Pleasantly packaged, this album is perfection from start to finish. Backed by press and TV coverage, including Michael Parkinson, it is bound to sell in large quantities. It is also supported by the title track released as a single, already climbing the charts. “Best Things in Life Are Free” is a well-loved standard, and it’s good to see the Hoyt Axton composition “Have a Nice Day” also included. Johnny Mercer joins forces with Crosby for two of the tracks, being the first time they have recorded together for thirty years. A superb album which is bound to be one of the year’s best-sellers.

(Music Week, September 6, 1975)

BING CROSBY – That’s What Love Is All About (sic), United Artists UA-LA554-G. Pleasant set of easy listening cuts proves highly refreshing in a time dominated by rock. Crosby has lost little of his vocal talents since last recording, and the efforts of the Pete Moore Orchestra and producer Ken Barnes (as well as a guest shot from Johnny Mercer) help make the set rewarding material from Mercer, Barnes, the Bergmans, Hoyt Axton and Berlin. Best cuts: “I Love To Dance Like They Used To Dance,” “Have A Nice Day,” “Bon Vivant.”

(Billboard, March 13, 1976)

...Crosby’s voice has lost very little power and presence despite his septuagenarian status and the major lung operation he underwent last year, and, estimably aided by the outstanding arrangements of Pete Moore and the first-class orchestra directed by Moore, this album is another landmark in a uniquely long and distinguished career.

(The Gramophone, November, 1975)

 

The arrival for review of “At My Time of Life” by Bing Crosby coincided with his outstanding triumph at the London Palladium heading a bill shared by members of his family and Rosemary Clooney. The album sets the seal on a memorable visit to these shores by a living legend personifying all that is good, professional and genuinely heartwarming about the world of entertainment, and, in fact, is the third to emanate from Crosby’s recording sessions last year with the exception of the title song, which he recorded in Los Angeles.

That unique and seemingly indestructible Crosby vocal mellowness enhances the entire proceedings once again. All the songs are drawn from the musical theatre over the five decades of Crosby’s prominence as a singer and entertainer, ranging from the Rodgers and Hart numbers “My heart stood still” and “Thou swell” from the 1927 stage production of Mark Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee” through “I got rhythm” by the Gershwin brothers from the 1930 “Girl Crazy” show and the Harburg/Lane opus “How are things in Glocca Morra?” from the 1947 “Finian’s Rainbow” to the Bacharach/David gem of wistful self-pity “I’ll never fall in love again” from the 1968 “Promises, Promises” and “At my time of life” by Hal Shaper and Cyril Ornadel from this year’s musical adaptation of Dickens’s “Great Expectations” .

Crosby brings his special brand of affable authority to all fourteen numbers, aided and embellished by Pete Moore’s arrangements and orchestrations which incorporate some deft modern touches without jeopardizing the essential nostalgia of much of this material. The sympathetic and totally aware production work of Ken Barnes also asserts itself in a practical but unobtrusive fashion, and this album is a genuine piece of popular music history of inestimable value.

(The Gramophone, August, 1976)

 

February 27, Thursday. (Starting at 9:25 a.m.) Interviewed on Pete Murray’s Open House BBC Radio Two program in Studio B13 in Broadcasting House, London. Bing is paid a nominal £12. Later, at around 1:20 p.m., appears on the BBC-TV program Pebble Mill at One and is interviewed by Donny McCloud. He donates his £20 fee to the National Society for Cancer Relief.

February 28, Friday. Bing goes to Decca House on the Albert Embankment in London for a private luncheon with Sir Edward Lewis, Director Bill Townsley, and executive Geoff Milne. While there, he also films a segment for a forthcoming Thames Television program.

 

I do remember that it was quite a feat to get Bing to come in for luncheon. He originally excused himself by saying that he didn’t eat much during the daytime, but when I explained to him the relationship between himself and the English Decca company, a fact that he had not appreciated, and that our chairman, Sir Edward Lewis, had never met him, he agreed. Need I say, he ate a hearty lunch! When Bing and I stepped out of the lift at Decca House on his departure, he was almost mobbed by staff from the building, and hastily ran to his car parked nearby. He explained to me that he was always afraid of being jostled and knocked over—I can vouch for this, since he usually walked rather slowly in his later years, as if intent on maintaining his balance.

(Geoff Milne, in a letter published in BING magazine, December 1996)

 

March 1, Saturday. Bing flies home from Heathrow airport, London.

March 6, Thursday. Bing is back in Hillsborough and writes a short letter of thanks to Ken Barnes. BBC Radio 2 broadcasts a recent interview with Bing in their Music Through Midnight program. Don Durbridge is the interviewer.

 

Got back home after the long hop. Just now pulling myself together—overcoming the jet lag!

Just wanted to get a note off to you to tell you I thought everything went very well on the recordings. I was certainly pleased with the orchestra and the engineering and all the conveniences and amenities that United Artists provided for me while there.

I was playing ‘Glocca Morra’ and I noticed there’s a mistake in the lyric. I don’t know if there’s anything you can do about it—but in the second eight bars of the chorus where the line occurs, ‘Sad and dreamy there’, I sang ‘Sad and dreary there’.

This is probably too short a phrase to permit any deletion and interpolation, but maybe you can. I don’t know if it makes any great difference.

Give my very best to Pete Moore. Will be in touch with you later—

All the best,

Bing

P.S. I’d appreciate it if you’d send me three or four of the recordings on cassette—like ‘The Clowns’, ’Bon Vivant’, ‘Heart Stood Still’, ‘Song In My Heart’, ‘Yours Sincerely’.

I have a tape machine here—or rather Harry has—but I can’t play it, so even if Martin brings over tapes, it wouldn’t help me much.

If you have time, knock off a cassette for me and send it to me at the house.

(As reproduced in The Crosby Years, page 47)

 

March 11, Tuesday. A compromise agreement over television revenue from Bing's Pro-Am is reached. The PGA Tournament Players Division is to receive 40% instead of the 30% it received in previous years.

 

At the start Bing gave 15% to the PGA from the TV revenue, a sum that has been inflated (at the PGA’s insistence, not Bing’s) to 30% by last year. “This year” says Crosby, “we have negotiated a new three-year contract calling for us to give 40%, 45% and 50%, in that order. Originally, the PGA had asked for 70% for 1977, but we cordially replied that if that figure stuck, we would be saying aloha to the Crosby tournament. We have 800 people donating their time. We have a committee that works for nothing. And I work for nothing. We’re not putting forth all this effort solely for golfers. We want them to leave a fair share for the charities we support.”

      (Unidentified Canadian newspaper clipping)

March 16, Sunday. Bing flies to Guadalajara with his son Harry.

March 21-23, Friday–Sunday. At the Bing Crosby International Classic at San Isidro Country Club, Guadalajara. Sue Roberts is the winner. Kathryn and Mary join Bing on March 23.

Bing met the girls at their plane, escorted them to a bull fight at which they were the guests of honor, and ministered to their needs when most of them fell deathly ill at the sight of an arena full of gore. He threw an all-night party for them at which he sang and Harry played the guitar.
(Kathryn Crosby, My Last Years with Bing, page 349)

Bing writes to Canadian broadcaster Gord Atkinson.

 

I have received your letter of March 5th. I appreciate very much your sentiments of sympathy in connection with Larry’s passing. He led a rich, full life and he’s going to be sorely missed.

I received the cassette of the Special Christmas program that you aired during the holiday season and I’m delighted to hear of the happy response.

I thought it was very well put together.

Of course I’ll be interested in hearing the other tapes when you have them edited and put together.

We’re going to be gone over the Easter vacation, and probably a great deal this summer as I’m taking the boys over for a little golf tour - Scotland, Ireland, England and the continent - so you had better write well in advance of your visit when you come out to make sure that we’re going to be in the States at that time.

Warmest best wishes to you and the family –

Always yours, Bing

 

March 28-30, Friday–Sunday. Easter. At Guadalajara, Mexico. Kathryn and Mary fly home on March 31.

April 4, Friday. Bing and Harry arrive back in Hillsborough.

April 11, Friday. Bing writes to British fan Leslie Gaylor.

 

Thanks for your letter of the 16th of March. I’ve been down in Mexico and only came back the other day to find it waiting for me.

I must say, Leslie, that you’ve done a tremendous job in connection with the London albums and all the plugs and the other contacts and promotions you’ve arranged and taken care of.

I’m deeply grateful to you for this activity, and I’m hopeful that if you’ve gone to any expense, you’ll let me know about it so we can take care of that too.

I enjoyed having you all at the studio. I didn’t think it was much fun for you - just listening to these things over and over, but if it gave you an idea of how records are made and how the engineering department works, I’m sure it was a useful visit.

I imagine Ken Barnes and the people have got some promotions lined up for when I come over in June. I think they had something in mind about doing something on the Parkinson Show. Maybe some songs from the album, or something in that direction. We’ll see what develops.

We are all fine here at home. The kids are very busy with school and various activities.

If I come over in June, I plan to bring the two boys with me for a tour of the Scottish golf courses. They’re both very keen players now and play well enough to take care of themselves. In fact, they beat me.

I’ve got a copy of the cassette that Ken Barnes sent over, with the first album on it. Sounds pretty good. It’s just a question, I think, of whether or not there’s a market for this kind of material.

The arrangements are all right, and I think I sing them pretty well, but then, as I say, who can say what they’re going to pick up and buy in the current market.

Take care of yourself, Leslie. All best wishes to you and your family –

As ever, Bing

 

April 12, Saturday. Bing writes to President Gerald Ford.

Dear President Ford

All concerned sportsmen are happy to hear that Stan Hathaway is being considered for the position of Secretary of the Interior.

It’s a rare combination – when you find a man like this who shoots, and is also a dedicated conservationist and a defender of the environment.

Very truly yours, Bing Crosby

April 29, Tuesday. American troops withdraw from Vietnam. Bing’s recording of “White Christmas” was planned to be played over the American forces radio as a signal that the evacuation should begin but at the last moment his recording cannot be found and a recording by Tennessee Ernie Ford is used. Bing has been back to Las Cruces and returns to Hillsborough on this day.

May 3, Saturday. Bing and Kathryn attend the Kentucky Derby in Louisville and are guests of John W. Galbreath. They fly back to Columbus, Ohio and thence to John W. Galbreath’s Darby Dan Farm in Galloway, Ohio before going to New York for a few days where they attend the opening of the Chez Pascal restaurant. On his return to California, Bing makes a special recording for Mr. Galbreath describing his experience in Louisville.

May 6, Tuesday. Bing is in New York and sees the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the New York Mets 2-1. During the game, Bob Prince, the regular play-by-play commentator for the Pirates, is rushed to hospital with severe abdominal pains and Bing helps out with the broadcast.

May 11, Sunday. Jimmy Van Heusen receives a Doctor of Letters degree at Gonzaga University. Bing and Kathryn are present.

May 22, Thursday. Bing writes to Ken Barnes again.

 

I’ve been going over the project which you submitted concerning a television program commemorating my 50th Anniversary in show business.

There’s only one thing that I object to very strongly—and that is the fact that this might lead into a tribute or something of that nature. I would like very much to avoid this. It should be more or less the kind of thing I’ve done in 50 years.

I don’t want any allusion to my being the biggest record seller or the biggest, most important of any period, or the voice that has been heard more places than anywhere in the world. That stuff has been beat to death, and I’m afraid somebody might look into it and find out how untrue it is! This, of course, would be embarrassing!

Then, there’s the question of payment. A thing like this has considerable value to me and I’ve been approached by several organizations here in the United States for just such a program.

In fact, two or three of them are now in the development stage, and there is also an outfit in England that’s doing a grand over-all picture of the last 50 years of popular music, with me just doing a segment.

So if you’re going to do it over there and world rights are involved, I’d have to get something very substantial.

I’d like you to explore this with your people and find out just what they’re prepared to pay.

There’s another thing I want to take up. I think anybody that you interview on film or on tape over here should be paid. If they don’t want to take the money, a check should be given to their favorite charity. Just how much is something that would have to be discussed.

I’ve reached a point where I just don’t want people going around interviewing friends and associates of mine and not paying them something for the privilege.

After all, the program is going to make money.

I’m supposed to make some money out of it, and the people who participate should also be paid.

I further think that they should be contacted before they’re going to be interviewed, to be prepared, and if possible their comments should be confined to something humorous or amusing or interesting and if possible, I hope that they can be restrained from saying anything extravagant about the kind of work I did or the kind of ability I had—or was alleged to have had.

After you’ve had an opportunity to study these things discussed in this letter, I’d appreciate it if you’d get in touch with me either by phone or by letter.

I should be back in Hillsborough about the 1st of June or thereabouts—

All best wishes,

 (As reproduced in The Crosby Years, page 63)

 

May (undated). Bing is interviewed at his home by Clive Hirschhorn of the London based Sunday Express and as part of this, Bing is asked whether he would make many changes if he had to live his life over again.

 

“Not many,” he said. “I think I’d be more generous to people who came to me for help and whom I was often too busy or too self-absorbed to think about. I regret that now.

      Selfishness. It’s so easy to be selfish when you’re young and riding high. In my private life I was fortunate though. I made many mistakes in my first marriage and didn’t spend nearly enough time with my four boys. Too busy. But late in life I married a second time, and this time I learned from my mistakes, and I think I improved as a husband and as a father. . . .

      “As for the present, well, I’m a family man who works only when he wants to, and not because he has to. If the right movie script came along, I’d do it—but basically today’s movies don’t appeal to me at all. They’re just too dirty—most of them. I’m no prude but some of the things you see are just plain disgusting. Saw a movie a few weeks ago called Shampoo. I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears. Every few minutes I thought of leaving, but was intrigued to see what they’d do next. And they did it. Well, that’s not for me. With movies like that around, I’ll take the golf course every time.”

(Clive Hirschhorn, Sunday Express, June 1, 1975)

 

June 13, Friday (evening). Mary Frances Crosby graduates from Burlingame High School. The ceremony is held at San Mateo High School Auditorium.

June 19, Thursday. Mary Frances Crosby having graduated from Burlingame High School has gone on to attend the University of Texas. Bing, Harry and Nathaniel fly down to see her in Austin. They are thought to have golfed at the Champions Golf Club in Houston whilst in the area.

June 23, Monday. Records the first part of the Bingo Viejo album at United Recorders, Hollywood, with Paul Smith and his Orchestra.

June 26, Thursday. Having flown to Las Vegas ostensibly to see his dentist, Bing tapes an appearance on The Merv Griffin Show at Caesar’s Palace. Bing comes out to thunderous applause as the introduction to “Where the Morning Glories Grow” begins. It was intended that Bing should lip synch to his recording of the song, but the applause goes on for so long and is so loud that he misses his cue and the recording starts while he is still saying thanks for the ovation. Merv Griffin comes out, the song stops and they chat briefly before Bing starts singing again. Rich Little also guests. The show is televised on July 25.

June 30, Monday. Bing and his two sons leave San Francisco for the UK but stop off at Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, Westchester County, New York to play golf and have lessons with Claude Harmon.

July 2, Wednesday. They arrive at Turnberry in Scotland.

July 3, Thursday. During the morning, Bing tapes a television commercial for Tennents Lager at the Black Bull Inn at Straiton, Ayrshire in Scotland. During the afternoon, he golfs at Turnberry.

July 4, Friday. Starting at 11:30 a.m., golfs with sons Nathaniel and Harry at Turnberry.

July 5, Saturday. Teeing off at 1:30 p.m., Bing takes part in the Pineapple Pro Cel-Am for Cancer Relief on the Ailsa Course at Turnberry. He partners with Ryder Cup golfer Bernard Gallacher, Dr. David Marsh and a Mr. Boyd. Son Harry shares first place in the competition with his professional partner Tommy Horton. Other celebrities taking part include Hank Ketcham, Johnny Speight, Don Revie, Bobby Charlton, Cliff Michelmore and Stanley Baker. Nathaniel Crosby plays with Max Faulkner. Bing and his sons, Harry and Nathaniel, have their evening meal in Girvan and walk down to the harbor.

July 6, Sunday. Golfs with Ryder Cup player Christy O’Connor and jockey Geoff Lewis at Dalmahoay, Edinburgh, in a pro-am organized by Jimmy Tarbuck. A crowd of 12,000 watches the golf and at the end of his round, Bing sings “A Lovely Day at Dalmahoay” to the large audience assembled outside the clubhouse.

July (undated). Golfs with his two youngest sons at various British courses, including Gleneagles.

July 10-13, Thursday–Sunday. Bing and his sons attend the British Open Golf Championship at Carnoustie in Scotland. The winner is Tom Watson.

July 13, Sunday. Bing checks into Claridges in London during the late evening and refuses a request by Ken Barnes to rehearse with Fred Astaire on July 14 because he has “nineteen appointments” (thought to mean a round of golf). Pete Moore and Ken Barnes rehearse with Fred instead.

July 14, Monday. Interviewed at his hotel by Jack de Manio for the BBC-Radio4 program Jack de Manio Precisely, which is actually broadcast on Wednesday, July 23 at 3:50 p.m.

July 15, Tuesday. (10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.) Commences recording the A Couple of Song and Dance Men album with Fred Astaire, Pete Moore and his Orchestra, and the Johnny Evans Singers at the Music Centre, Wembley.

 

They arrived at the studio about half an hour before the session and there was a brief fifteen minutes of rehearsal after which Bing decided to have a cup of coffee before recording.

It took us about twenty-five minutes to get a balance on the orchestra and the first two songs were ‘in the can’ within forty minutes after that. Bing was very relaxed and charming to everyone and while the orchestra took a fifteen-minute break he went to the reception area to make a couple of phone calls.

When he returned we resumed the session and as Pete took the orchestra through the third number, Bing wandered into the control room to hear a playback. I remember asking him: ‘Are you happy with everything, Bing?’

‘Everything’s dandy,’ he replied. ‘I’ve only got one more number to do, and then I quit for the day. How sweet it is!’

He went back into the studio and joined Fred in the vocal area. Three takes and his final number for that day was over. During the session a Daily Mirror news photographer was taking shots for a feature story on the album that was being written by Charles Thompson. Charles thought it would be a good idea - before Fred started to rehearse his solo number - to get some shots of the two artists at the microphone in the studio. Fred was more interested in rehearsing his song with the orchestra, but Bing responded to Charles’ suggestion with almost juvenile enthusiasm. He clowned around the studio floor in a variety of hammy poses, doing his best to get Fred into an equally animated attitude - but without much success. The most that Fred would give was a polite smile. It was obvious to Pete Moore and I that Fred wanted to concentrate on his next song and by goofing around and posing for photos with everyone, Bing was cutting into precious studio and working time. Eventually Bing’s antics subsided and Fred got a chance to run through his solo version of ‘Easy to Remember’ (a Crosby hit from the thirties. It was planned that Bing would do one of Fred’s hits as a solo elsewhere in the sessions). As Fred prepared to do a first take on the song, Bing ambled over to the microphone and said: ‘Nice going, Fred. By the way, I’m taking the limousine. See you tomorrow.’ Without waiting for a reaction, Bing simply strolled out of the studio.

At the end of the session I had to drive Fred back to his hotel.

Another thing that bothered Fred throughout each session was the amount of ad-libbing that Crosby would invariably indulge in. ‘Bing is the master when it comes to cross-talk and witty asides,’ said Fred. ‘I can’t begin to compete with him. What am I going to do?’

Since I had written all the special lyrics and adaptations for the album, I approached Bing to suggest a few lines to him that might be thrown in at odd points during the routines.  He said: ‘Fine, I’ll make a note of them.’

I then went back to Fred with some suggestions that might counteract Bing’s lines and where he might possibly top the great Crosby in one or two instances. Fred was delighted to have the inside information and the useful retorts. But more often than not, Crosby would be one jump ahead of us and at the crucial point in a routine he would hit Fred with a completely different line. And yet, for some reason, Fred - who claimed to be a poor ad-libber - would rise to the occasion by coming back with an equally funny remark. The result was that most of the ad-libs in that album are absolutely genuine.

The only time in the album where Bing managed to completely top Fred was in their version of ‘Pick Yourself Up’ in which I had written a special lyric portraying Fred as a dancing teacher and Bing as a less-than-capable pupil. It was agreed that at the very end of the routine, Bing would simply say to Fred: ‘And now for your singing lesson.’ But Bing went much further than that with a whole string of funny lines about not being able to fit Fred in for at least a fortnight. We just left the tape running to get all of Crosby’s lines and we picked up the laughter of the orchestra too. It was a moment of rare magic. And Fred loved it as much as anyone.
(Ken Barnes, writing in The Crosby Years, pages 51-52)

 

One lovely story, regarding another American star, was the day we arrived at the studios to discover we were to provide the vocal backing for two legendary performers who were combining their talents to produce an album - Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. As thrilled as I was to meet and work with these showbiz greats, Joan Baxter, one of the other session singers booked for the recording, was ecstatic. “I must ring my Mum during the break for lunch,” she said “and tell her who we are working with. She is a Bing Crosby fanatic and she’ll just die.” As soon as the midday break was called, Joan phoned and was just about to tell her Mum the news, when who should walk by, at just that moment, but the man himself. Without as much as a ‘by your leave’ - Joan thrust the phone into his hand and said “Bing - say hallo to my Mum - her name is Harriet.” Bing, without turning a hair, and in that very recognisable voice of his, spoke into the mouthpiece. “Hi, Harriet - this is Bing Crosby. Howya doin’.” For all the effect it had on Joan’s mum, it could have been the local butcher. In her broad Yorkshire accent she replied, “Ee - is that you Bing? Me arthritis is killing me!”

      “Well honey,” replied the crooner “don’t you worry. You just sit yourself down with a large brandy - no, make that two large brandies - and you’ll feel much better.” Joan’s mum, the Bing fanatic who we felt would just die at the thought of speaking to her hero, refused even now to show her excitement or, worse still, to admit her personal worship of the man.

      “Our Joan’s Dad,” she said “thought you were wonderful!” Bing was unable to say another word for Harriet’s phlegmatic reply struck a funny bone and he left us to enjoy his lunch, still roaring with laughter at the conversation.

(Maggie Stredder, writing in her book The Girl with the Glasses, pages 68-69)

 

During the evening, Thames Television transmits The Day War Broke Out in which Bing and others give recollections of entertainment during WWII.

July 16, Wednesday. (10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.) Bing and Fred Astaire record more tracks for the A Couple of Song and Dance Men album

July 17, Thursday. Completes A Couple of Song and Dance Men album.

 

A Couple of Song and Dance Men—United Artists UA-LA 588G

Enjoyable set from two of the finer singers of our time, cut in London, produced by Ken Barnes and featuring the Pete Moore Orchestra. Lots of cuts from movies the two have appeared in with material from Berlin, Mercer, Carmichael and Scott Joplin. All standards well done, with the pair singing together or taking solos. Best cuts: “Top Billing,” “A Couple of Song and Dance Men,” “Change Partners,” “Pick Yourself Up.”

(Billboard International, March 6, 1976)

 

Two indestructibles of show business, united on one record is an invincible formula, particularly when the two involved are “A Couple of Song And Dance Men” like Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby. The rapport and mutual esteem between these two splendid troupers are obvious and delightful, although the verbal adlibbing and asides are occasionally overdone and not always intelligible to the listener...This LP recorded in London last year was the first occasion on which the two main participants had worked together since making the film “Blue Skies” in 1946, and one hopes it will be followed by further collaborations.

(The Gramophone, February, 1976)

 

July 18, Friday. (10:30 - 11:15 a.m.) Interviewed by Michael Aspel on Capital Radio. In the afternoon, tapes another Parkinson television show for BBC, which is shown on August 30. Bing sings several songs on the Parkinson show accompanied by Pete Moore and his Orchestra. Rehearsals start at 2:30 p.m. with the show itself starting at 6:00 p.m. Bing’s fee is £300, which he takes in cash on August 18.

 

One day we received a letter from a man called Leslie Gaylor. He was a fitter for Hovercraft in the Isle of Wight. He said he had the biggest collection in the land of Bing Crosby memorabilia, that Bing was a personal friend of his and if we wanted him on the show he could fix it. We thought he was a nutter. But then why would he say these things if there was not an element of truth in them? So we asked him to come to London and not only did Mr. Gaylor get us Bing Crosby, he was also indirectly responsible for Fred Astaire appearing on the show.

It is a mark of Crosby’s unaffected good nature that he made his first appearance on Parkinson not because Orson Welles had been on the show or he had anything to promote, but out of friendship for Leslie Gaylor. He was the most relaxed and laid back of them all…

…When he arrived at the reception desk at the TV Centre he was carrying a hat box under his arm. He said to the receptionist, ‘Hi, I’m Bing Crosby. Can you direct me towards the gal who’s going to fix my toop?’

His hairpiece was in the box.

He told me his favourite song was ‘White Christmas’ and he never tired of singing it. When he performed it on the show I was astonished to see him reading the words from autocue. He had an effortless style and possessed the greatest gift of all, that of making everyone in the studio believe they wanted to work for him.

That said he wasn’t a pushover. He had very exacting standards and expected everyone else to match them. It is true that, like Sinatra, he didn’t care much for rehearsal, which is not the same saying he didn’t care about getting it right. Again like Sinatra, when he came into the studio to rehearse he was word perfect and faultless in his delivery. He expected everyone else to be the same.

He ran through his number twice, the band was happy, it sounded good. Then the director asked if he would mind doing it one more time. Crosby agreed. When he had finished, the director pleaded with Bing for another take.

Crosby asked why.

The director said, ‘I think I can do it better.’

Bing smiled and said, ‘I can’t.’

I did a duet with Crosby, which is a bit like saying I danced with Ginger Rogers or opened the innings with W. G. Grace.

Bing said if I was any good he was going to retire and play golf. At the end of our performance, he looked at me and said, ‘Guess I’m back on the road again.’

(Michael Parkinson, writing in his book Parky, pages 214-216)

 

…However, we got to the TV Theatre around 2pm - and on making enquiries at a side-entrance were brusquely informed that only “Mr. John Fisher” could give permission to enter for the rehearsal. Crestfallen we certainly were, especially as the rain was falling quite heavily…when who should appear but Pete Moore, whom I’d had the pleasure of meeting previously with Ken Barnes and Leslie Gaylor. This turned things a lot brighter - and especially so when Ken himself arrived and after a short while, we had the necessary permission to enter for the rehearsal - for which our thanks are assuredly due to Ken, Pete Moore and John Fisher. Inside the theatre we met Leslie Gaylor and George O’Reilly, who you will recall produced the Irish TV show that Bing did around 1968, and several prominent members of the ICC, including Bob Roberts and his wife Vera, and Fred Reynolds, down from Birmingham.

At 2.30 immense activity broke out on the stage. Pete Moore had assembled the orchestra and they were running thro’ various tuning up processes. Then Bing walked on stage! He looked really terrific, very tanned,  smiling broadly and obviously very happy The producer, his assistants, the technicians were all in earnest, workmanlike, conversations and conferences…Parkinson going from one to the other…we could hear the technical requirements and details being ironed out, speedily, efficiently, cameras, mikes, control room, a truly fascinating experience.

Bing was asked to run thro ‘Play a Simple Melody’ - and he was in superb voice and form…he went on singing…chatting to Parkinson, and it was clear they enjoyed each other’s company…young Harry arrived and was soon strumming his guitar and chatting away to Parkinson, too. What with the songs and the re-takes we had a truly marvellous time. Many times, in the rehearsal, there was spontaneous applause from the visitors, the studio technicians and those of us lucky enough to be present - and I noticed that the musicians often led the applause. It was truly amazing - and naturally, a wonderful tribute to Bing’s superb talents and style.

The rehearsal ended after about two and a quarter hours – and Bing was still going strong with the show proper still to come!
(Eric Crowder, writing in BING magazine, September 1975 [#39])

 

…Then the show itself; no less than six songs from Bing and a fund of reminiscences and anecdotes. It was noticeable that Parkinson had several pages of script in front of him - necessary no doubt - but that Bing had no notes whatever and spoke spontaneously and completely off-the-cuff, as it were, all the way through. And except for one small slip when he switched from “unctuous” to “urbane” when talking about Fred Astaire, he was word-perfect. Quite an astonishing display of’ virtuosity as regards elan, on-the-spot narration, humour and breadth of knowledge and character.

A highlight was_, of course, when Bing launched into his first song, ‘Breezing Along with the Breeze’ from the forthcoming album. This gave the show an upbeat-tempo from its earliest moments. Among the other songs were ‘Play a Simple Melody’, with son Harry, ‘The Pleasure of Your Company’ with Parkinson. ‘I Like to Dance Like They Used to Dance’, ‘Send in the Clowns’ (this could well be a “smash-hit”) and we had a fabulous bonus when Bing had to do ‘That’s What Life Is All About’ twice, after one false start!

The false-start itself demonstrated Bing’s completely equable temperament. Pete Moore’s excellent orchestra was playing a four-bar introduction but Bing misread it and came in late. Signs were made to him to stop and he quizzically enquired; “Something wrong?”

“It’s a very short intro Bing,” apologised Pete, “I don’t think it gives you time enough to get from your chair across stage to the microphone”…Bing was completely alive to the problem and humourously made a series of mock sprints from his seat to the centre of the stage amid much mirth and applause from the audience. These items will not, of course, be screened but they are a lasting memory for us who were lucky enough to be there.

Finally it was decided to make the intro eight-bars and the “take” went through to the end. But it appeared there were further problems - the orchestra had come in loud and strong for the last chorus and it was felt that Bing’s voice had been partially drowned, though I must add at this stage he sounded very powerful indeed.

Now came some real Crosbyana: firstly, Bing explained to us what had happened – and typically he blamed himself for asking the orchestra to “pump it up”. Whether that was so or not, how like him to put everyone at ease by shouldering the blame. Some lightning re-arrangements were by then going on (to the score that is) and while this was being fixed, Bing sat casually astride his stool in the centre of the stage, dexterously juggling the hand-mike - and launched into a little verse in rhyme to the opening bars of the song explaining what had occurred! He was in masterly form and yet it was all done with all the casual aplomb and absolute spontaneity which is Bing’s hallmark. I hope someone either taped or remembered the words to this little impromptu song - it completely captivated everyone - the audience, orchestra, stagehands, technicians, and received a very big hand. Again, this won’t be shown on TV - and what a pity! Bing regarded us with mock concern, shrugged, and said apologetically: “Fraid we’re gonna have to do it again” - and this “apology” brought more well-nigh frantic applause…

All too soon the show was over; it had started at six and now it was seven-thirty. We could have stayed for hours and still have been not satisfied. What a privilege and genuine thrill to have been entertained in person by the greatest showbusiness superstar of them all, of this or any other era.
(John Bignell, writing in BING magazine, September 1975 [#39])

 

…So glad you liked the Michael Parkinson show. It was fun to do. He is such a generous host. I thought the music sounded pretty good. The band was first class and everybody I talked to who happened to be there said they enjoyed it a great deal…

(Letter from Bing to Leslie Gaylor, July 25, 1975)

 

July (undated). The Crosbys golf with Roger Wethered, a top British golfer of the 1920s, at the Royal Wimbledon course.

July 22, Tuesday. (8:00–9:00 a.m.) Appears on Terry Wogan’s morning BBC Radio 2 show in London.

 

When younger, Bing Crosby with his deceptively easy singing style and his similar gift on the big screen had been a great favourite of mine. I could never have dreamt of meeting him, as I queued for the one-and-nines, but I did. In the early seventies, he dropped in one morning on my radio show, and we chatted. He, too, was everything I knew he would be: full of bonhomie and good humour, relaxed and generous with his time.

      As I recall [and, as you have noticed, my recollections can be a bit on the misty side], Bing was in London to record an album with Fred Astaire. The word had it that the recording was not going as swimmingly as it might: Astaire was a workaholic, meticulous in everything, as in his dancing: rehearse, refine, rehearse, let’s do it one more time. Crosby’s style was the antithesis of Astaire’s: rely on your talent, do it on your toes, wing it, let’s go, I’ve got a golf date …

(Terry Wogan, writing in his book, Is It Me? pages 78/79)

 

July 23, Wednesday. Tapes a television appearance on the BBC program Top of the Pops when he sings “That’s What Life Is All About.” The program is screened on July 24. Bing’s fee of £200 is paid to United Artists Records in London.

 

One final story of the Top of the Pops concerns a Party Political Broadcast from the Prime Minister at that time - Edward Heath. Mr. Heath had arrived at the BBC to record his message and found to his concern that the studio he had been allocated, was next door to TOTPs. It so happens that, on that particular day, the bands appearing were especially loud with the exception of a live appearance from the ‘Old Groaner’ himself - Bing Crosby and the Director feared a backlash from the politician. On cue, the P.M. entered the studio and in a stern voice demanded to see ‘him in charge’. Visualising entombment in the Bloody Tower at least, he approached ‘his prominence’ in some fear.  

      “Are you in charge here?” shouted the great man.

      “Yessir” trembled the Director “Yes - I am!” The Prime Minister leant towards him and asked

      “Any chance of Bing Crosby’s autograph?”

That story, I promise, you is true.

(Maggie Stredder, writing in her book The Girl with the Glasses, page 77)

 

July 24, Thursday. At Bushey, Hertfordshire, to narrate a film documentary about golf called Golf Through the Ages at the Cygnet Films studio. Plays golf at Moor Park afterwards.

July 25, Friday. The Merv Griffin Show with Bing and Rich Little as guests is shown by CBS. Meanwhile in London, Bing is interviewed by Llew Gardiner on the Today program for Thames Television and this is transmitted at 6:00 p.m. Lives in a rented house at 3 Aubrey Rd., London W8 (near Holland Park Avenue) during his stay in London.

July 26, Saturday. Makes a brief contribution to the BBC Junior Choice radio program. Is thought to have been at Ascot for the Diamond Day racing.

July 27, Sunday. Tapes a guest appearance on the Vera Lynn BBC-TV show at the BBC-TV theatre in Shepherd’s Bush in London. Bing sings “That’s What Life Is All About” as well as dueting with Vera Lynn on “Sing.” Bing is paid £500 and he draws this in cash on August 18. The show screens on September 24. Meanwhile, Kathryn leaves San Francisco to fly to England to rejoin her husband.

 

…However, it was well into the latter part of the show before the actual introduction and appearance of Bing occurred with these words: “Over the years there have been many singing highlights in my career, but however great the memory of those times nothing can equal the thrill that I now feel in introducing to you someone that we all love and admire so much. Ladies and gentlemen: Bing Crosby!”

And Bing strolled on to cheers and. applause which certainly equalled, if not excelled, that of the Parkinson reception. He wore a lounge suit and joined the beaming Vera—the Alyn Ainsworth orchestra was playing “Where the Blue of the Night” in almost two-step time which, after Vera’s reminder, Bing noted that he remembered “very well”. Vera thanked Bing for coming and he responded by saying how much he had been looking forward to it. It was at this juncture that Vera expressed the fulfillment of her life’s ambition by singing with Bing—it invited the almost inevitable Crosby rejoinder: “Oooh, Vera! You must elevate your goals a little!” But Vera would have none of it and as the music struck up they went into that presumed first-ever duet, “Sing a Song”. The opening lines were backed by piano only and the orchestra and chorus (Young Generation) gradually came in to good effect. Both sang out “good and strong” and gave the likeable Joe Raposo composition the straight and tuneful treatment it deserves. Bing faded a little on a word or two—maybe he leaned back out of mike range—but he carried the melody while Vera harmonised, reversing their roles towards the conclusion. It was delightfully executed and with both renowned for their rich, clear tones and perfect diction that much was to be expected. The disappointment came in that they sang only the one duet. A lost opportunity! With all respect to the other guests one felt that after such a musical amalgam the producer might have at least treated us to more than this. It was not to be. Still, we did have another “live” version of “That’s What Life Is All About” —a pleasant variation from the issued version both in words and music that included a little whistle from Bing. We have quite a collection of these “live” versions now—nearly enough for a complete LP! Bing took a full 40 seconds applause after his solo, and was seeming to just settle in comfortably when it was all over (he had appeared just a bit “wooden” and less buoyant than usual on his entrance).

What a pity they couldn’t have really made a night of it; but at least posterity has one Bing/Vera duet to relish - something of which I had long given up hope.
(Bert Bishop, writing in BING magazine, December 1975 [#40])

 

…As far as my memories of Bing are concerned, I could not possibly go into all the days we spent together rehearsing, but the one thing that did stick in my mind was when we had tea, he had a huge piece of fruit cake and a large lump of ice-cream with it! Probably a good combination, but not one we were familiar with…

(Vera Lynn, in a letter dated March 27, 2007 to Crosby fan Trevor Wagstaff.)

 

July 28, Monday. Is interviewed by Derek Jones for a BBC Radio 4 program called Sounds Natural and Bing makes various bird calls and discusses other wildlife matters. The program is broadcast on January 26, 1976. Bing is paid £50.

 

Bing was the first singer of whom, when a very small boy in the 1930s, I became aware and I was soon a great admirer of his. My parents had several 78rpm gramophone records of songs he had recorded in those years. Two of them, ‘Home on the Range’ and ‘The Last Roundup’, have been favourites of mine ever since.

So, having heard in the 1970s that he was very interested in wildlife, it was not surprising that I invited him at that period to participate as a guest in a series of radio programmes called Sounds Natural that I had devised and produced for Radio 4 and which featured celebrities with a keen interest in wildlife.

An enthusiastic golfer, Bing had become friends with the BBC’s golfing commentator, the late Henry Longhurst, who, as it happened, was also very interested in wildlife and had already agreed to participate in one of the Sounds Natural programmes. I mentioned to him that I would like to invite Bing and he informed me that he would shortly be coming to Britain to play golf at St Andrews and to record a couple of albums in London. Henry said that Bing was a very early riser and advised me to telephone him at his St Andrews hotel early in the morning before he went out for a round of golf before breakfast.

It was with some trepidation at phoning anyone as early as 7am that I picked up the telephone in my office at BH Bristol. I need not have worried, Bing was up and about and very amiable. He said he would be glad to take part in the programme and could fit it in one day when he came down to London. As he couldn’t be sure of a possible date at that stage, he told me he would telephone me as soon as he knew. I mentioned that in a few days’ time I would be lunching with Henry Longhurst in his idyllically situated home on top of the South Downs near Brighton. Nevertheless, it was rather to my surprise that on that day, 16 July 1975, during lunch, the telephone rang and Henry’s wife answered it and returned to say, ‘It’s Bing Crosby for you, John.’ And so it was: to tell me that he had hired a house in London’s Holland Park and could meet me there one morning in a week or so’s time to record the interview.

This was duly arranged and the regular Sounds Natural interviewer, the late Derek Jones, a popular West Country broadcaster, and I arrived together with a BBC recording engineer based in London. As soon as we had set up our recording gear ready to go, Bing joined us and quickly made us feel at home. I explained the form that the programme would take. This included the subsequent insertion of sound recordings from the BBC’s collection of wildlife sounds to illustrate his anecdotes and memories, plus extracts I had selected from a few of the songs that he had recorded that were appropriate to the programme’s theme.

I had previously discovered that he was a very good mimic of those American wild birds with which he was familiar. In discussing these with him, I mentioned that one would be an extract from ‘My Blue Heaven’, which refers to the call of the whip-poor-will, a bird related to our nightjar, which also calls at night. Bing said he had sung so many different songs in his lifetime and he couldn’t remember them all including that one. So rather self-consciously in the presence of such a famous crooner, I crooned the first couple of lines to him, which sparked his memory and he joined in, quipping at the end, ‘We should have got together sooner, John!’ Other songs of Bing’s that I included were ‘Mr Meadowlark’, where Bing gives very good imitations of the song of this American bird of fields and meadows, and bobwhite. The bobwhite is a common small American gamebird related to our quail whose name is onomatopoeic: its typical call sounding like a whistled ‘bob-bob-white’, also mimicked perfectly by Bing.

To demonstrate just how good his imitations were, in the final programme as transmitted, I subsequently added actual sound recordings of these birds for comparison.

Provided by me with a series of questions in addition to his own that I knew would launch Bing on a string of his wildlife memories, Derek, a masterly interviewer, evoked a delightfully chatty conversation that pleased me immensely. Bing had been a keen wildfowler, hunting within United States laws, but his concern for the conservation of water birds and other wildlife was sincere.

After the interview had finished, Bing, Derek, the recording engineer and I continued to chat for another hour about birds, fishing, colour blindness (from which Bing suffered) and other topics. Derek and I both felt that Bing genuinely enjoyed chatting about his interests in wildlife and its conservation as a change from being asked about his show business career…

Altogether, as Derek Jones wrote in his account of the occasion (Microphones and Muddy Boots, David & Charles, Newton Abbot, Devon, 1987), it was ‘two hours of absolute joy’.

Like Derek, I am happy that we were able to meet and talk with Bing, a charming man whose distinctive singing voice we had both greatly admired. A couple of years after our meeting, Bing passed away, appropriately enough, on a golf course. To both of us life wasn’t the same without him.

A couple of months after the repeat broadcast of the programme in January 1976, I received a very nice personal letter from Bing, saying, among other topics, that he had listened to the tape of the programme I had sent him and was ‘much impressed’ by it. I still have and treasure the letter.

(John F. Burton, writing in Prospero, the newspaper for BBC pensioners, October 2014)

 

July 30, Wednesday. Bing, Harry and Nathaniel are photographed at Heathrow airport, London en route to Germany.

July 31, Thursday. With his son Nathaniel at the German Open at Bremen. They golf in a Pro-Am and Nathaniel’s team come second. Bing presents the prizes.

August 2, Saturday. Bing and Kathryn attend the races at Goodwood near Chichester, West Sussex and Bing accepts a trophy on behalf of the horse “Hail the Pirates” ridden by Lester Piggott and owned by his friend, Daniel Galbreath, which has won the featured race, the PTS Laurels Handicap. Bing sings "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling". That night, they attend a barbecue and meet the Prince of Wales.

That night, we attended a barbecue with the popular young Prince of Wales. He chatted with us for about an hour, exuded charm, and seemed as unaware as we were of the stormy days that awaited him. When we parted, Bing patted Charles on the shoulder, and wished him the best of luck. Suddenly struck by a premonition, the Prince replied, “Thanks very much. You know, I’m sure I’ll need it.”
(Kathryn Crosby. My Last Years with Bing, page 355)

August 3, Sunday. Bing and Kathryn visit Petworth House whilst Harry and Nathaniel go swimming with the Prince of Wales.

August 4, Monday. (1:00 - 2:00 p.m.) At 3 Aubrey Rd., London W8, Bing records an interview for the BBC Radio 4 programme Wogan’s World. He is paid £75 and the program is broadcast on September 7 at 6:15 p.m.

But have you been a quick learner of songs? Hear it once...

No. I’d say it depends. These songs they are writing now are so intricate that it takes me quite a while to learn them - not so much the melody as the intervals. Songwriters used to write eight bars, eight bars, a middle strain and then eight bars at the finish; that was it. Now there are six-bar phrases, four-bar, no beats in between, or three beats in between, or three-and-a-half. I have to hear it several times before I can get it in my head.

 

August 5, Tuesday. (10:30 a.m.) Golfs at Sunningdale in a charity pro-am event preceding the Colgate European Women’s Championship. Bing is interviewed on television. Bob Hope also attends the event. Bing’s handicap is now nine. During the day, Bing and Bob meet up with Mr. and Mrs. Boardman whose wedding they had attended on September 22, 1952.

August 6, Wednesday. Bing and his sons fly from London Airport to Holland.

August 7, Thursday. Golfs in Hilversum, Holland, in a pro-am and is interviewed by Dutch television and radio.

…And then Bing arrived with his two sons. I was allowed to be present when Bing and the boys sat down and had a meal – Bing had an egg-salad, a glass of milk and some ice-cream while all the time people were taking a thousand pictures and asking even more questions. He sat very relaxed, answering in kindly fashion the same old questions about his family, his golfing, other artists, etc. Then Bing was away to change, but I asked him again for his autograph and told him once more how I enjoyed his BBC interview – and he recognized me! Since there weren’t too many people asking for his signature at that particular time I was bold enough to give him two more things to autograph – the BBC ticket and an issue of BING magazine: and guess what he said?

“Gosh! You’re asking a lot…you know you can exchange four of my signatures for one of Sinatra’s, don’t you?”

He should know better – but everyone roared with laughter.… Well then, after Bing had changed everybody followed him up to the green. Before he tee’d off he spoke a few words and sang “Where’s My Caddy” (I believe) and then I spent a wonderful four and a half hours next to him as he happily went along from hole to hole. He was merrily swinging his clubs and chatting to everyone who wanted to have a chat, including myself.

And this time I wasn’t so nervous. He really brightened up the whole course in his own special, easy-going manner. And, as far as I can judge, he is such a good golfer.

It was a tremendously hot day and the golfers stopped every now and then for a drink - water, mainly, which gave me the chance to offer Bing a glass which he heartily accepted.

Halfway round, he did a small interview for the radio and the man who interviewed him was almost as nervous as I’d been the first time.  When it was broadcast later you could hear him say “…can you imagine that! Me standing next to B-b-bing C-c-crosby!”

At the end of the game he did another interview for Dutch TV and one of the TV men asked him if he would sing something - which he did! Bing walked to the mike and everyone was closing in around him in a circle and joining him. Happily, I was right beside him, joining in as he sang “It’s Tulip Time in Holland”, “Zing a Little Zong”, “True Love”, “Pennies from Heaven”…every time it rains it rains…” then he looked at his watch: “Don’t you know my plane is leaving for Heaven” all to the melody! Wonderful.  And then he was about to go, after he’d sung “White Christmas” on a day when everyone was wiping their forehead it was so hot.

I felt I just couldn’t let him walk off like that…and I went after him to say “Goodbye”. We shook hands and he asked me to spell out my name so that he wouldn’t forget it - and he told me to take good care of my feet and perhaps to buy myself a new pair of shoes! Since it was such a hot day I hadn’t put on any stockings that morning. Rather quickly I had five blisters on each foot for the rest of the day onto which I’d put some plasters…and as I’d walked barefoot for the rest of the day on sand and grass you could hardly see my skin and my feet were as black as coal! So my feet were rather conspicuous and with all the plasters, they must have looked much worse than they really were. Certainly Bing was quick to spot them – and very kindly told me to take good care of them.
(Noor Van Heel, writing in BING magazine, June 1977 [#46])

 

August 11, Monday. (9:00 - 11:00 a.m.) At 3 Aubrey Rd., Bing records a program for BBC Radio 2 called Bing Crosby Reminisces, which is broadcast on August 25. He is paid £100 for his services.

August 13, Wednesday. It is announced that Bing, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour will make a film called The Road to Tomorrow. Starting at 9 a.m. at the Aubrey Rd. property, Bing records an appearance on the BBC Radio 4 program Desert Island Discs and interviewed by Roy Plomley, he selects the eight gramophone records he would take if abandoned on a desert island. They are:

1. South Rampart Street Parade (Bob Crosby and his Bob Cats)

2. Clair De Lune (London Symphony Orchestra)

3. And the Angels Sing (Benny Goodman with vocal by Martha Tilton)

4. Moonlight Serenade (Glenn Miller)

5. Liebestraum (Philadelphia Orchestra)

6. Begin the Beguine (Artie Shaw)

7. Song of India (Tommy Dorsey)

8. Cavalleria Rusticana (La Scala Orchestra)

He chooses as a luxury a guitar and as a book (other than The Bible) he chooses Roget’s Thesaurus. The program is broadcast on December 27, 1975. Bing receives a fee of £60.

August 14, Thursday. Bing, Kathryn and the boys leave for Paris for a few days. There is a minor bomb scare en route as an Arab passenger was carrying two imitation guns. In Paris, they see a show at the Moulin Rouge.

August (undated). Records an International Pro-Celebrity Golf BBC-TV program on the King’s Course, Gleneagles in Scotland, with Val Doonican, Tom Weiskopf, and Peter Oosterhuis. Bing and his partner win easily. The program is shown on BBC2 on January 27, 1976.

 

The whole series of Pro-Celebrity Golf is usually played over a couple of weeks, the promoters endeavouring to put two nine-hole matches “in the can” per day. The pilot drew my attention to a tiny grass airstrip up ahead, or should I say down ahead, a long tidy row of similar aircraft to our own lining either side of it, rather like a guard of honour.

      Some black limousines stood by the modest reception building indicating, in fact, that I wasn’t the only one arriving at that particular time. In fact as I said hello to one of the representatives from BBC Television, standing by the cars, another plane lightly touched down.

      “That’ll be Mr. Crosby now,” I heard somebody behind me say, causing my ears to prick up. One of my great personal ambitions had long been to meet the man I always considered to be the finest pop singer of all time. I felt sure the opportunity was at hand, knowing we were both heading for the same destination.

      A minute or two later, I was ushered into one of the waiting cars, and just as I climbed aboard, a voice said, “Oh, Val, have you met Bing?” I turned, and there entering the car parked alongside was The Man Himself.

      “Hi there, Val, how’ya doin’?” He reached out of the car and took my hand. “I believe we’re playin’ a bit of golf together today.” Till that moment of course I had no idea who my playing opponent was to be.

      Just as our respective cars were pulling away, he opened his window and called out, “Let’s have some lunch together before the game.” We did just that within the hour and then made our way to the golf course. Bing, as most golfers will know, had been an extremely good amateur golfer, and even while in his early seventies he still played well. It was indeed a day I shall never forget, made even more memorable by the young Scottish lad, who had no idea who the great Mr. Crosby was when he asked for my autograph during the round.

(Val Doonican, writing in People’s Friend, May 23, 1987)

 

August 21, Thursday. At Claridges in London. Bing sends a hand-written note to Crosby fan Leslie Gaylor.

 

I fully appreciate the many things you have done on behalf of my English image and career. I am sure none of it would have happened without your impetus. I can tell you also it has been great fun working with Barnes, Moore, Drewett, Astaire and so many others. Reawakens my interest in the business. Let’s hope something serious develops.

Yours, Bing

 

August 24-29, Sunday-Friday. Bing, Kathryn and the boys are in Yorkshire (near Ripon) for the grouse shooting. They stay with Lord and Lady Swinton at nearby Swinton Park, Masham, North Yorkshire for several days. Bing also calls in at the Drovers Arms, Dallowgill for a drink and sings ‘Happy Holiday’ for the patrons.

Music continued to play a significant role in David’s life and was the cause of some entertaining episodes which he loved to relate. One of these took place at Swinton Park, North Yorkshire, in 1975, when David and Susie attended a party where an elderly Bing Crosby was a fellow guest. After dinner, Bing was persuaded to start singing but his son Harry found it difficult to accompany him as he responded to requests, not having the sheet music to hand. Someone suggested that David should play, knowing of his gift of playing by ear. Bing looked askance at the idea of an amateur pianist but soon realised that David was easily capable, and could even ask him what key he required before embarking on the next tune. Bing would reply with a smile ‘Keep it down, Dave, keep it down’. Bing found it hard to recall the lyrics, but Susie and a friend were able to whisper them into his ears, and an unforgettable evening followed.
(Obituary of country landowner David Yorke in the Craven Herald & Gazette, August 10, 2017)

August (undated). Tapes several items for the long running Yorkshire Television program Stars on Sunday in Leeds. Receives a nominal fee of £250, which he passes on to the playing fields committee at Kirkby Malzeard, near Ripon, North Yorkshire. He has already given £1000 to this cause.

 

I have mentioned, earlier in this book, how long it can sometimes take between the first approaches being made to an artist and their appearance on the program. The first programme of the winter series on September 14 saw the debut of Bing Crosby in Stars on Sunday. In early August I had heard that Bing Crosby was over here to make a record. I contacted his record producer and it was left that if Mr. Crosby was willing and able to appear on the program he would give me a ring at the Leeds office.

A few days later I was sitting in the canteen at Leeds when one of the secretaries from the office came in looking slightly flushed and walked across to where I was sitting. “I’m sorry to disturb you,” she said, “but I’ve got a fellow on the telephone who won’t leave a message and insists on talking to you personally.” “Who is it?” I asked. She gave a little disbelieving laugh. “Well he says he’s Bing Crosby,” she replied. With that I leaped to my feet and broke the world record for the 100 yard sprint back to my office. I regained my breath, picked up the phone and said in as calm a voice as I could manage, “Good afternoon Mr. Crosby, can I do anything for you?” The reply was brief but very pleasant to hear “Yes, when can we get together and sort out something for this program of yours?” And that was it.

The recording session was being done in studio 2 and from the moment he came on to the set it was packed with studio personnel who had all found a legitimate excuse for being there. We went through the songs and readings without any problems and finished the session close on 12. We went for a pre-lunch drink in the club bar. While we there I mentioned that he had many fans amongst the members of the canteen staff and that they would love to see him for a few moments. “Well let’s go and see them,” he said. So off we went into the canteen where he shook hands with everyone who came up to him. He went along the serving counter meeting all staff from the manager and head chef down to the most junior washer-up and signed many autographs.

(Peter Max-Wilson, writing in the book Stars on Sunday.)

 

August 25, Monday. (12:02 - 1:00 p.m.) Bing introduces recordings in a one-hour BBC Radio 2 program Bing Crosby Reminisces, which has been produced by Brian Willey. This had been recorded on August 11.

August 28, Thursday. The Mike Douglas afternoon television show in the U.S. has Bing and Kathryn plus Mike Preminger and Sandra Harmon as the guests, with David Brenner as cohost. The show had been taped before Bing’s departure for the U.K.

August 30, Saturday. (11:00 p.m.–12:05 a.m.) Bing’s taped appearance on the BBC-TV show Parkinson is shown.

 

This opening edition, directed by Stanley Appel, produced by Richard Drewett and pegged to Bing Crosby’s half-century in show business, was obviously preplanned, tailored and manicured, even by chat show standards.

      Questions had a habit of emerging as cues for songs. Despite all the Hollywood musical brainwashing, with those “Let’s Do the Show Right Here” bits attempting to prove that near-perfection can be attained off the cuff, there was no doubt that Parkinson, Crosby and the team had arranged a pleasant mixture of concert and interview.

      Bing sang uncannily well for a man of his years, and was as engaging a talker as ever. (Somebody’s extreme poverty was indicated by “He hadn’t change for a match.”) And for all the transatlantic colour, he cares about language. Complimenting Fred Astaire on unctuousness; he quickly changed it—after a verbal nudge from Parkinson—to urbanity, realizing that it is kinder to accuse a friend of being suave than oily.

(Shaun Usher, Daily Mail, September 1, 1975)

 

September 3, Wednesday. In London for a photo session at Decca House at 10:30 a.m. before going to the Argo Studios at 115 Fulham Road with Decca record producer Geoff Milne, where Bing records the first part of the Tom Sawyer album. Bing returns to his rented house at 4:30 p.m.

 

“…He also made a three-album box-set for Argo in which he recited the story of Tom Sawyer. Argo wanted to do something to commemorate the American Bicentennial celebrations, and it seemed a good idea to do Tom Sawyer - we all agreed that the only person who could relate the story was Bing Crosby. I approached him with the idea, and he thought just for a moment before saying he would love to do it. The recordings were done in two sessions, one lasting four hours and the other two and one-half hours. It was the first time that he had ever been involved with anything of that nature.

It was interesting to watch him in the studios. He was on his feet throughout the sessions. And he didn’t just read Tom Sawyer, he was actually acting the parts. His voice took on different tones and characters. He put a lot into it and I believe that it comes across in the records. The pity is that he wouldn’t allow any cameras into the studios, because it was one of those occasions which was really worth preserving.

Bing was a marvellous man to work for, and there aren’t too many people around who are like that. There were several very young sound engineers working on the Argo sessions and they were completely knocked out by him. They couldn’t believe that he had so much control and command of the situation. Another good thing about him was that whenever anything went wrong, he blamed himself. It was never anyone else’s fault, and that is what made him such a professional.”
(Geoff Milne, as quoted in Woman’s Realm magazine after Bing’s death)

 

September 5, Friday. Completes the Tom Sawyer album at Argo Studios between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

 

…He (Geoff Milne) persuaded Bing to record the Tom Sawyer book and Geoff laughed as he remembered the actual recording sessions spread over three days and Bing’s occasional fluffs, which he supplemented with colourful language. Most of the sound effects on the album were done by Geoff himself – the sound in the cave for instance was achieved by recording a dripping tap in the Decca washroom and then doctoring the effect appropriately.

(Malcolm Macfarlane, Milne Magic, BING magazine, summer, 2005 [#140])

 

This abridged version of a well-loved story is one of the most enjoyable sets to have come my way in recent years. It was a master stroke to get Bing Crosby to read it, for the ‘Old Groaner’ has a devastatingly charming manner, compounded of a relaxed and sympathetic delivery and a lovely speaking voice. The vocal cords that kept him at the very top in music and musical films for so many years are just as velvety now...Crosby’s masterly reading needs little help. Delicate, dry, humourous but never whimsical or condescending, he is one of the most delightful readers Argo has offered us. The quality of the sound is exceptionally fine. Highly recommended.

(Mary Postgate, The Gramophone, May, 1976)

 

The exploits of Tom, living with his Aunt Polly in a small town on the Missouri, and his companion Huckleberry Finn are refreshingly recaptured in Crosby’s reading. . . . Bing’s expressive narrative and his dialect voicing of the characters enhance an impressive and entertaining story.

(Fred Reynolds, The Crosby Collection, part five, page 188)

 

He then tapes a Disneytime program for BBC-TV, which is shown on December 26. The filming is done in a private house in Chiswick. Bing’s fee is £250, which he takes in cash.

September 7, Sunday (6:15 - 7:00 p.m.) BBC Radio 4 broadcasts an edition of Wogan’s World in which Terry Wogan interviews Bing from “the sunny lounge of a house somewhere in London”. This was the program taped on August 4.

September 8, Monday. Bing arrives back in Hillsborough.

September (undated). Nathaniel Crosby commences his studies at Burlingame High School. He had been offered a place at Bellarmine but has chosen to go to a more local college instead.

September 14, Sunday. (7:00-7:25 p.m.) Bing’s taped contribution to the Stars on Sunday program is shown on the ITV network in the UK. He sings, “That’s What Life Is All About.”

September 15, Monday. Bing records the remainder of the Bingo Viejo album with Paul Smith and his Orchestra at United Recorders, Hollywood. The album is released by Anahuac Records in the U.S.A. and by British Decca in the U.K.

 

“Bingo Viejo” by old Bing Crosby himself is a typically warm Crosbyian salute to south of the border with ten songs sung in English and Spanish which will undoubtedly please his numerous adherents of either tongue. The numbers are mostly familiar ones like Green Eyes, Besame Mucho, Frenesi and The Breeze and I, and the arrangements are less than impressive, particularly the messy accompaniment for Amapola, which almost undermined the Old Groaner’s customary vocal serenity.

(The Gramophone, April, 1977)

 

September 21, Sunday. Sings three songs at a benefit at the Getty Museum in Malibu to raise funds for the Didi Hirsch Mental Health Center.

 

In his deepest, most mellifluous voice, NBC White House correspondent Tom Brokaw introduced him. “Ladies and gentlemen—Bing.” Just as if he were introducing the President of the United States, the Ford whose California visit had brought Brokaw west again. The Bing, as practically everyone, and particularly those attending Community Outreach’s “An Evening at the Getty” knew, was Crosby. And as he stepped out Sunday night from one of the gallery entrances into the spotlight of the Getty Museum’s inner peristyle, the applause broke out.

      Bing, trim, insouciant, acting a little subdued as befitted an evening dedicated to raising funds for the support of the Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center, was the same old Bing we all remembered.

      Rarely seen around Los Angeles these days (he lives with his family in a San Francisco suburb), Bing looked great. He’s trim and relaxed and the voice sounded great as it boomed out around the columned porticos of the peristyle gardens where the tables had been set for dinner and the entertainment.  There were just three songs, then a quick exit. The ultimate professional, Bing left them wanting more.

      “Great acoustics,” said attorney Paul Ziffren, who once played the violin and has a keen ear. Nearby, Marilyn Bergman smiled broadly while Bing sang the theme song from “Stardust Ballroom.” Joyce Easton, there with Ted Ashley, filled us in. “Marilyn and Alan Bergman wrote the lyrics.”

(Jody Jacobs, Los Angeles Times, September 23, 1975)

 

Bing goes on to join the Mills Brothers Charity Show at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion celebrating the Mills Brothers fiftieth anniversary in show business. Other guests are Harry Von Zell, Johnny Green and Helen O’Connell with an orchestra led by Louis Bellson providing support. Bing sings “Out of Nowhere” accompanied by Johnny Green and then lipsynch’s “That’s What Life Is All About” as the orchestra does not have an arrangement of the song. The Mills Brothers then join Bing and they sing “Dinah” together. Bing receives a standing ovation as he leaves the stage.

September 22, Monday. Bing arranges for a check for $100 to be sent to British fan Leslie Gaylor annotated "publicity".  Daily Variety carries a news item stating:

 

The Mark C. Bloome Co. is shying away from a battle with Bing Crosby by pulling radio commercials that employ sound-alike Jack Harris.

 

September 24, Wednesday. Bing’s taped appearance on the Vera Lynn BBC-TV show is transmitted.

 

. . . he looks a little thinner but his voice has lost none of its charm. He still sings with impeccable timing. He, too, knows more than a bit about sentiment. He sang about ups and downs that he said looking us straight in the eye is what life is all about. I am not keen on entertainers who pretend to be philosophers with a message. But the great ones get away with it - and Bing did. As for their voices, Bing cleverly attempts no more than he knows he can achieve. . .

(Evening News, unknown date)

 

September 26, Friday. Bing writes to (1) Pat Sullivan, President of Club Crosby, and (2) Priscilla Koernig, vice-president of Club Crosby.

 

(1) I’m glad that you liked the album when you finally received it and that you have selected a favorite.  I, too, like the one about Dancing The Way They Used To Dance. I used it the other night at a benefit in Beverly Hills and it went very well.

I don’t know what the plans are for promoting and releasing the album over here. It’s up to United Artists of England. They have plans, I’m sure.

They’ve got a good start on the thing over there in England - getting the song on the charts - whatever that means!

I did a lot of promotion for them over there, and have done some, of course, here, but naturally the promotion is valueless unless it is followed up with something on the shelves for the listeners to buy.

So I imagine they’re going to get after it and get something started because the song has been done quite a few times now.

The other night I did it at the Tribute to the Mills Brothers and just the announcement of the title got a smattering of applause, so somebody in the audience was familiar with the number.

I’ve written Leo asking him to keep you posted on activities, record releases, information that might be useful for you and for members of the Journal, and asking him to arrange a visit to rehearsals if we have any in the near future.

So you’ll probably hear from Leo if anything like this develops.

Thanks so much for your note - Very best wishes, Bing

 

(2) I’m glad you liked the album, when you finally got to listen to it. As you say, there are some very nice songs.

My favorite is “Send in the Clowns” - a song which probably never will become popular because I don’t think anybody understands the lyrics. It’s a situation song that fits the play - the storyline of the play - but as a popular item, I don’t think it has much chance, but I like the song and I like the record.

I don’t know when the other stuff will be coming out, but I think you’ll like the thing I did with Fred Astaire over there.

The latest Journal, I thought, was very well done. Some nice things included. A lot of good information and some interesting articles by different people.

I hope when the albums come out, you’ll like them equally as well as you did the first – Best regards, Bing

 

October (possibly).  Bing is interviewed by Margret Dunser at his Hillsborough home for her program - V.I.P -Schaukel . This is shown on the West German TV station ZDF on January 2, 1976.

…After breakfast, I dial his private number. Crosby’s factotum is on the phone. An ex-butler of the Duke of Windsor, who exchanged the delicate English manner for the customary casual tone in the Crosby household. Only his accent remained a nasal British one.

“Mr. Crosby is expected to return from his golf game in a quarter of an hour.”

I look out of the window. It drizzles. The sky hangs so low you could almost touch it. Typical for badweather-days in San Francisco. Not even in a dream would I have thought of playing golf on such a day.

An hour later, I stand with the camera team in front of Bing Crosby’s villa, which could rival any English Palace. A portal several meters high. A life-sized portrait of the singer-actor in a Tyrolean hat in the entrance hall. Bing Crosby had a liking for Austria. With “Grüß Gott, tritt ein...” [Greetings, come in...] he comes towards me, inserting dance steps like a high-spirited boy. He looks tanned and very good. Two years ago, a part of his lung was removed. I complete his greeting sentence, “...bring Glück herein.” [...bring luck in.]. He knows a few German words, while his second wife, Kathryn Grant, 30 years younger than him, is in perfect command of our language. During his first matrimony, he was married to actress Dixie Lee for twenty-two years. She died from cancer in 1952. The four children from this relationship as well as the three from the current marriage are out of house this morning. Harry, the oldest one, is golfing, Nathaniel, the youngest, is at a film matinee, hoping to get some signatures of the movie stars present. For a year, he has been a passionate autograph collector. Mary Frances, who has been attending ballet lessons since childhood, is out getting tickets for the flight to Mexico-City, where she, advised by Margot Fonteyn, a friend of the house, will study Expressionist dance.

“Darling,” sounds the voice of his wife from upstairs, “I’m coming in a second. We’ll drink a cup of hot tea first.”

Thus, the listing of the children’s occupations is interrupted. In the so-called library, a yellow-colored parlor, the book spines reflect a high intellectual level. Crosby was educated at a Jesuit college. He studied law and worked in an attorney’s office. Two to three times a week and on Sundays, he played drums at night club restaurants and sometimes at college events; in the process, he became the popular star of the band. Soon, he earned more money there than in the employment of the attorney. His smooth baritone voice, the slight tremolo, and his talent for rhythm that allowed him to sing everything from Rudolf Friml to patriotic songs, European operettas, Gospel, Jazz, and Blues, soon made him the Bing Crosby who thrilled audiences. No other record in the world has been sold as often as his “White Christmas”. Of the three dozen movies, in which he participated without ever having formal training in acting, - “I was just myself” - the comedy “High Society” with Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra achieved worldwide fame. It was the last movie that Grace Kelly made before becoming the Princess of Monaco.

He develops plans for the future. Couldn’t we make a program together? A show in Europe. I hesitate, knowing that he has always been a tough party for negotiations and not petty when it came to requirements. He didn’t become a multi-millionaire just like that. But he says, “Money doesn’t matter. It would be fun.” He fetches his new records that he has made together with Fred Astaire in London, and several books about himself. In one of those biographies he scribbles an autograph. I shall read it only back home. In the book, it reads: “Off to new things! See you soon. Don’t forget old Bing Crosby.”

He rises. “I always go for a walk before lunch. Rain beautifies. I’ll be back in a moment.” Ten minutes later, he returns, wearing blue trousers, a blue-white-striped jacket, a green, lambskin lined coat, and one of his small dented caps which have become a trademark of his. The blue and green shades of his clothes hurt the eye. He has always been famous for his special color combinations. That way, he wore a tuxedo and pink socks at a gala performance, on another occasion, one blue and one brown sock. The strangest versions about Bing Crosby’s colorful taste are told among his colleagues. I ask him about this while we’re strolling through the 16,000-square-meter park. No answer. It smells like pine resin. The seventy-two-year-old bends down for a tuft of moss here, for a pine cone there, crushes a few poisonous mushrooms with his foot. He stops abruptly. “I’ll tell you a secret. I’m colorblind.” He breaks off two branches to use as walking sticks. Then, without transition, he says, “Growing old isn’t all that awful. All in all, if I look at the 50 years of my career, it was great fun. Just fantastic.” He lets the branch whiz through the air like a sword.

“Sometimes I have difficulty breathing. But that’s only half as bad if you consider the alternative. I think that’s what Maurice Chevalier said a few years prior to his death.”

Bing Crosby made this statement just about 12 months [sic] before he died. I see before me how he was showing me dugouts that he had built under shrubs for birds and forest animals, and in which he himself used to hide if he wanted to be alone. I didn’t see him again after this meeting. Our plans to film him sing his most famous songs in all European cities, milestones in his life, remained an exposé. We spoke on the telephone a few more times, and for the last time, when he was in Europe for one of the golf tournaments. I own a piece of memorabilia which I keep in a glass bowl in my glass cabinet for rarities. After lunch, we chatted on the covered porch of the house late into the afternoon. A basket with golf balls stood in a corner. I had put my handbag on a leather stool in the big parlor. I only remember that Bing Crosby fetched the bag and gave it to me together with a package containing the records and books, we were late for the airport. The plane took off, reached its flight altitude. I searched in the depths of my handbag for a mirror and make-up equipment and found one of Crosby’s golf balls. A joke?

(Margret Dünser, Highlife (1979), pages 243-248 (word-to-word translation German to English)

October 5, Sunday. (6:00–8:00 p.m.) Emcees what is billed as a Command Performance show in Building No. 2 at Treasure Island, San Francisco and receives a standing ovation as he is introduced. Later lip synchs to his recordings of “That’s What Life is All About” and “Send in the Clowns”. In addition, Bing takes part in a skit with Mel Blanc. The show also celebrates the Navy’s 200th birthday. The proceedings are broadcast live over radio station KMPX. Others taking part are Meredith Willson, Jim Jordan (Fibber McGee), Ella Mae Morse, Les Tremayne and Lurene Tuttle.

 

The base sent out a Navy car to pick Bing up at his home. We all waited anxiously backstage for his arrival. He sauntered in nonchalantly about 90 minutes before airtime. We sat around a big table and the rehearsal unfolded calmly and smoothly.

The broadcast itself was a whirl of excitement but came off without a hitch. When Bing was introduced he received a standing ovation from the 5000 that were there. I always thought that it was at that moment he realized how much he was still loved and made a decision to do more live performances beyond what he had been doing with small television audiences for so long. I’d like to believe it paved the way for his 50th Anniversary concert series.

He sang two songs that night, “That’s What Life is All About” and “Send in the Clowns.” Both were a delight to hear. I also still recall listening to Bing and Mel read my lines and the audience roar with laughter. What a thrill that was (later, Bing’s agent called and asked if he could use it in an upcoming show and, of course, I said yes).

When the broadcast ended the Admiral invited us all to a cocktail party at the Officer’s Club. Bing was beaming. I was later told by George Vercessi that the navy driver said Bing hardly said a word on the way there but he couldn’t stop talking about the show on the way home.

(John Jensen, writing in BING magazine, winter, 2013 [#165])

The show started promptly---Bill Baldwin was the Master of Ceremonies. Bing was there a little ahead of time. He helped with some of the announcing. The funniest part was when Bing and Mel Blanc did a skit. Plus, it was a joy to see Bing crack up laughing during the “opening” of Fibber McGee’s closet! But the most memorable part of all was when Bing was announced---and the audience gave him a standing ovation. He sang “That’s What Life Is All About” and “Send in the Clowns”. This was the first time Al Sutton had ever seen Bing in person. It was the second time Matt De Vera had seen Bing perform in person, although he’s seen him two or three times at the Crosby Golf Tournament. But, it brought back nice memories for Matt because the first time he saw Bing was at the original 1939 Bing Crosby Day at the San Francisco Exposition on Treasure Island.
(Priscilla Koernig, writing in BINGANG magazine, March 1976)

October 6, Monday. Bing plays in the Tom Watson Pro-Am at Stanford University Golf Course. He is part of a fivesome including pro John Mahaffey, and they tee off at 9:00 a.m. on the 15th tee.  They finish with 204, well down the list.

Bing Crosby was the gallery favorite, especially when he dropped a 20-foot putt for his par on the 18th. hole.

(Nelson Cullenward, The San Francisco Examiner, October 7, 1975)

October 12, Sunday. (6:50-7:25 p.m.) Another taped contribution from Bing to the Stars on Sunday program is shown on the ITV network in the U.K. He reads from St. Mark, chapter 10, verses 1-16.

October (undated). Tapes appearances in Hollywood on a tribute to Bob Hope (shown October 24) and on the Dinah Shore show (shown November 12). He also writes to Priscilla Koernig, vice-president of Club Crosby.

 

Thanks for your letter. I didn’t know you were at the show (see October 5), but I’m glad you attended. Don’t know how you found out about it because I almost forgot it myself until the last minute.

I didn’t see any publicity - that is, advance publicity - about the show.

It was fun to do. It was quite interesting to watch the faces of the audience when they recognized the old voices and the old sounds and the old songs. They seemed to be thoroughly entertained.

Yes, you can have the interview next year at the tournament if you want. Just let me know in advance.

If you bring your friend, De Vera to the Laguna Honda, I’ll be glad to shake his hand.

The pictures of the cake were outstanding. Very nice indeed – Best to all, Bing

 

October 15, Wednesday. Johnny Mercer enters hospital for an operation for a brain tumor. The operation leaves him in a vegetative state. (11:30 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.) Bing appears on the Tonight program on NBC with Bob Hope and John Wayne. The host is Don Rickles and the featured guests are Pat Boone, Adrienne Barbeau and Brian Oldfield.

 

The 10/15/75 appearance was (seemingly) spontaneous; Bing, Hope and the Duke were all taping Hope’s “25 Years on Television” TV special (which aired Oct. 24, 1975, 9 days after this Tonight Show appearance) across the hall at NBC in Burbank from where the Tonight Show was being taped. First Hope walked in, unannounced, to thunderous applause. Then Bing ambled in, to even greater applause. Finally John Wayne came in and brought the house down! They all went over to have a seat next and a little chat. Bing got off a good ad lib to the usually caustic guest host Don Rickles. Bing brought a copy of the book “The Crosby: Greatest Show in Golf” to give to host Johnny Carson, but Carson was not there. Rickles said to Bing “Bing, this is television!” And to the audience, Rickles said “Bing is still waiting for the Kraft Music Hall to come back”. Hope quipped to Rickles, in mock disgust, “Aren’t we all”. Bing took one look at Rickles and said “I thought Mr. Carson would be here, but I’ll have to take what I got”. A memorable little segment.

(Greg Van Beek, in a posting on the Bing Crosby Internet Museum, October 29, 2001)

 

October 16, Thursday. Mike Douglas and a crew from television station KPIX visit Bing’s house to interview him for a special called Kathryn and Bing at Home.  Bing, Mike and Kathryn sing a medley together accompanied by Bob Moonan. The program is screened on October 28. Some taping is also done for use on the Kathryn Crosby Show.

 

Talk about being comfortable with who you are. We did an entire show at Bing Crosby’s magnificent home at Burlingame in Northern California. My first idol, Bing Crosby. If there was a singer, a performer, and a man I aspired to be like, it was Bing Crosby. . . .     

      I was as nervous as a tenement kid at a debutante ball. It’s no secret that Bing was almost as accomplished an investor as he was a performer. Estimates of his wealth started in the stratosphere and moved up from there. He sang, told stories, treated us like we were next-door neighbors over for a little visit. I’ll tell you how unassuming Bing Crosby was. Bing was a sweater guy, remember? Between the golf and his casual, comfortable attitude, he had gone through a herd of alpacas in his time. He wore a sweater for the show. A few minutes before we started taping, I looked over and noticed this one had a gaping hole in the elbow. I leaned close and whispered, “Bing, that sweater has a hole in it.” How laid-back was Bing? He looked at me and shrugged. “They’ll get over it.”

(Mike Douglas, I’ll Be Right Back, pages 62-63)

 

October 17, Friday. Bing leaves for Las Cruces and Guadalajara.

October 21, Tuesday. Bing writes to Canadian broadcaster Gord Atkinson about the radio series he has prepared covering Bing’s career.

 

I received your letter the other day, along with the material relating to the series which you’ve done. It looks like a very exhaustive study and survey and I’m sure it will be of great benefit, to all concerned.

Am happy that Ken Barnes was thoughtful enough to send you the new album and that you liked what you found in the album. I think there are some pretty good numbers in there - some things that might evoke a little interest.

What you have to say about the wide coverage you’re getting with the Series - not only in Canada, but the prospect of its being also sent out to Australia, New Zealand and maybe Great Britain.

It certainly seems like you’ve done an awful lot of work and I know everyone will appreciate very much your efforts. I’m sure I do.

When you come out in January, give me a call. I will probably be busy until - well certainly between the 20th and the 27th around in there. I’ll be concerned with the conduct of the tournament and I did have a plan to go out into Houston for a big benefit show out there. I believe it’s the last day of January.

So you had better call early in January and find out just what my schedule is likely to be. I would enjoy very much having dinner with you and Elaine.

All best wishes, Bing

 

October 24, Friday. (8:00–10:00 p.m.) The previously taped television tribute to Bob Hope’s twenty-five years on television, Thanks for the Memories, is shown on NBC with Bing guesting with Frank Sinatra and John Wayne.

 

And the other was the amazing rapport between Hope and Crosby, which provided the special with its best moments, especially in the longest single segment in the show, near closing, with the duo doing each other’s songs at the Waldorf-Astoria amid the friendly badinage they always seem capable of sliding off each other so effortlessly. It was choice stuff when they originally did it [1970], remains choice to this day—and strongly suggest that they should do a two-man special in the future that could conceivably pull the top ratings either has ever logged on the tube.

(Variety, October 29, 1975)

 

October 28, Tuesday. (8:00–8:30 p.m.) Featured on a television special Kathryn and Bing at Home. Mike Douglas is host.

…The piece de resistance arrives when Bing, Kathryn and Mike gather around a grand piano that Bing says Kathryn “pinched” from the “High Society” set, making her the only piano bandit of my acquaintance.

Bing’s voice has a thrilling timbre again, fully opened and recovered from that long siege, before and after his operation. At home, Bing sings when the roosters crow. He sings away the mornings — but never does he sing in party groups around a piano. Hence, the surprise when he, Kathryn and Mike pour over sheet music, singing old favorites, The Three Rhythm Royals.

Says Mike, once: “I’ll give $5 to hear this.” Replies Bing: “It’s a $10 song.” For the finale, Bing strolls through his grounds, while his voice is heard singing “That’s What Life Is All About,” from his latest album. It’s great, like old times. Vibrant.
(Dwight Newton, The San Francisco Examiner, October 24, 1975)

October 29, Wednesday. John Scott Trotter dies of cancer, at age sixty-seven in Mount Sinai Hospital, Hollywood. Bing writes a short tribute for BING magazine.

 

John Scott Trotter is gone. It would be hard to believe, after so many years together, if I hadn’t seen his gradual decline and realised how hopeless it was for him to survive. Not because of anything he said or did, but because I knew the history of his illness. He was cheerful up to the very end. I talked to him the night before he was to undergo his final surgery. Jovial - unafraid - always the Southern gentleman. I never knew another man like John. A great musician, exquisite taste in everything, gentle, sensitive, great good humor always, and rigidly loyal to his friends and to his high standards and ideals. I love him.

Bing

 

November 2, Sunday. Bing returns to Hillsborough.

November 7, Friday. Bing writes to Ken Barnes.

 

I received your letter the other day, and the contents have been noted.

I’m glad to learn that the sales of the album and the single are doing well, and I hope they keep up in good fashion until after Christmas.

I certainly wouldn’t be averse to doing another album with you and Pete and Alan. I think it’s a good combination and the results produced so far are quite encouraging.

I think the idea about the Sporting Life might be a good idea. A couple of golf songs. A couple of fishing songs. There are lots of fishing songs. We could find some others, too, about other sports, I’m sure.

You mentioned the gambling song—or should I say the horse-picking song from Guys and Dolls, but that’s just one number. I don’t know whether you meant to include that in the Sport Album, but I guess it would fit there. And I could track all three vocal parts, as you say. That wouldn’t be too difficult to do.

The album covering the four seasons is not a bad idea. There are lots of good songs for that purpose.

I have a Mexican album which I just finished. I wonder if you want to listen to it. I don’t think it’s really the kind of thing that United Artists cares about, but I don’t know. They might.

It’s Paul Smith again with some rather clever arrangements of Mexican standards. One chorus in English and one in Spanish. A couple of the English choruses I wrote myself. My idea being I wanted to have the English lyric come in some degree close to the Mexican lyric. At least the title and the content of the song in English to be something like its original Mexican conception.

If you want, I’ll have them send you over a tape and you can put the ear on it.

I hear that Mercer has been quite sick. I don’t know if you knew that or not, but something about a clot on the brain or a tumor of some kind. I hope it’s not as serious as it sounded. I was in Mexico and happened to pick up a paper, and I just got back yesterday and haven’t as yet heard the real scoop.

It does sound rather serious, though, if what was in the paper is the truth.

So you can mull over these ideas, and I’ll do the same, and maybe we’ll have a meeting of the minds and do something this spring when I come over. I hope so.

All best wishes to your family and to Pete and Alan when you see them—

Your friend, Bing

(As reproduced in The Crosby Years, pages 54-55)

 

November 11, Tuesday. Bing is part of a group that buys the Warner Hot Springs Resort for $2.8M. He writes to Eugenie Baird (now Mead) at her home in North Salem, N. Y.

 

Thanks for your letter. Glad you saw the Johnny Carson Show. I didn’t know we were going on until I got down there. I was doing some promos for Bob Hope in connection with the big TV show he was doing celebrating his 25th anniversary with NBC, and all of a sudden they ran us on the Carson Show. I did my best to plug the book, but they kind of overwhelmed me. Good to hear from you, Eugenie. I hope this finds you in good health and spirits.

      Always your good friend.

      Bing

 

November 12, Wednesday. (3:30–5:00 p.m.) Bing appears on the Dinah Shore television show on CBS with Phil Harris and Pat Boone. This had been recorded in October.

 

…Eventually, Dinah Shore devoted one of her hour programs to a tribute to Bing, and invited only two guests to join her and the guest of honor - Phil Harris and me. I donned a snap brim hat, carried a 9 iron and a pipe in my hand, and sang a medley of some of his hits. I seem to remember “In the Cool of the Evening”, “Dear Hearts and Gentle People”, and ended with “Where the Blue of the Night ...”. Singing in front of Bing, his songs, made my throat feel like it had turned to plaster of Paris, but I got them out anyway, and Bing smiled and nodded his approval. I wish to goodness I had made sure to get a video tape of that program – it would join my other Crosby mementos. Thanks to his movies and recordings, Bing will always be one of America’s great treasures - and one of mine personally.
(Pat Boone, in a letter to Crosby fan Ron Field, dated February 14, 2012)

 

I’m very grateful to you for the kind letter which I recently received.

You say you don’t like the word “fan”, and I can understand why. It does sound like a juvenile term. I don’t like “admirer” too much, either. I really prefer “Loyal supporter”. That indicates a lively and active interest in everything I’ve done – and you certainly have had that interest, going way, way back.

If you can remember me as the Cremo Cigar Singer, you do indeed go back!

I’m glad that my use of the big words gave you the inspiration to pick up a good vocabulary for yourself. It’s a very helpful thing, I’m sure, in any occupation to have a good choice of words.

Glad you liked the Dinah Shore Show. That was a fun show to do because there was practically no rehearsal at all. She’s got things so well organized you just walk in and everybody does his own thing, and it’s an opportunity to be himself.

I do hope that you and your family had a festive holiday season.

With warmest regards, believe me to be –

Sincerely yours, Bing

(Letter dated December 31, 1975 to Henry Satkowski of New Jersey.)

 

Thank you for your most kind letter. I certainly am happy that you enjoyed the Parkinson Show and the Vera Lynn Show too. I never got to see that, but maybe if they still have a tape I can see it when I come back next spring.

I have the Disney Christmas Show, which I narrated corning up later on, and I also did a record which is sort of a departure.

They’re making albums of some of the old literary classics, and I did a reading of Tom Sawyer - famous story by Mark Twain. It will be a big album, I guess, because the thing runs probably 30-40 minutes, or maybe more, I don’t know.

I’m sorry we didn’t get to see one another, so I could have autographed your albums, but we’ll do it next time, as you say. Delighted to hear about the progress the album and single are making on the charts over there, and I hope that the momentum doesn’t subside!

 I really don’t think - although it’s a good song - that, “That’s What Life Is All About” is the kind of a song that will find popular appeal. It’s more or less for a single singer. There’s no love involved or anything else of that character to make for popularity. It’s just sort of a reminiscence. But you never can tell.

You’re right about “As Time Goes By”. I’ve sung it many times on the radio and I’m surprised nobody has an old recording of it. I also always used to sing it in my act.

Thanks for your letter. Glad that you like Dick Francis. I go way back to his first issue. In fact, I think they used some of my comments in some of their publicity. He writes real good thrillers about the racetrack and, of course, that’s a fond area of mine.

Sincere regards, Bing

(Letter to British fan, Dick Pearson)

 

November 13, Thursday. The Crosby family travel to Los Angeles to record a Minute Maid commercial and also their annual Christmas show. Rehearsals for the Christmas show take place at the Academy of Music and Dance, a studio on Doheny Drive, Beverly Hills.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The rehearsal piano was pounding out the Jerome Kern tune as Mary Francis Crosby swirled about the floor with choreographer Peter Gennaro.         

Across the hall, Ginger Rogers, looking trim and athletic as ever, was hard at work on preparations for a new nightclub act,

In a small room downstairs, Bing and Kathryn Crosby and Fred Astaire were running through a scene for Bing’s Christmas special on CBS tonight under the scrutiny of producer-directors Dwight Hemion and Gary Smith.

It was a show-bizzy day at the Academy of Music and Dance, a studio on Doheny Drive in Beverly Hills. When the Crosbys and Astaire finished the run-through, they joined the rest of the TV rehearsal group upstairs. Bing and Fred stopped for hugs with Ginger who was there by coincidence.

Astaire and Crosby gathered around a piano for a rendition of the Carole King song, “You’ve Got a Friend”, accompanied by the accomplished guitar of Harry Crosby, Bing’s handsome 17-year-son. Also aboard for tonight’s special is 14-year-old Nathaniel Crosby.

Between numbers, the two men who ruled song and dance in their generation reminisced with a visitor.

“When did we last work together?” Crosby mused. “I guess we must have done some benefits or something, huh, Fred?"

“I don’t think so,” Astaire answered.

“I think it must have been “Blue Skies” in 1946. That was when I announced my retirement.”

“Because of the picture, Fred?” Crosby asked.

“No, no, I thought 1 was going to quit. Of course it didn’t last for very long. I always said if I ever retired again, l wasn’t going to tell anyone.”

“I never had the inclination,” Crosby added. “Not like Sinatra. Everybody knew that was a joke. What was he going to retire to? He didn’t have anything in his life but his work. With me it would be different. I’ve got horses and golf and a lot of activities that I’m involved in.”

Bing wandered off to watch his daughter rehearse the “I Won’t Dance” number. The song holds true for Astaire, who becomes adamant when the question arises.

“No, I’m not going to dance in this show and I won’t ever again,” he insisted. “Oh, Gene Kelly and I do a few steps to get from one scene to the next in “That's Entertainment ll.” But that’s it. I won’t dance.

“Look – I’m 76. No one in his right mind at that age would dance the way I used to. They talk about athletes retiring when they’re 39. What about dancers?”

Crosby, who is 71, seems much more fit than he did at the time of last year’s Christmas show. He was recovering then from an operation to remove a nonmalignancy from his lung. He now seems to have more bounce, and his singing voice has more resonance.
(Bob Thomas, writing for the Associated Press, December 3, 1975).  

 

November 16, Sunday. (7:00-7:25 p.m.) Another taped contribution from Bing to the Stars on Sunday program is shown on the ITV network in the U.K. He reads from St. Matthew, chapter 7, verses 1-12 (Judge not). This reading is subsequently released on a long-playing record containing highlights from the television series.

November 20, Thursday. 1:30 p.m. Bing reports to KTTV, Studio One in Hollywood to tape his Christmas show with Fred Astaire, Joe Bushkin, the Crosby family, and the Young Americans. Dwight Hemion is the director. Work concludes at 6:00 p.m. The Crosbys stay at the Sheraton West on Wilshire Blvd.

 

Astaire guests on Crosby show

It took a recording session in London last summer to get Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire together for their first appearance on TV. Bing’s annual Christmas show, his 40th consecutive dating back to radio days in 1945, airs —on Dec. 3 over CBS.

“When we sat with Bing in London,” recalls Gary Smith, co-executive producer with

Dwight Hemion, “it was absolutely coincidental that Fred happened to be recording an album with Bing at that time. I turned to Bing and said, you know, Fred would be wonderful for your Christmas show. Bing scoffed, saying Fred doesn’t do guest shots any more. Well, ask him. And that’s how it happened.”

Smith said rather than just make up some variety show around two professional showmen -- “they’re not kids” (Bing is 71, Fred is 76) — he and Dwight Hemion, who are doing their first with Bing, arrived at a concept that is basically built on the truth. “And that is that Fred is invited to come to Bing's house to talk over doing an album together. They go into the music room to pick out some songs, and that’s how we start the hour.”

Smith said then they have the Crosby kids (Harry, Nathaniel and Mary) and his wife Kathryn coming in and suggesting songs. Also piano player Joe Bushkin and The Young Americans, representing the kids in the neighborhood, drop by, and it all culminates in a medley of Christmas songs.

“They’re like the odd couple (Bing and Fred),” says Smith. “They kid each other, and it’s a lot of fun.” For a touch of nostalgia, a film clip of “Blue Skies,” showing Bing and Fred performing in the 1946 movie, is shown. Fred kids Bing about being a straight man to Bob Hope, and that leads into a “Road Medley” with Kathryn playing Dorothy Lamour.

(West Bend News, November 25, 1975)

Mr. Hemion worked on three specials with Bing - the 1975 Christmas show with Fred Astaire as guest, the Bell Telephone Jubilee and Bing’s final Christmas show in 1977. Mr. Hemion said, “I liked him. He came with mixed credentials, a reputation for being harsh and tough with his kids, but I never found that. He was a good man.”
(Author interview with Dwight Hemion, June 27, 2007)

 

November 21, Friday. During the morning at the KTTV studio, Bing watches Mary Frances work with Fred Astaire and then at 11:00 a.m. he tapes the “Top Billing” number with Astaire, finishing at 1:30 p.m. Leo Lynn then drives Bing to the nearby Sportsmen’s Lodge where he says a few words in tribute to Ken Carpenter who is being honored with a luncheon. Bing and Leo snatch a bite of lunch at a Sambo’s chain eatery. On his return to the TV studio, Bing records the Christmas carols segment with Fred Astaire and the Young Americans. During the day, Bing and his family also record a radio show for the BBC, which is aired on Christmas Day in the UK as Christmas with the Bing Crosbys. He receives a fee of £200.

But now is now and Crosby shows no inclination to lean back in his mobile dressing room and reminisce. Under the bright lights on the cheery holiday set he’s as coldly professional on the job at hand as he was in his salad days. The day wears on, and the man who has popularized more songs than anyone in history and who has enjoyed more hit records than the Beatles, Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones and Frank Sinatra combined, appears tense. Bing seems incapable of sitting down, or retiring to his restroom on wheels. Slowly, he walks down the halls, peering into rooms, urging Lynn to call a friend on the phone as he meanders about the vast production area. Is he looking for something, or someone?

It’s difficult for a newsman to pin him down. For now Crosby saunters about aimlessly, perhaps concentrating on the next segment of the show in which he, the warmer and friendlier Fred Astaire and the Young Americans sing Christmas carols. Bing is edgy and perturbed. Like a shuffling old Grizzly in a zoo the message is clear: don’t come too close.

Kathryn Crosby, on the other hand, invites questioning and obviously wants to tape as perfectly as possible. Although he leaves the door to the room open, and his voice and the recorded orchestra can be heard throughout the surrounding area, his attitude indicates he will brook no interruptions.

And now he calls son Harry from the Green Room. Harry is 17, good-looking and proficient as a guitarist, pianist and composer. He is considering attending Juilliard in New York and has big, youthful, innocent eyes on pursuing a show business career. But at the moment he’s sprawled on a couch and jiving with a half-dozen young women from the bubbly, casually-attired Young Americans.

“We’ve got to rehearse our dialog together,” father sternly advises son. Harry jumps up and obeys.

Bing never knocks contemporary pop music. No one has ever heard him, in public at least, denigrate rock and its offshoots.

“Songs these days are a bit trickier than they used to be,” he acknowledges. “Once they were almost all eight bars plus eight bars, then an eight-bar release or bridge and then back to the original eight-bar melody. The contemporary tunes are much more complicated. I really have to woodshed ‘em into shape. It takes a lot more concentration. A lot of them I genuinely like.”

Bing is undemonstrative with the success, so far, of “That’s What Life Is All About.”

“I never expected to have another hit,” he notes. “It’s not a rock song or a rhythm song. It’s not a love song. It isn’t funny.” He does not expect to see it move up to the top of the pop charts, he declares.

A call to Ray Anderson of United Artists to ascertain just what the label is doing to boost the record’s sales brings this answer: “We are as gratified as Crosby that it’s showing action,” Anderson answers. “But there is resistance to it at every Top 40 station and we must try to get it played on MOR outlets, both AM and FM. Everyone who hears the single likes it but airplay poses a problem. We will continue to work on it.”

“That's What Life Is All About” isn’t Crosby’s only recording venture of 1975. In Los Angeles a few months back he taped two LPs featuring Paul Smith’s piano, charts and orchestra. One comprises songs sung in Spanish. The other is a collection of tunes of America’s South -"it will probably be titled ‘A Southern Memoir,’" Bing says. He also made an album with Astaire in England last summer and United Artists has projected its American issue for early 1976.

Outside the studio, the sun has disappeared and the lights of Los Angeles sparkle brilliantly on a crisp, smogless autumn evening. Throughout this long morning and afternoon of toil one becomes aware that Bing and Kathryn have been together hardly at all; each has gone his separate way. Nor have their children ganged up together. The Crosbys have had jobs to do, lines to learn, songs to master. With them it’s a dedicated, unswerving individual effort which will, with the brains of competent tape editors, all blend together in a 60- minute production which is expected to attract a 50 percent share of viewers for CBS the night of Dec. 3.

And so the Crosbys assemble, splitting up into two cars for the 15-minute ride back to the hotel. There they will remove their makeup, comment on the scenes they blew and agree as to where they should all enjoy dinner together. Tomorrow is Saturday but it will be no day of rest for the clan. Once more they will spend eight to 10 hours putting a show together. And Sunday, the fourth straight tiring day of production, they’ll do it again.

(Dave Dexter, Jr., Billboard, December 13, 1975)

 

November 22, Saturday. Bing is at the KTTV studio at 9:00 a.m. for a further day’s work on his Christmas special. During the morning, he tapes a “Road” medley with Fred Astaire, Kathryn Crosby and Joe Bushkin at the end of which Bob Hope makes a short appearance. After lunch, Bing tapes “You Got a Friend” with Fred Astaire accompanied by Harry Crosby on his guitar. Taping concludes for the day at 5:30 p.m.

     November 23, Sunday. Bing is in make-up at 8:30 a.m. for the final day’s shooting for the Christmas special. All taping is finished by 5:45 p.m. The show is transmitted on CBS-TV on December 3. At some time during the taping of the show, Joe Bushkin is noodling at the piano and plays “Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams” and Bing joins in. They sing a number of songs together and as a result, Bing asks Bushkin to come along to the Crosby Pro-Am in January and accompany him while he sings.

 

‘This whole thing started with that Christmas TV show with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. It was one afternoon in the studio when things got a little out of control. There was some problem about lighting and we weren’t getting too many takes in. It was a big set and there was a lot of running about in an attempt to get this show on the road, and the whole thing began to remind me of Groucho Marx,’ Joe remembered.

      ‘It was a tremendous comedy except that a fortune was being wasted for Bing’s company while a couple of jerks were trying to change a baby spot into a pin spot, or whatever the hell it was. There was a lot of technical dialogue and not much action going on. I was getting tired of standing around. I’d drunk about thirty cups of coffee and was getting a little acidity problem, and I figured the best way for me to waste some more time was to just go up and play some piano. Where I had to play was supposedly in Bing’s music room at his home. There were steps up to the piano and back of it a library of records and tape machines and so forth. That was the scene. So I sat down and started to play Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams.

      I don’t know why I went into that, but subconsciously I did it in a key where it lay well for him. He sings it around C, D flat or something. Bing was at the back getting a cup of tea, and he came walking up with this paper cup of tea in his hand and stood by the piano. I was into the middle part of the tune and he starts singing, and all the noise stopped in the studio because he was just singing softly, you know, with the piano. So I went from Wrap Your Troubles to I Surrender, Dear, and a bunch of tunes like Please, that he dug, and he went on singing. And, next thing you know, his wife, Kathryn, and the kids came over and sat on the steps. The studio men got the lights straight, and now they’re ready to shoot the scene, and Bing is going to keep the medley going. Now he’s throwing tunes at me.

      And while I’m playing piano during this lighting panic, Bing asks me if I’d like to bring a quartet up to the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which is the biggest golf tournament in the United States. He said he hadn’t sung a tune at his own Pro-Am Celebrity Tournament in eight years. He’d get up and talk, and so on, but apparently hadn’t sung a song at his own thing in all that time. And this year (1976) he was going to do a medley of thirty-five tunes. And that was the whole show. We opened with a number, and Bing got up and sang about thirty songs, which absolutely clobbered 800 of these great golfers. Fractured ‘em. Then Bing said we had to do a concert with this thing, you know. So we got the family together, because they had the material from the various shows that they did; the orchestrations were already written, practically, and he got Nelson Riddle, Rosemary Clooney, and my quartet with Herb Ellis on guitar. And we had a show.’

(Joe Bushkin, as quoted in Talking Jazz, p214)

 

November 25, Tuesday. Jack Harris, a radio personality whose voice resembles that of Bing’s, files a $2 million damage suit against Bing and his companies. Harris claims that the Crosby organization is preventing him from gaining work.

November 28, Friday. Bing tapes another appearance on the Mike Douglas television show.

December 1, Monday. Bing writes to Ken Barnes about a proposed album covering the four seasons.

 

After talking to you the other day on the telephone, I started trying to think of some seasonal songs.

My powers of recall are rather limited but I came up with a few. Starting with Spring: ‘June Is Busting Out All Over’. This would be good because it’s a rhythm song and might pick up the pace.

There’s ‘April Showers’, ‘Might As Well Be Spring’, ‘Springtime in the Rockies’, ‘April in Paris’ and ‘April in Portugal’.

Summer would be ‘Summertime’, ‘Faded Summer Love’, ‘Things We Did Last Summer’, and Sinatra had a record out not long ago called ‘Summer Breeze’, I believe it was. Very good record, Very good song.

Autumn, I’m not so good. I come up with ‘Autumn in New York’, ‘September Song’, ‘September in the Rain’, but there must be many others.

Winter, would be ‘June in January’, ‘Sleighride’ by Leroy Anderson. Very good up tempo tune. ‘Marshmallow World’, ‘Winter Wonderland’. There are any number of songs that would suit this category I’m sure.

Those are just a few that I thought you might like to have before proceeding further.

If I think of any more, and I probably will, I’ll list them for you.

There are so many good songs, the problem will be picking out the twelve best.

I’d like to use verses on some of them. For instance, ‘June in January’ has a lovely verse. So does ‘April Showers’ for that kind of song. ‘Might As Well Be Spring’, too.

I don’t know about ‘April in Paris’, but I’m sure it does.

The thing is that you can’t run in too many ballads, and you’ve got to relieve the preponderance of ballads by at least three good up-tempo tunes. Don’t you agree?

I’ll be expecting to hear from you—

All the best, Bing

(As reproduced in The Crosby Years, page 55)

 

December 3, Wednesday. (9:00–10:00 p.m.) Bing’s Christmas show Merry Christmas, Fred, From the Crosbys is screened by CBS-TV. The show is sponsored by Kraft Foods and garners a 49% share of the viewing audience. It comes third in the Nielsen ratings for the week.

 

The class and grace of Fred Astaire was a most welcome addition to this year’s annual Bing Crosby family Christmas special, helping to maintain the warmth and informality of the holiday mood that has become a Crosby trademark. Astaire’s presence permitted a continuity that had Astaire and pianist Joe Bushkin meeting at Crosby’s house, ostensibly to discuss a future record album, which segued easily into underplayed song-and-dance sequences featuring the stars, The Young Americans singing group and the Crosby children.

      High spots along the way were Astaire and Crosby running through the Crosby-Hope ‘Road’ movies songs (with Bob Hope turning up for a walk-on punchline) and an Astaire-Crosby reprise of ‘A Couple of Song & Dance Men’ with interspersed footage from the ‘Blue Skies’ movie they first did it in - a device that allowed for some Astaire dance footage from the part with steps the old master presumably can no longer risk. The handling of the sequence was typical or the slickness of the Smith & Hemion production gloss throughout the special, which included a sly way of sliding into Crosby’s “White Christmas” finale one more time. Pianist Bushkin, incidentally, was an important part of the proceedings, providing musical support to the two stars, some laugh lines and a running gag that maintained the continuity

(Variety, December 10, 1975)

 

December 5, Friday. Bing writes to Eddie Quillan.

Dear Eddie

Thanks for your letter. Good hearing from you after so many years. I remember our old days at Lakeside.

Eddie, the idea you suggest for a television show is appealing, I believe. I’m going to submit it around and see if I can evoke any interest in some people who are in the production business. I don’t have a production company any more. We sold out a few years ago to the Cox Broadcasting Company so I have no opportunity to really develop new material.

If anything develops, I’ll let you know. I hope something does.

Warmest regards, Bing

December 9, Tuesday. Bing and Lia Belli are thought to have co-hosted the Freedom Train gala at the Union Square, Holiday Inn, San Francisco.

December (undated). Broadcaster John Salisbury visits Bing at his Hillsborough home in order to interview him for a forthcoming radio series.

December 11, Thursday. Bing is in Texas near La Gloria with his son Harry hunting Bob White quail. Their co-hosts are Fanny Cook and Calvin Bentsen. Bing later makes a record describing the event. During the evening, he phones into the John Barbour TV show as Barbour interviews Bob Hope and much merriment ensues. The show is transmitted on December 25.

December 14, Sunday. (7:00-7:25 p.m.) Another taped contribution from Bing to the Stars on Sunday program is shown on the ITV network in the U.K. He sings “The Bells of St. Mary’s.”

December 16, Tuesday. Bing writes to British fan Eric Crowder in Nottingham in the UK.

Thank you for your letter. Glad the meeting at the hotel in Leeds turned out satisfactorily.

I went through Leeds, I believe, on my way up to Yorkshire for the grouse shoot. I like Yorkshire very much. I think there is some beautiful country up there, and the town of Harrogate is most attractive.

It’s nice that Ken Barnes had the time and the opportunity to come up and be the honored guest at the 25th anniversary celebration. He’s a nice man, and very talented, too. Has very good taste.

I enjoyed our summer in England this year, and all the appearances. Got to be rather routine, though, so many radio interviews. They all ask the same question and I make the same answers so often that I kinda fall asleep!

Maybe the next time I come over there, they’ll have some new questions.

I really sympathize with England – all the problems they’re having with the economy, the Unions, the welfare situation, and now the bombing, but they’ve overcome worse problems than this, when you think of the Second World War and the Blitz and all, and I know they’ll bounce back again.

My very best to you and all the members.

As ever, Bing

December 22, Monday. Bing and his family appear in the annual show at Laguna Honda Hospital. A crew from television station KPIX is on hand to tape footage for The Kathryn Crosby Show.

 

     Memories of Christmases past were conjured up by Bing Crosby and his family yesterday when they headlined—for the sixth straight year—the Laguna Honda Christmas Show. Crosby, 71, and his family appeared at the end of a two hour show that included singers, dancers, and a dancers-and-dog act. The nearly 1,000 patients at the home requested and heard the famous crooner do some of his old favorites, including “White Christmas”. Crosby had a little trouble with some of the lyrics from his older tunes but the crowd didn’t seem to mind. Crosby said Trader Vic first got him to do a Laguna Honda show.

      “This is a wonderful institution, and the crowd is extremely appreciative. We’re always delighted to do this show.” Other acts included the Mason-Kahn dancers, juggler Jim Reinhart, banjo player Scotty Plummer and the Old St. Mary’s Choir.

(San Francisco Examiner, December 23, 1975)

 

December 25, Thursday. Christmas dinner at home with 30 Crosbys and Grandstaffs attending. (10:02 a.m. in the UK) A specially produced radio program featuring Bing and his family introducing Bing’s Christmas records is broadcast on BBC Radio2 in the UK. At night, Bob Hope is the sole guest on the Parkinson show on BBC-TV and there is a short recorded contribution by Bing, which had been taped in San Francisco and in which he sings a parody of “The Pleasure of Your Company”. Parkinson asks Hope if he has ever had a row with Bing. Bob replies, “No, you can’t have a row with him - because he just walks away. I was the loud mouth; if anything happened I’d say ‘Well I’ll go up and tell them’, and Bing would say ‘Yeah, find out about it’, and he’d go over to the golf course and wait.”

December 26, Friday. Bing is the host on the BBC1 television program Disneytime and he introduces extracts from various Walt Disney productions, including Ichabod. The program had been taped in July.

December 27, Saturday. Bing and Kathryn have a weekend by themselves at Cypress Point. (7:02–7:30 p.m.). Bing is the “castaway” on the BBC Radio 4 program, Desert Island Discs. The program had been taped in July.

December 31, Wednesday. Mel Torme has lunch at Bing’s Hillsborough home. Bing, Mel, and Harry Crosby have a music session during the afternoon. That night, Bing and his family attend Mel’s show at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco.

 

Then, in 1975, he invited me and my family to lunch at his home just outside of San Francisco. Mary Frances and Harry, Bing’s kids, were on hand as well as Kathryn, and it was a funny, jolly, loving luncheon, full of stories and remembrances. After lunch, Bing, sans hairpiece, asked Harry to go get his guitar. We adjourned to the music room, and, just like that, Bing sat down and began to sing. He did about eight tunes, invited me to join him, which I did, and that’s the way the afternoon went. It was New Year’s Eve, and as we got into the car to go back to the Fairmont Hotel where I was appearing, Bing said, casually: “See you tonight.” Flabbergasted, I said: “Bing, you’ve got to be kidding. It’s New Year’s Eve. You’ll get mobbed.” 

      “Not to worry,” came the reply. “See you tonight.” Sure enough, that night he brought the whole family to the Fairmont, sat at a front table (still sans toupe), and stayed through my whole performance. I never quite got over that. Or the fact that he was enormously human. Or that he sang with unmatched resonance and control. His vibrato became warmer through the passing of years, and his low notes could make your bass woofer beg for mercy.

      If there is anyone I have modeled myself after over the years, I would have to say it is Bing Crosby.

(Mel Torme, My Singing Teachers, page 19)

 

1976

 

January (undated). Bing, Phil Harris and Harry Crosby film an American Sportsman program at Walker's Cay in the Bahamas. This is shown on April 18.

January 2, Friday. A program - V.I.P - Schaukel - shown on the West German TV station ZDF contains an interview with Bing conducted by Margret Dunser at his Hillsborough home. This had been recorded some months before. Other stars seen in the same show include Bette Davis, Sammy Davis Jr. and May Britt.

January 4, Sunday. (3:00-4:00 p.m.) Radio station KXL in Portland, Oregon, begin broadcasting “50 Fabulous Years”, a program produced by John Salisbury about Bing’s life and times. It runs weekly for 26 weeks until June 27.

 January 5, Monday. Bing transfers ownership of a chestnut filly called Guggenslocker to Kjell M. Quale of the Green Oaks Stud Farm.

 January 9, Friday. Bing writes to Canadian broadcaster Gord Atkinson.

Dear Gord:

That putter of yours is not going to be in my hands very long I’m afraid. Nathaniel is casting covetous eyes at it already!

It’s a pretty flashy putter and he’d love to show that around the public links where he does most of his golf.

Hope you and your family had a good season, Gord, and thanks so much for the putter -

Always yours, Bing

January 12, Monday. Gord Atkinson and his wife Elaine visit Bing’s Hillsborough home and present him with a handcrafted wooden case containing The Crosby Years radio series.

 

Following a pleasant conversation and the taking of a few commemorative photographs we entered the living room. We were then introduced to their pianist [Bob Moonan], and as we watched, they finished rehearsing for a forthcoming benefit performance, Then we were taken by surprise when Bing said: “There’s a new song called ‘At My Time of Life’ that was written for a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. John Mills is appearing in it in London and it’s heading for Broadway. I’m going to record it next week. It’s quite a song. I’d like to hear what you think of it.”

      As we sat on French Provincial chairs in his beautiful living-room he began to sing. The piano player was obviously ad-libbing the accompaniment. His voice was strong and mellow and filled the room. He was seventy-two years old and the song was most appropriate for his time of life. It was a private performance just for us and left us almost speechless.

(Gord Atkinson, writing in his book, Gord Atkinson’s Showbill, page 198)

 

January 19, Monday. Bing records four songs (including “At My Time of Life”) at United Western Studios, Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, with the Pete Moore Orchestra. Rich Little and Gord Atkinson join Bing for lunch during the session.

January 21, Wednesday. Bing films a spot with Kathryn for The Kathryn Crosby Show that is subsequently shown on KPIX-TV. That night at the clambake before the golf tournament at the Del Monte Hyatt House, Bing sings for the first time in eight years and does a medley of twenty-four songs accompanied by Joe Bushkin and his Quartet in front of an audience of 800.

 

The year was 1976, and I was in Pebble Beach, recently graduated from college and staying with my Aunt Mary Rose while I prepared to play as an amateur contestant in the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am. This was my second year, and as part of the festivities at the annual “clambake”, there was always a show for the players and the wives, along with a dinner, cocktails, etc. That night, according to the pre-printed program, we were to be entertained by Mac Davis as the headliner. Apparently, Mac came down with a bad cold, and was replaced at the last minute by Bing Crosby, with a little help from Phil Harris. Bing had been rehearsing for an upcoming tour, which was to start in San Francisco, and so all of the kinks had not been fully worked out with the band, and the Phil Harris stuff was a last minute ad-lib. Nevertheless, from the moment Bing walked onstage, to the surprise of the entire audience who had no idea he was about to perform, he held us spellbound like no entertainer I have ever seen before or since. For over two hours he ran the audience up and down the emotional scale from uproarious laughter to tears and back again, with a range of songs both old and new, as he celebrated his 50th anniversary in show business. Mere adjectives fail to properly convey the magic he projected from that stage.

(Howard Crosby, son of Ted Crosby, as recorded on the Bing Crosby Internet Museum discussion board, August 29, 2002)

 

There was something old, something new, something borrowed and virtually nothing “blue” for happy guests who attended the traditional Crosby Clambake last night at the Del Monte Hyatt House. The songs. . . new banquet site. . . borrowed recordings. . . no blue jokes. . . proved an unbeatable combination amid the red-white-and-blue patriotic decor of the jam-packed hall. The annual stag banquet honoring those who work so hard to make the National Pro-Amateur Golf Championship such a success turned out to be an historic “Bicentennial” of Bing’s songs.   

      Host Bing Crosby, looking dapper and healthy in a bright red blazer, breezed through a sensational medley, marathon of 24 (!) songs with consummate ease and grace. Accompanied by the Joe Bushkin quartet, the ageless Crosby astonished the crowd of golfers, workers and writers with both his artistry and vitality. He greeted the audience by singing “The Pleasure of Your Company” with a special lyric refrain about “at the Clambake, up at Pebble, every year.” Then, after an immaculate rendition of “Bring on the Clowns” from the Broadway musical “A Little Night Music,” sung to a full-violin recording, Bing called upon his guitar-playing son, Harry, for a little home-harmonizing on “You Got a Friend” and “Sing a Simple Melody.”

      Bing introduced Harry for his Clambake debut as “a new fellow I picked up at the bus station,” then admonished him to “lay it there; you’re not sitting at home; this audience is ready.”

     After the two-tune set, Harry “sat in” with the Bushkin quartet as Bing, reeled off the aforementioned whirlwind medley that had the crowd singing along or clapping along… The brief samples of each song were accompanied by frequent quips as asides. He said he “missed the Princess (Grace of Monaco)” while singing “True Love”. He defied the much-maligned Crosby Tournament weather elements by singing of “summer showers” in Million Dollar Baby and “sunshine and showers — Sunday Night!” in “Pennies from Heaven.” And, when he forgot the lyrics, he made them up, much to the delight of the audience.

       Then, after this grueling musical feat and treat, climaxed by Bushkin tossing the long accordion-pleated music sheets into the air, Bing beckoned buddy Phil Harris on stage for still another song, “Oh, Mr. Harris, Yes Mr. Crosby” to the tune of “Gallagher-and-Sheen” with young Harry joining in the lyrics written for their fishing TV special filmed recently in the Bahamas. . .

      And so, after an entertaining hour-and-a-half show...the evening drew to a close with Bing’s farewell song—not the traditional “Now Is the Hour” but a philosophical “And That’s What Life Is All About”. And, that’s what entertainment in the grand, gentle manner of Bing Crosby is all about.

(Bob Bullock, Monterey Peninsula Herald, January 22, 1976)

 

January 22-25, Thursday–Sunday. The Bing Crosby National Pro-Am Golf Championship is won by Ben Crenshaw. Bing acts as one of the commentators for the television coverage as usual. Nathaniel Crosby (age 14, with a five handicap) plays in the tournament for the first time. Lindsay Crosby (handicap 16) and Howard Crosby (5) also take part. Other celebrities playing are George C. Scott (hcp 13), Clint Eastwood (18), Glen Campbell (8), Pat Boone (17), Vic Damone (10), Hank Ketcham (11), Mac Davis (8) and Efrem  Zimbalist Jr. (9).

        January 26, Monday. (7:30-8:00 p.m.)  In the U.K., a BBC Radio 4 program called Sounds Natural is broadcast and features Bing talking about wildlife. This had been taped in July 1975.

January 27, Monday. President Ford hosts a State Dinner for the Prime Minister of Israel and Mrs. Rabin. Bing and Kathryn loan the White House three striking Moran sculptures that are used as table centerpieces.

January 29, Wednesday. Bing writes to British fan Nick Carter.

 

Thanks for your very kind letter.  If you remember Mississippi you must be a very loyal supporter indeed! Had a great score by Rodgers and Hart. Some marvelous songs.

You must have been a baby when “Just One More Chance” was popular! I’m glad also, that you liked the Christmas morning program, and I hope you got a chance to see the Christmas program which was on Christmas Eve, I believe, in England, with the whole family and Fred Astaire. Turned out rather well.

That’s a very pretty place where you live and where you keep your record collection - and you say you have some with Bix Beiderbecke. Those are pretty unusual records for anyone to have. I used to room with him when I was with the Whiteman Orchestra. He was a very fine man. Great personality - and genuine talent. In fact, I think he was a genius.

May be some day we’ll meet. I hope so - always your friend, Bing

 

January (undated). Bing and Kathryn plus their children fly into Houston, Texas, on the Brown and Root plane. Bob Moonan and his wife are on the same flight. The Crosbys stay with Mrs. Ernest Cockrell and the William Liedtkes. Mrs. Cockrell was the widow of a prominent oilman and Liedtke was the co-founder of the Pennzoil Company.

January 31, Saturday. After a morning rehearsal, Bing and Kathryn plus their children present Bing Crosby and Friends as a benefit performance for the Houston Symphony Association at the Houston Symphony Society’s Star-Spangled Ball in the Hyatt Regency’s big ballroom in Houston. The event raises $100,000 and keeps the symphony orchestra in business. Pianist Bob Moonan accompanies Bing who is also supported by the Houston Symphony Orchestra under Lawrence Foster. The Crosbys receive four standing ovations.

 

Ballroom lights darkened, the crowd paying from $100 to $5,000 apiece grew silent, and then came a drum roll from the 90-piece symphony orchestra to herald the arrival of The Old Crooner, also known as The Groaner, or Der Bingel, or Harry Lillis (Bing) Crosby, 71. “I even wore my hair,” he told the audience of a thousand at the benefit for the Houston Symphony as he and his wife, Kathryn, sang “Send in the Clowns,” “Cup Runneth Over” and “You’ve Got a Friend.” The baritone may be a little rusty these days—about all he does is golf, fish and sell orange juice—but that voice still moved the listeners when Bing sang the songs that made him famous—“Play a Simple Melody,” “Surrender,” “Swinging on a Star” and “Pennies from Heaven.”
(Jennings Parrott, The Los Angeles Times, February 2, 1976)

However the 1976 Clambake had featured Joey Bushkin and his quartet, weaving together medleys of the old songs. Bing had hummed along with the group, singing a few bars of each number, and the resultant applause had been thunderous.

Encouraged by it, he headed for Houston, where he was informed that he would go on at 10 PM. Dismayed, he turned to me and insisted, “That’s past my bedtime.”

I exposed him to a dollop of Southern charm from some very determined socialites, and he reluctantly agreed to play his part. For backup, he had only his family, headed by a wife short on talent but always long on enthusiasm, if granted any sort of opportunity to perform anywhere.

Bing entered to his theme song, The Blue of the Night, and continued with The Pleasure of Your Company, and Send in the Clowns. The family chipped in with Sing, and I contributed a solo parody of You’ve Come a Long Way from St. Louis, in the form of You’ve Come a Ways from West Columbia.

It wasn't precisely a classic, but my friends and relatives loved it. So there!

Together, Bing and I sang My Cup Runneth Over and I Love to Dance. He and Harry offered their rendition of You've Got a Friend and A Simple Melody, and our crooner then exited with a solo Crosby medley.

His encore was That’s What Life is All About, with a second exit to The Blue of the Night. He was so encouraged by his fans that he found himself caught up in the benefit business.
(Kathryn Crosby, My Last Years with Bing, page 365)

…My dad was working and mom was in her room so I said, “Let me show you around the hotel.” During our walk we entered the Imperial Ballroom and Mr. Crosby was getting ready to rehearse for the night’s benefit. There were 110 tables set for 10 people each, but at that moment the only people on hand were Mr. Crosby, the orchestra, my mom and I.

I asked Mr. Crosby if it was OK for my mom to watch him rehearse and he most graciously said “Yes.” As I walked out of the ballroom and back to my office, I saw Mr. Crosby come down to her table and ask her name. My mom said “Mary.” Mr. Crosby took her hand and sang, “For it was Mary, Mary, plain as any name could be…” They definitely do not make them like my mom or Bing Crosby anymore.

(Tom Caradonia, former employee of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, as seen in the Cincinnati Post, August 2000)

 

    February 3, Tuesday. Bing, Kathryn, Harry and Nathaniel fly to Naples in Florida. Bing writes to Jean Pochna in East Dennis, Massachusetts.

Dear Jean:

Thanks for your letter. Very enjoyable - reading about Joe Bushkin and his antics at his Riverhouse Maisonette. I was there once or twice myself.

I just finished doing a show with him down at Pebble Beach. It was tremendously successful. He put together a small group and he was never in better form.

The balance of the week he spent in company with Phil Harris, and as you can imagine, this was a memorable parlay. They tore up the whole area - and both have gone back to their respective haunts to lick their wounds!

I'm going to work with him again, I think, shortly and I'll show him your letter. I think he'd get a big kick out of it - especially the part about trying to persuade Eddie Arcaro to have his nose done!

He's very interested now, with his children, in jumping activities - with their horses. I believe they've jumped at the Garden and have some sort of a national reputation.

He also has a couple of race horses with Fran and one of them - a pretty good mare - I’m sending to Graustark and we're going to participate in the produce thereof, if any.

Thanks so much for your kind comment about the show. It was a pleasure, working with Astaire. He's such a classy guy and has so much talent and is such a perfectionist. Everything worked out beautifully. He was so kind to the children and they adored him, of course.

Send me that Joe Frisco story you mentioned in your letter. I have quite a glossary of yarns about the immortal Joe, and can always use another one. If I ever bump into you, I can lay some of my favorites on you.

Take it easy

Always best wishes,

Bing

February 4, Wednesday. (Starting at 11:30 a.m.) Bing, Kathryn, Harry and Nathaniel play separately in in the Cablevision Celebrity pro-am at the Sheraton Golden Gate Country Club course in Naples, Florida. This is a prelude to the Naples Ladies Professional Golfers Association Classic. Bing tees off on the 18th with Sandra Haynie's group and they finish with a 66.

…Certainly, the Crosby family won the day no matter what the scores read. It was a delight to watch the boys. Harry is the PR man for the group with always the right thing to say.  Bing whistles and kicks guilelessly through his game. Kathryn is a thoughtful, beautiful lady. But Nathaniel is the greatest. He stands back and watches his mom with such obvious pleasure it makes you feel good. She had his undivided attention. He grins. He throws back his head and chortles and unaware of lights and microphones he can hug and plant a kiss on her cheek. Impressions like those can’t be from a script, they are natural and very close, and it was a pleasure to be around them.
(Sue Corder, The Naples Daily News, February 6, 1976)

February 6-8, Friday-Sunday. Kathryn Crosby acts as host for the Naples Ladies Professional Golfers Association Classic at the Sheraton Golden Gate Country Club course in Naples, Florida. The winner is Australian Jan Stephenson.

February (undated). Bing writes to Ginger Mercer.

 

I’ve been thinking of Johnny a lot, since his hospitalization and surgery, and just wanted you to know that I’m praying for his complete recovery. I know this must be a very difficult time for you. I suppose you see him every day or so, and I would be grateful to you if you would give him a message from me that I’m pulling for him and hope before long that he’ll be up and around and that I’ll be able to talk to him personally.

 

February 13, Friday. Bing writes to Connee Boswell who has been taken into Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York and had a tumor removed from her stomach. Connee's husband, Harry Leedy, had died on January 1, 1975.

Dear Connee:

I’m sorry to hear that you’re hospitalized and that you had to have some surgery done. I hope that everything came out in good shape and that you’re recovering nicely and will soon be up and around and at ‘em again!

I’m glad that you got some solace from the letter I wrote you at the time of Harry’s passing. He was a great man, and I know how close you were and what a great loss it must be to you to have him gone.

I’m still doing a little work now and then. A few television shows, a concert here and there – not too much. Nothing that will interfere with golf, fishing, shooting and travel!

The kids give some promise in the direction of show business, particularly Harry who plays very good guitar and piano and also can arrange and compose now and is contemplating going back to Juilliard or one of the big Music Schools in the East to get a solid musical background for later development as a composer, arranger etc.

I’ll say a prayer for you Constance. Stay in there and keep pitchin’-

Always your buddy, Bing

February 15, Sunday. Bing is appointed as Honorary Chairman of National Wildlife Week due to take place March 14-20.

February 20, Friday. Native Americans protest plans by Bing and his business partners to refurbish a resort at Mineral Hot Springs, near San Diego, which was bought three months earlier for $2.4 million. They claim that the changes would desecrate an ancient burial ground.

March (undated). A book simply titled BING, Charles Thompson’s authorized biography of Bing, goes on sale in the United States. Chapter twenty-two starts with the words “Bing Crosby is probably the most-loved character in the world apart from the creations of Walt Disney.” The book itself finishes with a quote by Bing.

 

“True, also, I’m not very effusive. I’m not very demonstrative. I just never have been. My mother was that way—my father was just the opposite. I don’t know why, it’s just something I’ve inherited. I may think a lot of a person, but I seldom tell them so. I’ll tell them about their ability; whether I think they’re good performers; whether I like the song they sang or the act they have done. Every time I go to a play in New York I write to the leading performer and tell him I like the show.

      “I’ve never told a friend that ‘I love you’ or ‘I like you’ and if any friend told me that I’d be very embarrassed and wouldn’t know what to do. It’s taken for granted that you like the person or you wouldn’t have them for a friend.

      “What it all boils down to is that I’m very undemonstrative and that problem has given rise to the belief that I’m a loner and I live behind an ‘ice curtain.’”

      This then has been the story and an assessment of the life and times of Bing Crosby; the story of a shy, small-town boy, who started with nothing and asked for nothing, yet achieved everything. In his entire career there are only two things he has not done: appeared in a Broadway Show—because “I would have hated to have rehearsed for twelve weeks and then close after a week”—and sung real opera. But give it time.

 

14 BBC Weeks On Bing Crosby, And Now Author Does A Book·

In the normal sequence of events, a book is written: then follows the play, the film, the tv or radio show. Charles Thompson’s book “Bing” (David McKay -. $8.95) did not follow this orthodox route.

“Why,” I have heard at least one person ask, “should an Englishman write the life of Bing Crosby?” Aside from the fact that there is that volley-question, “Why not?” (didn’t an Englishman write the life of a Prince of Denmark?) is another answer.

Charles Thompson was commissioned by the British Broadcasting Co., to scour the United States for, and interview people whose lives had touched or been touched by Bing Crosby in his gentle and steady rise from obscurity to legend. It was because the legend is as honored in England as in the United States that the BBC sent Thompson to the new world to do this research for a super radio show planned to run one hour a week for 14 weeks and deal with the whole life and career of Crosby. (How typically British that it was planned for 14 weeks instead of our customary 13.)

With Bing’s help and blessing, Thompson did a very thorough job of talking to and recording people and organizing the results into a most exemplary aural history. (Wouldn’t it be smashing if the BBC did a similar job on some of our other great personalities?)

Having steeped himself so heavily in Crosbiana, it must have struck Thompson as a flippin’ waste of good work not to carry the job right on onto the library for instant reference when needed.

So he, an Englishman, put it all together in a book, presumably adding nothing but his journalistic skill. All the comments “pro” and “con” are from qualified sources. Most are direct quotes.

Memory being what it is, little wonder that some events fall slightly out of sequence and some facts jack-knife into wrong situations or circumstances. Thompson is no more at fault than his sources or any of Crosby’s other biographers who have run the same course. Less sycophantic than most of  the other books about Bing, Thompson’s should be a welcome addition to the known history of a show biz giant who never seems to believe how tall he stands.
(Carroll Carroll, writing in Variety, June 16, 1976)

 

BING.

Charles Thompson. McKay, $8.95 ISBN 0-679-50590-3

For what it is meant to be, there’s no faulting this journalistically competent “authorized” biography of Bing Crosby, “probably the most-loved character in the world apart from the creations of Walt Disney.” If it’s a book of marshmallows, of anecdotes and testimonials compact, so it goes; probably hosts of readers will be pleased by its glittering array of Hollywood names and the smooth telling of Crosby’s career beginning with his boyhood in Tacoma, Washington, and his arrival in Hollywood in 1925 in a Model T Ford. If there is pith and substance to Crosby or his half-century as an American entertainment institution, however, it is not in freelance journalist Thompson’s book. Every scene has the same value, from Crosby’s instant hit with Paul Whiteman in 1926 to his marriage to 19-year-old Fox movie star Dixie Lee, his radio and record stardom, his “Road” movies with Hope and Lamour, some escapades, some boozing, much golfing, Dixie’s death in 1952, Bing’s 1955 (sic) marriage to Kathy Grant, his investments and present “worth.” All this and loads of photos.

     (Publishers Weekly, February 2, 1976)

March 4, Thursday. Bing again writes to Connee Boswell in Mt. Sinai Hospital, New York.

Dear Sister Constance:

You are in my thoughts these days, which must be long ones for you.

I hope and pray that your convalescence is proceeding according to plan, and that your spirits are up. – Love, Bing

Kathryn joins Bing in Los Angeles where he is taping a TV special with Liza Minnelli. Later he writes to the producers Dwight Hemion and Gary Smith.

Dear Friends:

Again, it was an extremely pleasant chore with you guys – as it always is. I love working under your auspices, because there is no haste, no confusion, very little racket, and you know what you’re doing.

I hope the show turned out very well, and I’m sure it must. The ingredients are there.

I’ll sure be looking forward to seeing it.

Rita said something about sending a cassette, so if you do have one, I’d like to have it. I may not be able to catch it on the air that night, if my plans to go to Mexico remain as they are just now.

My fondest regards to all concerned. Best wishes to both of you in your efforts in the future.

Always your friend,

Bing

March 5, Friday. (11:30 p.m.-1:00 a.m.) Bing is interviewed on the Tonight show on NBC-TV by Johnny Carson. Ray Bolger and Marvin Hamlisch also guest.

March 9, Tuesday. Bing writes to his friend George O'Reilly in Dublin.

Yes, it’s true, we’re doing some negotiating for a couple weeks engagement at the London Palladium.

It hasn’t really been finalised yet, but it appears it may go through as originally projected. Probably use the whole family and fill the first half of it with somebody like Michel LeGrande and one or two others.

Really haven’t reached a point yet where we can seriously try to commit anyone for this purpose.

I would like to do a concert in Dublin. Maybe 1 show while we’re over there. Possibly during the summer, and if I do, you would be the fella I would like to have make the necessary arrangements

We would have to have a couple of other artists of course, for the first half. Although I think it’s a good idea for the star of the occasion to participate if only in a song or two, in the first half. Otherwise people get restless or they don’t come to see the first half at all. And it makes for a little confusion.

When my plans have progressed and are a little more definite, George, I’ll get back to you. Certainly by May or so, and that will give you, ample time to set something up in Dublin in the way of a theatre and possibly a TV outlet. I don't know about that.

I’d like a theatre that is somewhat intimate, but certainly large enough to accommodate a sizeable audience because the whole affair would be for charity, less the expenses of the other acts and the musicians and the theatre rental.

I don’t plan to take any money from the London Palladium or from any prospective engagement in Dublin.

I’ll get back to you when I do know something definite, George.

I hope you and your family are in good health and spirits.

Always your friend, Bing

      March 14, Sunday. Bing launches the 1976 observance of National Wildlife Week with "spot" announcements on 500 TV stations. He asks all conservationists to join a campaign to "Save Our Wetlands." Also, Bing and Phil Harris have formed their own import company and launch their first product, Herradura Tequila, with a $10,000 press buffet and cocktail party at the Bel-Air Hotel. Celebrities such as Ricardo Montalban, Chill Wills, Jack Oakie and Pat Buttram attend. Bing and Phil also record a television commercial to promote their product.

 

Bing Crosby and Phil Harris brightened the Bel Air Hotel Garden Room with a bash to intro their latest teaming - as chairman of the board and president, respectively, of Crosby Harris Import company, their first product, Herradura tequila.

(Daily Variety, March 15, 1976)

Went down to Houston for a couple of days but it required some training before I was ready for the journey.

So I trained for the trip by going to the party Bing Crosby and Phil Harris tossed at the Bel-Air Hotel   to introduce their Herradura tequila, never before sold in the United States.

If Bing can keep his partner from drinking the profits, the Old Groaner may have another Minute Maid enterprise on his hands.

Jack Oakie, who only drinks Scotch, showed up at the tequila party with his own flask. When Bing got up to speak to all the dealers and distributors, Oakie yelled: “Sing ‘Down the Old Ox Road’ crooner.”

Bing sang that song in his first feature movie, “College Humor,” in which Oakie was the star along with Dick Arlen and Mary Carlisle. Bing was billed below the title but after that big feature debut, not for long

Chill Wills, an old tequila connoisseur, also gave a speech welcoming Crosby and Harris into the liquor importing business.

Harris, in his speech, said, “l’m leaving Bing to the agave leaves, I’ll stick with the bottling end of the business.” Bing put it more succinctly. “I’ll do the thinking, and Phil will do the drinking.”

Also saw Pat Buttram there. Pat, like Oakie, lives in Northridge, the gateway to Newhall.

Well, you can expect to see more TV commercials with Bing squeezing agave leaves instead of oranges. Bing and Phil have hunted, fished and golfed all over the world but this is their first business venture together. "Phil has a drinking image,” said Bing.
(James Bacon, Hollywood Hotline, March 31, 1976)

Bing writes to Liza Minnelli (1) and then to Pat Sullivan (2), the President of Club Crosby.

 

(1) Dear Liza:

Sorry I didn’t get a chance to talk to you before our little company broke up.
I just wanted to say to you how pleasant it was to know you better and to work with you. I’m kind of a sloppy performer myself, and when I see such complete professionalism in another actor, I am terribly impressed!

You have that, and you also have a divine talent - which you're using very wisely. I would hope you continue to have even greater successes than the ones you’ve had in the past.

Fondest love to you and to Jack [Haley Jr., Liza's husband at the time] -
Always your friend,

Bing

(2) Thanks for the enlargements of the photos which you sent recently.

I understand the concert is all sold out down there in L.A. I use the word “concert” with some trepidation, because it’s only going to be a few songs and a few old ones at that!

But I’ve got some supporting acts which may carry the thing.

We’re talking about playing the Palladium, if we can get something put together.  The dates would be the 21st of June through July 4th, I think.

May have to do a thing up here in San Francisco for charity if this thing down in Los Angeles goes well. All these concerts will be for charity. I won’t take any money for any of them. The net proceeds after the expenses are paid will go to a charity which I select.

Have a good time - Bing

 

March 16, Tuesday. Bing tapes material for an appearance on The Rich Little Show, which is shown on NBC-TV on April 5.

March 17, Wednesday. (Starting at 7:30 p.m.) The Bing Crosby and Friends stage show (with guests Kathryn Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Rich Little, Nelson Riddle, and Joe Bushkin) takes place at the Music Center in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. The proceeds go to the Tarzania Psychiatric Hospital and the Sugar Ray Robinson Youth Foundation. Gary and Lindsay Crosby are in the audience as are many celebrities including Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

 

Bing Crosby made his “concert debut” at the Music Center last Wednesday (17) in an entertaining tv-styled variety show that saw the smooth singer play host to a number of family and friends. It was a loosely-constructed, almost informal night with a major emphasis on nostalgia and no one attempting to really cut any new ground. As such, a jammed house, could feel comfortably ecstatic in their reminiscences.      

      Crosby, clearly, could do no wrong — and, in fact, did much right — as he sang his signature tunes, in his usual, casual style and soothing voice, being surprisingly honest and unpretentious in sharing his thoughts and attitudes.

      While the audience was ready to have fun with him and his songs, Crosby was too concerned most of the evening with remembering lyrics and arrangements, constricting himself far too much for a concert situation. Perhaps, with more experience at running his own concert show, the quirks could work themselves out; on the other hand, Crosby may be diving into territory not totally suitable for the style of his considerable abilities.

      There were moments in which he shined — usually his most at-ease moments, such as the closing “That’s What Life Is All About,” when the pressure of the night was off of him and be could just put his hands in his pockets and emote at his best, or his Act I closing “Send in the Clowns,” a subdued and affecting interpretation.

      . . . Crosby hasn’t indicated whether he’s planning, on taking his family on tour with him. Crosby admitted little rehearsal time was involved in this segment’s preparation, and it showed.

(Variety, March 24, 1976)

 

Singing in fine mellow style, Bing Crosby celebrated St. Patrick’s Day and his “demicentennial in show business” by performing the first concert of his career. The 71-year-old singer seemed close to tears Wednesday night as a standing ovation greeted his performance at the Music Center.

It was the first of several concerts he plans to give for charity in this country and later this year in London. (One will be in the Bay Area within four to six weeks, date and site still to be confirmed.)

“I decided to get back in the swim,” Crosby told his audience. “One of the things that made me decide was when I came out of NBC’s artists’ entrance and somebody asked me, “Didn’t you used to be Bing Crosby?”

Crosby, who had curtailed his career in recent years, seemed to enjoy himself immensely. He sang with wife, Kathryn, son Harry and daughter Mary Francis – “Nathaniel would be here except that he got three F’s in his last report card,” said Bing.

He also sang duets with Rosemary Clooney and clowned with impressionist Rich Little.

The Crosby baritone sounded as sure as ever, especially in the lower registers. Backed by Nelson Riddle’s orchestra, he gave solid renditions of such recent songs as “Send in the Clowns,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” and “The Way We Were.”

But he made his biggest impact on the audience with his medley with the Joe Bushkin quartet of the well-remembered oldies, which included: “I Surrender Dear,” “True Love,” “Would You Like to Swing on  a Star,” “Pennies from Heaven,” “Blue Hawaii,” “Accentuate the Positive” and “Sweet Leilani.”

"It was just 50 years ago this month that my partner Al Rinker and I got a job at the Boulevard Theater here,” Crosby told his audience. “The theatre was close to the USC campus and a lot of the college boys and girls dropped in to see how a couple of guys from Spokane were doing. They were a big help, and ever since then I’ve rooted for USC—except when they play Notre Dane, of course.”

(Bob Thomas, Associated Press, March 19, 1976)

...Crosby once ascribed his success to the fact that the listener feels he could be up there doing the same thing. I was reminded of this during the medley when he blew the lyrics a few times. Bing is human; it is perhaps his humanity and fallibility coupled with an enduring talent that has sustained him as an American institution.

      It was, in fact, the kind of program one might have expected to judge in terms of ambience rather than the actual performance; after all, Bing Crosby as a singer has long since been hors concours. Yet the longer the evening wore on, the clearer it became that this was indeed solid, valid entertainment. Crosby at 71 has a timbre extraordinarily close to the sound you still hear on his late night movies. When he sang “Sweet Leilani,” it could have been 1937 again. . . .  

(Leonard Feather, Los Angeles Times, March 19, 1976)

 

The Los Angeles Times ran a big ad for Bing’s concert, and the vast Dorothy Chandler Pavilion sold out. And when I stood in the wings, peeking out at the 3,000-plus crowd, I knew for sure I wouldn’t be able to slip in unnoticed amid a parade of singers doing a number or two apiece. I only wished I’d known it sooner, while there was still time to say no.

We were there to celebrate Bing’s landmark anniversary, the kickoff of his fiftieth year in show business, and it was so much more than I could handle, I was terrified. I clutched my music in sweaty hands, trying to cram the lyrics into my seething brain. When I felt Bing’s hand on my shoulder, I whirled around.

“I don’t know this,” I hissed. What I really meant was I don’t want to do this, but my fear focused on the more immediate concern.

“If you’re that worried,” he said, “take it with you.”

I stared. Take it with me? “I can’t do that,” I said.

“Why not?” he asked. “Why can’t you?” In the midst of the hubbub backstage, minutes to curtain, he was looking into my eyes, genuinely wanting to know my answer.

“I just can’t.”

 He clasped my hands, holding the music, in his own. “You can,” he told me. “You can take the piece of paper out there with you.” Then he smiled at me and walked past me out onto the stage.

I stood where he’d left me, transfixed by fear tinged with an uneasy hope. A singer was expected to know the music. I couldn’t take it onstage with me.

Why can’t you?

Why couldn’t I? I’d been struggling so long to unlearn my expectations and inhabit a new unconstrained self. The idea that I had to know the music belonged to someone else – to that performer named Rosemary Clooney, whom I had created and who wasn’t me at all. The new Rosemary – my real, honest self, freed from outworn expectations – could take the music onstage, and would, and did. With my music held lightly and easily in my hands, I stepped out of the wings and onto the stage. I smiled. I sang.

(Rosemary Clooney, writing in her book Girl Singer, pages 249-250)

 

The concert did not receive any advance publicity. A simple announcement appeared in the paper and it was an instant sell-out. I was one of the lucky ones favored with a seat by the Crosby Office, the honor later compounded by having my money refunded and finding myself in a front row seat. Bing had set aside about 100 choice seats for which he picked up the tab himself—the rest of the proceeds were donated to two of his favorite charities. Leo Lynn told me that $12.50 was the top price that Bing would permit, saying “My show isn’t that good.”

Other lucky club members were Priscilla Koernig (also in the front row), the Al Suttons, the Herb Bootmans, the Ted Kaspers, the Kevin Andersons, and John Salisbury. Perhaps there were others but those were the ones I know to have been in attendance. Gary and Lindsay Crosby and their wives were seated directly behind the above-mentioned group. Well, there will never be another St. Patrick’s Day like it. When I heard that Rosie Clooney, Joey Bushkin, Rich Little, and the Crosby Family were also on the bill, I thought perhaps a token appearance by Bing would be likely. Instead, Bing knocked himself out for over two hours, singing several major solos (At My Time of Life, Send in the Clowns, The Way We Were) plus duets with Rosemary and his family, and closing with a medley of his standards lasting about a half hour and then still belting out an encore with “That’s What Life Is All About.”

The pre-program consisted of excerpts from old Crosby radio shows followed by a showing of large screen movie clips (the sound being replaced by background piano accompaniment of Joey Bushkin). The Nelson Riddle Orchestra broke into his theme and Bing strolled out, lifting his hand up in the air and touching his toe to his fingertip (try it sometime!).  I doubt if he would have had to do much more—the audience already belonged to him. As Joey Bushkin said later, “First, it was Ol Blue Eyes is back, then Sedaka is back, and now it’s Old Boo-Boo-Boo-Boo is back!”

Bing was definitely back in every way. The medley portion was vintage Crosby, and the entire Music Center, including four tiers of balcony, rose to their feet in an ovation. It happened again when he closed with “That’s What Life Is All About.” If there was any question in Bing’s mind about the way the American public feels about him, I would think the message was unmistakable. We were seated directly in front of his stage entrance, and Bing took his closing bows there. He seemed almost dazed by the reception he was receiving, and Kathryn had to motion him out for another bow. Mr. Super Cool appeared to have tears in his eyes.

I’m sure Bing was literally physically exhausted, and I seriously wonder why he agreed to such a strenuous performance. By not holding back, he gave that audience a show they are not likely to ever forget. In my mind, he showed conclusively that there’s still no-one near him as a performer.

Priscilla and I had flown down on the noon plane, spending an extremely enjoyable but too brief afternoon with the Kevin Andersons. We flew back to S.F. on the midnight flight, sitting next to none other than Alan Fisher, the Crosby butler, who had come down for the show with some of the other household staff. According to Alan, the concert was only the first—Bing will do another in the Bay Area next month and a Palladium appearance is in the works this summer.

(Pat Sullivan, President of Club Crosby, in a circular letter to club members)

 

March 18, Thursday. Bing is interviewed on ABC-TV News.

March 24, Wednesday. Tapes more material for The Rich Little Show. Bing and Rich sing a medley of Bing’s hits with Rich impersonating Bing’s former duet partners. The program is shown on April 5 on NBC-TV. Subsequently, Bing joins Phil Harris and his son, Harry, in Las Cruces.

Bing described the sequel as follows:

“On the first day that we didn’t shoot, in spite of my protestations, Phil and Harry decided to go fishing in a stormy sea. Off Saltita, they lost the transmission on their outboard.

The motor ran well as ever, but they couldn’t throw it into gear, so they were at the mercy of the pounding surf. Harry jumped overboard, and tried to prevent the boat from capsizing, but a big wave caught it, and over it went, dumping the Indian into the water beside him.

Phil suffered a sharp blow to the head from the wave-tossed boat, and his windbreaker was blown over his eyes. Harry caught hold of him, dragged him to a depth where they could both touch bottom, guided him to shore, tried to resuscitate him, and finally left him with a water bottle that had floated in from the boat.

Harry ran all the way home for our pickup truck, and drove to find help. With a big, fast boat, he and its crew reached Saltitas in 45 minutes.

There was the outboard, beaten to pieces, and the bottle of water, still lying on the beach, but there was no sign of Harris.

They searched half the night with flashlights before they found Phil sitting on a small hill, incoherent, and with no notion of how he’d arrived there. They drove him home, and it was three days before could get any food into him, but I administered enough codeine to guarantee a couple of nights sleep.

He didn’t even have an appetite for booze, which will give you some idea of the shape he was in. At present, he seems to have recovered whatever wits he originally possessed.”
(Kathryn Crosby, My Last Years with Bing, page 367)

March 26, Friday. (8:30–10:00 p.m.) In conjunction with Liza Minnelli, Bing hosts the ninety-minute Bell Telephone Jubilee on NBC-TV. Guests include Ben Vereen, Marvin Hamlisch, Joel Grey, Roy Clark, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme. The show receives an 18.6 rating and a 30 share. It is within the top 30 shows of the week. It had been taped earlier in March. Bing later writes to the producers, Dwight Hemion and Gary Smith:

 

I don’t know what kind of rating the show got, but if it wasn’t something rather large, I think the ratings are going to be very suspect, in my thinking.

I was in San Francisco the day after the show, and I never encountered a reaction like this in my whole career. Total strangers came up to me, no matter where I went. Said they liked the show. Liked the way it was done. They liked the people in it. They liked the music.

Incredible reaction;

Maybe it’s just San Francisco. I don’t know. But these weren’t friends of mine. These were just people on the street, people in the restaurant where I had lunch, people at the Club. Fantastic.

And I thought it was great. Everybody in our house thought it was great.

Really looked classy. Had style. But then that’s your trademark.

Thanks a lot -

Always yours,

Bing

 

“Jubilee” was designed as a salute to the 100th anni of the telephone, to be celebrated by memorable performances seen on the “Bell Telephone Hour” from 1959-’68 and the “Bell System Family Theatre” since then—augmented by contemporary turns from hosts Bing Crosby and Liza Minnelli and guests Joel Grey, Eydie Gorme & Steve Lawrence, Ben Vereen and Roy Clark....On look-backs of this nature, keeping perspective is really what the viewer has a right to expect—and that was achieved by the 90-minute production...It was all okay for what it was.

(Variety, April 7, 1976)

“Jubilee,” tonight, 8:30 p.m., channel 4, is a 90-minute show-stopper—a joyous song-and-dance-enhanced entertainment headlining Bing Crosby and Liza Minnelli.

Bing glows and Liza scintillates and they have more fun than clowns hosting rollicking performances by Joel Grey, Ben Vereen, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Roy Clark and Marvin Hamlisch, the Mr. Hot of contemporary tunesmiths.

The show's producers frequently insert little bunches of refreshingly brief and marvelously nostalgic taped vignettes selected from “Bell Telephone Hour” programs, 1959 through 1968.

…. But the main attractions are Bing, Liza and guests. Joel again sings and taps as George M. Cohan. Liza and Joel reprise “Cabaret” numbers, Ben and Bing recreate Cole Porter's “Now You Has Jazz,” Roy is sensational on guitar in a number from his Soviet tour. Steve and Eydie contribute a bang-up extended Irving Berlin medley, Ben explodes in a “Jesus Christ, Superstar” segment (“I’m betting on Jesus…”), and Marvin Hamlisch has a ball with both Bing and Liza.

In the end, Bing and Liza dance (Arthur Murray style), concluding: “What a swell party this was.” Agreed. A jubilant jubilee.

(The San Francisco Examiner, March 26, 1976)

 

       March 31, Wednesday. Bing plays in the pro-am preceding the Colgate-Dinah Shore tournament at Mission Hills Country Club. Playing with Mickey Wright, he tees off at 8:31 a.m. Bob Hope, Jack Lemmon, Robert Stack, Willie Mays and Jack Kramer play later in the day.
    April 5, Monday. (8:00–9:00 p.m.) Bing guests on The Rich Little Show on NBC-TV. Bill Cosby makes a cameo appearance. Bing and Rich sing a medley of Bing’s hits with Rich impersonating Bing’s former duet partners.
    April 6, Tuesday. Bing writes to Meredith Willson.

Dear Meredith:

I wish I could be there to join your many friends and admirers in the Tribute that is being paid to you this evening.

It's certainly a tribute that is richly deserved. I don't know anybody who has done so much for popular American music, and who has so many friends in this field, as you do.

I always remember our association back when - particularly with the Armed Forces Radio, and I hope that the evening provides not only festive moments for you, but also some nostalgic ones, and I want to join all your friends in wishing you well.

Always yours, Bing

April 7, Wednesday. Bing writes to Bob Cowley of WSPD Radio in Toledo, Ohio who had recently sent him some tapes of Bing’s singing in earlier years.

 

…I don’t sing anything like I sang in those days. Not as good. I think really the reason for this is that I have, through the years toned down my interpretations. That is, I have sung a little more straight and on the nose than I did back some years ago. And this was a bad move.

I was overly conscious of extremism, of doing too much, of being criticized of sounding like I was really trying to put on the schmaltz, and as a result I eliminated a lot of style, a lot of feeling and a lot of sentiment...

Next time I record, which won’t be too far in the future, I’m going to see if I can capture a little of that same atmosphere.

Of course, I sing in a different key now - considerably lower. And I can’t hit the notes I used to. It’s a wise singer who realizes that and doesn’t strive to sing in the keys that he could formerly handle when his vocal instrument was a little less worn and torn…

 

April 9, Friday. Bing again writes to Dwight Hemion and Gary Smith about Bell Telephone Jubilee show that has recently been broadcast.

Dear Dwight and Gary:

Just thought you ought to see this letter. It’s rather special.

I have received many such, but this is one of the most outstanding.

I have heard nothing but good comment about the show since it was telecast. I hope some day they repeat it.

It would be wonderful if it could be released in England. I’m going to play some vaudeville there and it might boost the gate!

I hope all your projects in the future go smoothly.

Warmest regards,

Bing

April 11, Sunday. Bing arrives in Montreal and stays at the Bonaventure Hotel. He goes on to Rehearsal Hall II, Place Des Arts for a ‘piano & book rehearsal’ of The Bob Hope Olympic Benefit from 12 noon until 4 p.m. (5:00–7:00 p.m.) Rehearses for the benefit.

April 12, Monday. (2:30 - 6:30 p.m.) Rehearses for that night’s TV show. (8:00–11:00 p.m.) Tapes The Bob Hope Olympic Benefit at the Montreal Forum in front of a crowd said to number 19,000, all of whom have paid $15 each. Other guests are Freddie Prinze, Lynn Anderson, and Shirley Jones. Music is provided by Les Brown and his Band of Renown The show, which is a benefit for the United States and Canadian Olympic teams, airs on NBC-TV on April 21.

…Because of the high-precision demands that television makes it was necessary to repeat time and again several of the numbers and comedy routines.

Crosby was guilty of several misses, and his inability or refusal to sing directly into the microphone eventually proved annoying. He appeared slow-paced, probably taxed from the day’s rehearsals/

Still a Crosby-Hope combination is difficult to ignore, and those who courageously sat through nearly 3 and a half hours of the show got a rare, in-person look at the two giants of the show-business world whose combined careers span a century.

Bob Hope and Bing Crosby live and in action together. There’s the thrill.

And what would a big-star U.S. extravaganza with Canadian origin be without a skit on our very own Mounties? Hope didn’t pass one up by any means, and it wasn’t long before we were introduced to Hope and Crosby in the scarlet jacket on the hunt for a notorious trapper (fur bedecked Prinze), with Jones and Anderson as the fair maidens who figured the Mounties $10-a-week salary and all the moose they can eat is not as attractive as Prinze’s sables and minks...
(Walter Poronovich, The Montreal Star, April 13, 1976)

 

Hope–Crosby still draw

Montreal (CP) – The Bob Hope–Bing Crosby Olympic benefit television spectacular played to a full house at the Forum Monday night, amply demonstrating the two seasoned performers could still draw audiences. Hope, who will be 72 next month, and Crosby, 73, won lengthy ovations when they exchanged the traditional insults and went through a medley of Road–movies songs, much to the delight of the largely middle-aged audience.
(Brandon Sun, April 14, 1976)

April 15, Thursday. Attends St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York and goes to Yankee Stadium for the reopening of the remodeled stadium. He sees the Yankees top Minnesota 11-4.

April 16, Friday. Visits Aqueduct Racetrack in New York and is photographed traveling there on the subway. Presents the silver salver to the owners of ‘Christopher R’, the winner of the Gravesend Handicap. Goes to see "A Chorus Line" and then attends Rex Reed's party at Jacques Restaurant while he is in New York.

April 18, Sunday. (3:30–4:30 p.m.) The American Sportsman television program on ABC features Bing, Phil Harris, and Harry Crosby trying for billfish in the Bahamas.

 

When Bing Crosby and Phil Harris get together, it’s bound to be a musical experience, even if the purpose of their meeting is to fish the waters of Walkers Cay in the Bahamas.

On The American Sportsman, airing Sunday, April 18 (3:30-4:30 p.m., EST) on the ABC Television Network, Crosby and Harris, with Bing’s son Harry, mix singing and fishing aboard the Sea Lion, skippered by Larry Thomas…

…In the Bahamas, impromptu singing among the Crosbys and Harris gives a festive air to the trip, as they land a couple of kingfish and a wahoo. However, their target, the blue marlin, remains elusive. Although they manage to hook two of them, they are unsuccessful in bringing them on board. Then with Larry Thomas, Harry Crosby takes a break from fishing to explore the waters from the fish’s point of view.  Clad in wet suits, they descend 30 feet to explore the newly found ruins of a sunken ship.
(Press Release, April 7, 1976)

 

April 21, Wednesday. (8:00–9:30 p.m.) The Bob Hope Olympic Benefit is shown on NBC-TV. Bing guests.

April 23, Friday. Bing writes to British fan Leslie Gaylor.

 

Thanks for the news about our forthcoming Palladium visit and the recording news and the information about the release of the albums…Things are shaping up for the Palladium visit. I think we’ll have a pretty good show. The trouble is getting all the children together for rehearsals because Mary Frances is in Texas and Harry is in Los Angeles and Nathaniel is busy with his golf. Kathryn works every day on TV here, so we’re going to have to get started pretty soon to put something together.

…We have a big problem with the tickets. It might be impossible to take care of everybody in the clubs and still allow the public an opportunity to buy some tickets too…I’ll be looking forward to seeing you.

 

April 26, Monday. Bing writes to an Australian fan named Harry Price.

 

Thanks for your very nice letter. I don’t often receive letters from musicians like you, and to receive one from far-off Australia is a special pleasure!

I’m pleased to hear of your interest in Bix and Teagarden and all the others. Teagarden was a great favorite of mine — not only as probably the best trombone player I ever heard, but as a wonderful guy. Great fun, and a perfect gentleman.

I don’t know when I’ll get out to Australia. It’s so far and takes so long to get out there. You’ve really got to provide a couple of months because there’s no use going that far and then turning right around and coming home.

I’m doing some concerts now, and maybe I might come out and do a couple out there.

A fella who just had Neil Diamond out there — a producer — is doing some shows for me in England and he told me a great deal about it. It sounds quite attractive. Hope it can be arranged.

I close with warmest regards to you for your continued health and success –

Sincerely, Bing

 

April 30, Friday. Mary Francis Crosby is crowned 49th Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival Queen in Winchester, Virginia. She is escorted by Senator Harry F. Byrd.

May 3, Monday. Bing writes to Ron Field, a fan living in Reading, Berkshire in England.

Dear Ron

Thank you for your long newsy letter with all the material about the Calcot Park Golf Club. Looks like a nice lay-out and maybe some day I’ll have a chance to play it.

Glad you enjoyed all the things we did over there last summer – the golf and the shows and the TVs and one thing and another. It was great fun, and we were lucky, of course, to have one of the warmest and driest summers – although, I’m sure the famers wouldn’t feel this way at all.

There’s no present plan, Ron, to make a film in England. We have a script we’ve been trying to improve and until it reaches a condition where we think a picturization would have a chance, we’re not going to do much about it.

We’re going to do another Pro-celebrity Golf at Gleneagles, though. Maybe the boys will play in it this year. I don’t know whether or not they want them or whether they consider them to be celebrities enough to attract an audience on TV. Of course, I do.

I don’t know when I’d get up around Reading, Ron, but you never can tell. When I get to England, I do get around a bit –

Always best wishes, Bing

May (undated). At Guadalajara, Mexico, where he meets Derek Jewell of the Sunday Times. Jewell writes the program notes for Bing’s forthcoming U.K. tour.

May 22, Saturday. Bing and Kathryn attend the wedding of Richard Coxe and Helen Martin at Burlingame's St. Catherine's Church. Mr. Coxe is a lawyer with O'Melveny and Meyer.

May 24, Monday. A check for $100 is issued payable to British fan Leslie Gaylor and marked "Re - publicity." Bing flies into Columbus, Ohio, during the afternoon and dines at night at the Columbus Club on East Broad Street with a party hosted by insurance man Robert Hoag. Unfortunately, during the meal, a piece of meat lodges in Bing’s throat and he is taken to the Riverside Hospital. He is given a general anesthetic and the food is removed from the lower end of his esophagus using forceps.

 

The hospitalization that you read about was greatly exaggerated, of course. It wasn’t a problem with the throat—nothing in there but a few old second choruses! A little trouble with the stomach, but it seems to be okay now.

Glad to see all the favorable results that transpired as a product of your Series which you did about me, and the Award that you received.

You richly deserve this, I’m sure.

As regards the function September 19th in San Francisco, I really don’t know whether or not I’ll be back from Europe by then. I have a number of things booked which haven’t been really inked in, but they will be by mid-summer so possibly you had better contact me some time after that and we’ll see what can be done about an attendance at the function that you describe in your letter.

Sounds like quite an affair.

Best wishes, Bing

(Bing Crosby, in a letter dated June 14, 1976 to Gord Atkinson)

 

May 25, Tuesday. Bing is released from hospital at 7:45 a.m. and withdraws from a pro-am golf tournament at Muirfield Memorial Golf Club where he was due to have played with Jack Nicklaus, Flip Wilson, and Governor James A. Rhodes. Bing turns up at the club in late afternoon in the company of John Galbreath and Robert Hoag and tours the course in a golf cart.

May 28, Friday. Bing replies to British fan Nick Carter who has sent him an Elizabethan document dated 1563.

 

Thanks for your letter, and thanks very much indeed for the unusual parchment which you send me and for the translation.  Particularly grateful for the translation. I don’t think I ever could have made any sense out of it otherwise! But I see now that it’s a very rare item and I’m proud to have it, and I’m grateful for your thoughtful generosity.  I’m sure it will be a conversation piece around the house.

We have three or four in staff who are British and they are already talking about it.                    

I don’t know if ever I’ll get around Canterbury, although there’s a project afoot to make an album of hymns with the Canterbury Cathedral Choir. If this works out, maybe I could come by and have a spot of tea with you and members of your family.  I hope so.

Again, many thanks - Warmest best wishes, Bing

 

June 2, Wednesday. (7:30 p.m.) The Bing Crosby and Friends stage show is at the Masonic Auditorium, San Francisco. Flip Wilson replaces Rich Little as the comedian in the show and it is said to be Flip’s first live appearance in eight years. The show benefits the Louis Armstrong Statue Fund. Alistair Cooke and George Shearing are in the audience.

 

Crosby shows he’s still King Bing

Crosby, the Irish slugger from Spokane, knocked ’em dead at the Masonic Auditorium last night.

Harry Lillis Crosby has been “Bing” for almost all of his 70-plus years and he’s been a part of all our lives just about as long. But last night’s show, which started on a high note and went up, up, and away by the concluding “That’s What Life Is All About” was the most astonishing and overwhelming one-man presentation I have ever attended.

Crosby, looking fit as a fiddle swinging on a star, knocked off eight or nine solo production numbers, duetted with various members of his family, personally salvaged an uproarious family bit of “round” singing and then casually drifted into a medley of 32 of his best known recorded numbers. Accompanied on this half hour nostalgia trip by the irrepressible Joe Bushkin at the piano (plus Herb Ellis, guitar, Jake Hanna drums and Monty Budwig, bass) Crosby had a great time scat singing, tripping an occasional light fantastic and adlibbing comments and, often, the lyrics.

It was the Crosby of the Kraft Music Hall and the Big Broadcast; of the “Road” movies and of USO shows for the GIs of World War II.

Sometimes on the quiet numbers (“Sweet Leilani”—“I Can‘t Begin to Tell You,” “It’s Been a Long, Long Time” etc.) the sobs of reminiscence, the blowing of noses and the tender sighs bubbled all over the sold out hall.

Bing’s voice seldom cracked and (of course) never wavered; his rhythmic hipness and uncannily accurate pitch, plus that gorgeous tone, have been his trademarks and genius for the more than 50 years since he, Al Rinker and Harry Barris (sic) left Spokane to find fame and fortune in Southern California, ca. 1925. He chatted about San Francisco in the ‘20s (“pokin’ around in the embers of the past”) and sang some fine stuff with Rosemary Clooney, who then turned out a few of her own. - “Song for You” was great.  Flip Wilson, slick and funny, did four of his best pieces joined by Bing on “Gone Fishin’” just before the intermission.

Nelson Riddle led the orchestra, a big job; the charts were Hollywood lush. Bushkin’s quartet, never quite sure where in hell Joey was taking them, played marvelously behind Bing. (I suspect he preferred the jazzy informality of the combo to the heavier sounds.)

In the incredible medley, “Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams,” “Pennies from Heaven,” “Please,” “Blue Skies,” and “Mississippi Mud” were among the outstanding renditions; daughter Mary Frances and wife Kathryn joined in occasionally.

During a Crosby Family sequence son Harry III played some nice guitar and sang, and other son Nathaniel sang and romped through “Simple Melody,” soft-shoe, with his old man.             .

The Bushkin quartet played a glowing “Porgy and Bess” medley; Ellis’ guitar (especially on “Hallelujah,” somewhat earlier) was magnificent

So it was a great night; Bing’s tribute to himself and to Louis Armstrong - whose memorial statue fund in New Orleans will get the proceeds.
(Philip Elwood, San Francisco Examiner, June 3, 1976)

 

It was, for a change, literally a once-in-a-lifetime experience on Wednesday night when a fella name of Bing Crosby strolled jaunty-jolly out on the stage at the Masonic Auditorium, rambled his eyes easily over a bubbling, euphoric crowd; lifted a microphone to his mouth with the practiced ease of a Roman Catholic priest at the Asperges ceremony, cheerfully acknowledged that “I wore my hair tonight” and then, with a little help from his friends, proceeded to confer a glorious concert of music, charm and warmth on a capacity audience as giddy as children. . . . The fact that Crosby, at 72, could essay a nonstop succession of songs of that duration—and sing them with authority, a full and sonorous voice, exacting intonation and unflagging rhythm—is fully as impressive as every last one of the 33 was a hit. . . . To his fans, he made it look easy.

(John L. Wasserman, San Francisco Chronicle, June 4, 1976)

 

I welcome this opportunity to disclose a facet of Bing Crosby’s generosity that is not generally known. It was in the mid-’70s, when the Louis Armstrong Statue Fund, which I headed, was stymied on dead-center. We lacked $10,000 for the completion of the twenty foot tall bronze monument already in work at the foundry. Bing learned of the dilemma and donated the entire proceeds of his San Francisco concert to supply the lacking funds. The brightest day of my life was when his phone call informed me that I could pick up a $10,000 check at his Beverly Hills office. The beautiful Armstrong monument now stands proudly in New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong Park - thanks, in great measure, to Bing’s dedicated love for “Satchmo.”

(Floyd Levin, October 1996, taken from sleeve notes to CD Bobby Gordon Plays Bing)

 

June 4, Friday. Bing writes to John Jensen at station KMPX in San Francisco.

Glad that you liked the three albums that Red Knorp dropped by the studio for you.

I think they’re kind of interesting, and I was delighted to hear the program that resulted from the interview with you when I came to the station. I’m sure it was a big help in stimulating the ticket sale.

About the “Bingo Viejo” album. This was made in Hollywood. Paul Smith, who is probably one of the best piano players around, and who is also Sammy Davis Jr.’s accompanist and director, put the date together. I think it was made in September, 1975. It was released by British Decca in London - or it’s going to be released shortly. Maybe it’s not even out yet.

The date was at Coast Recorders in Los Angeles. They also have a studio up here in San Francisco.

I think it’s rather an unusual item. Those old standards treated in a little different way. My Spanish is a little stale, but people who speak Spanish well tell me that it’s just barely acceptable - which is about all I could hope for!

Thanks for everything – All best wishes, John,

 Bing

June (undated). Harry Crosby graduates from Bellarmine College Preparatory, San Jose.

June 12, Saturday. (10:00 p.m. - midnight) The Entertainment Hall of Fame TV program on NBC includes tributes to many artists, including Bing. Sammy Cahn and Bob Hope take part with Tony Bennett singing a medley of Bing’s hits. Bing makes a short “Thank you” speech at the close. He receives a Lucite and Bronze Award. The show had been filmed in advance.

June 15, Tuesday. Bing and his family fly into London Airport, having flown via Seattle. That night they all go to see Julie Andrews in her one-woman show at the Palladium. They stay in a flat at Green Street in the West End. Their butler Alan Fisher is with them.

June 16, Wednesday. At Ascot races where he is turned away from the royal enclosure, as he is inappropriately dressed. Is interviewed by BBC-TV.

June 17, Thursday. Again at Ascot and is interviewed by Derek Johnson for BBC Radio 2. He talks with the Queen and the Queen Mother.

June 20, Sunday. Bing and his family rehearse for their forthcoming show at the London Palladium.

 

One particular incident I recall was in June 1976 - Bing had had a very gruelling day rehearsing at the Palladium preparing for his opening the following evening. As he was about to leave, someone called out that the limousine was waiting for him. Bing replied: ‘No I think I’ll walk back to the hotel. I feel like some fresh air after being stuck in here all day - let Kathy (Crosby), and whoever else wants to, go back in the car. The stagedoor keeper warned him that there were a lot of fans waiting outside, but he said that he didn’t mind. After signing several autographs, Bing told the crowd that he would have to set off back to the hotel, but if they wanted to walk with him and have a chat, this was quite welcome. It was an offer no one could refuse. It was a memorable sight, seeing Bing set off down Great Marlborough Street surrounded by a sea of fans and answering everyone’s questions.

Bing Crosby was a very caring man - he was much aware of the problems other people went through, particularly with regard to the record company. When he visited the UA offices he was determined to walk round and meet everyone personally. He also had a habit of phoning people direct himself, without using a secretary, with the result that when he told people it was Bing Crosby speaking, they often replied: ‘Oh yes, and I’m President Carter!’

He was a man of many anecdotes, many of which have died with him. I once told him that he ought to record or write them down but he said that nobody would be really interested. He could never accept that people were interested in him as a person. Bing even had his doubts about that first London Palladium season - until that sensational first night, he never realised just how much the public held him in their affections.

(Martin Davis, United Artists Records’ managing director, as quoted in Woman’s Realm magazine after Bing’s death)

 

June 21–July 4, Monday–Sunday. (Starting at 7:30 p.m.) The Bing Crosby and Friends stage show is at the London Palladium. Pete Moore and his Orchestra provide support to Bing and Rosemary Clooney plus the Crosby family, with Ted Rogers taking the comedian spot. The proceeds go to the National Society for Cancer Relief, the Playing Fields Association, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme. The performances on June 24 and 25 are recorded by Ken Barnes and issued as a double album by K-Tel International. The album enters the UK charts in November 1977 and peaks at No. 9.

 

Bing Crosby’s 13-concert season for charity at the London Palladium potentially will gross an estimated $100,000 at $8.85 top, the scale being kept deliberately low as a gesture to British fans. Early demand for tickets brought out the scalpers and the season portends boffo attendance despite torrid weather.

      This Crosby engagement - his first at the Palladium - celebrated his 50th year in showbiz and he will follow the London bow with two concerts in Ireland and two in Scotland, all for promoter Robert Paterson.

      On opening night (21) the vet turned in a superlative performance and one perhaps not expected from a performer of his years. Though he looked frail, even tottery at times, the power and warmth of his voice is remarkably preserved, his charisma still intact, his wit still keen and his sense of showbiz paramount.

      Crosby was on stage — and on his feet, yet — for a good deal of the three hour initialer. He managed, moreover, to finish in a sprint noticeably stronger than his start.

      The Crosby show majors in sentimentality, but cleverly so, stopping short of goo, gush or schmaltz. He introduced his family who went through some musical romps while wife Kathryn showed a real talent for dancing. Crosby’s nostalgic repertory was spiked with a handful of new songs, indicating an awareness of what gives these days, though the crowd stood after his reprise in singalong style some 30 or so standards from the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s.

      Even in abbreviated form “Just One More Chance,” “Dinah,” “Pennies from Heaven,” “I’ll Be Seeing You,” “Moonlight Becomes You,” “Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams,” “Blue Skies,” “Temptation,” et al, emerged remarkably fresh, as a consequence of Crosby’s simple, empathetic style. With Crosby the lyric comes into its own.

      Supporting was Rosemary Clooney who was in firstrate form, selling with panache. She showed, too, the power of simplicity when the lyrics stand up and a good arranger is part of the act. Local comedian Ted Rogers, a regular these days on the bigtime concert scene, worked through a torrent of topical gags for big laughs and duetted with Crosby on “Gone Fishin’” for beaucoup applause. Joe Bushkin Quartet swung well in accompaniment to Crosby’s songalong while the Pete Moore orch coped well with the topnotch arrangements during the rest.

      Show was well balanced, perfectly paced, expertly interlinked and a satisfyingly complete presentation.

(Variety, June 30, 1976)

 

His Master’s Voice, the man who created the popular song, came to London for the first time for 30 years last night to give his first concerts since the War. Henry Lillis Crosby, who got his name from “The Bingville Bugle” comic, gave a perfect exhibition of what popular singing can be.

      The voice of the Old Groaner may not be quite as smooth now at 72. The range and register are only just there, but the pitch is still perfect and the tone and phrasing are magical. No one has ever missed a single word, or a single meaning, of a song that Crosby has sung. The “strolling player” as he calls himself, treated a rapturous audience to a cross section of some of his four-thousand songs he has recorded in fifty years or more of show business. Still looking more like a bank clerk than a star, he reminded them of the 300 million records he has sold in 27 languages and 88 countries in that time. It was not difficult to see why, because he beautifully executed the central art of popular songs by conversing directly with his audience. “Swinging on a Star,” “Pennies from Heaven,” “True Love,” “Moonlight Becomes You”—Crosby smoothed majestically through them all. He even attempted, perhaps a touch rashly, Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns.”

      But the audience were not listening too closely to his voice. They were caught in the dream, the nostalgia of the times he sang those songs. From the moment the show opened with excerpts from the British Movietone News of the war and his last performance in Britain, that tone was set.

      The man who began with Paul Whiteman reminded everyone that he created a style of singing for Sinatra, Como, Bennett and the rest. He also broke new ground, for while Al Jolson sang at you, Bing sang to you, and none of them ever forgot the lesson. He proved again that he invented the alphabet of popular singing in this century.

      Occasionally, perhaps, the stylish show bordered on the mawkish. His family appears, to put it kindly, to no particular effect, but that did not detract from the magic of his voice, and above all, of his style; and he didn’t even sing ‘White Christmas’.

(Geoffrey Wansell, The Times, June 22, 1976)

 

CROSBY - STILL THE MASTER

Bing Crosby told a lot of self-deprecating jokes when he opened his London Palladium fortnight on Monday. But the one that drew most laughter was about the car park attendant in Hollywood who said to him:

“Hey, didn’t you used to be Bing Crosby?”

He laughed, with the audience. Later, hitting a high note, he chided himself, adding: “I haven’t been up there in years.” And when he danced across the stage rather boisterously with his wife, Bing poked his back, which evidently had reminded him he’d had it for 71 years. It would be easy, then, to concentrate on the nostalgia aspects and marvel at the sheer stamina of the man, who was up on stage for most of this three-hour show. But the audience was enthralled to find that as the evening wore on and he relaxed, his voice improved amazingly, getting richer and more resonant. By the end, when he sang the autobiographical ‘That’s What Life Is All About’, Bing Crosby was singing excellently, at least as good as he has sounded in the past 20 years.

It was a sensational achievement by Bing to sweep aside the obvious charge that he had “done well for his age,” for he gave a concert that would have been fine for someone 50 years younger and when the audience delivered that standing ovation at the end, it was not only his history, but a splendid show, which had triumphed. It all drew a neat parallel with Frank Sinatra, who these days tends to rely on who he is and what he stands for rather than his vocal strengths.

Crosby, of course, came out of the crooning era, when songs were about romance and lyrics enthused about kisses that enchanted and pennies from Heaven and blue moons and the beauty of the deep blue sea. At first, looking rather frail and vulnerable on the big stage, Bing seemed as if he might be forced into giving only a nod to the golden oldies. But when he warmed, he duetted with Rosemary Clooney, joked a lot with comedian Ted Rogers and brought on his family, he was fired enough to take a medley of the songs that spanned so many years. (There followed a list of the songs sung by Bing).

Crosby’s edict has always been that the song’s the thing, and he has rarely sought to print his personality on the words, which invariably stand up. Seeing him revive these standards, injecting them with a real freshness, was to understand again the power of simplicity in popular song…

A magical show then, with dignity and a delightful self-effacing stance, Crosby in his first London concerts during 50 years of music-making, is astonishingly agile and making more history.

Bing at the Palladium - for charity incidentally - will rank as one of the highlights of this or any year. He marked our lives and is demonstrating he still has it. Some say, nostalgia isn’t what it used to be. Not so - in disciplined hands it can be richly rewarding,

(Ray Coleman, Melody Maker)

 

CROONALONGA BING...and who could resist charm like this

Before Sinatra - which is like saying before light - there was Bing. And he it was who created an entirely new style of singing. He may not have sung the best songs ever written, but his effortless authority has lodged, even the worst in the memory-album of almost every family. And there must be many a hack who goes down on his knees all the way to the bank in thanksgiving to Crosby.

      Without him, who knows, there might never have been a market for Old Blue Eyes, Mathis, Mel Torme or all the other crooners who followed. So it was something akin to homage which packed the Palladium last night…

      Being unfortunate enough to sit directly in front of the talkalong, tap-along Lita Roza, I was possibly the only person present to appreciate the appalling over-amplification afforded the 72-year-old voice box and its backing.… however, this was an evening when most things seemed to be forgiveable… .As a celebration of 50 years turning dross into gold, and gold into better, this was an extraordinary personal experience.

(Jack Tinker, Daily Mail)

 

NICE-GUY BING REALLY MAKES YOU FEEL AT HOME

The difference between Bing Crosby and Sinatra is that Bing made two jokes - about his toupee and his money - within ten minutes of taking the wide Palladium stage last night. Sinatra doesn’t joke about being bald or rich. He is still a full-time professional, and such things are trade secrets. Bing, the older man, has accepted his age with grace and humour. In his new show at the Palladium, Crosby projects himself in his most natural role - as a friend of the family, the cheerful neighbour, everyone’s idea of a semi-retired nice guy.  

      Crosby at 72 has earned his unique place in the world’s affections. Now 50 years after his professional debut, he celebrates his anniversary with Britain by bringing onto the Palladium stage his dazzling wife Kathryn, and the Crosby’s three clean-cut polite and musical children.

      Crosby is on and off the stage throughout the show in the role of the host. He sings old songs and some modern ones in that familiar, resonant, unvaried Crosby baritone that seems to have been around for ever.

      Bing’s Palladium show is not an evening of high excitement. It’s more like a memorable visit to a cluster of familiar and treasured friends.

(Herbert Kretzmer, Daily Express)

 

A WORTHWHILE WAIT TO HEAR BING CROSBY

Danny Kaye, Bob Hope, Sinatra, Garland - all have been seen at the Palladium. We have had to wait half a lifetime for the most loved of Hollywood’s entertainers. But, once we were in the theatre, Bing Crosby did not keep us waiting a moment longer. Up went the curtain and on he came, in a solo spotlight, to the centre of the stage, “I’m glad to have the pleasure of your company,” he warbled. Now 71, a slight boyish figure with more hair than was real, he walks with a slight stoop and as he sings turns his strange, glassy eyes full upon us.

      But if the gait was stiff, the larynx was in superlative order and he looked, as they say, ‘a million dollars’, giving his impersonation of an orn’ery friendly Joe making the noise we all like to think we produce in the bathtub.   The evening is well-planned and he gives full value.... (his voice) seems deeper and. even treaclier than on the records, an educated foghorn, mood music through a lamp-glass. And the phrasing is impeccable: original, unexpected, just as written on the sheet-music. But with style.

      Extraordinary to recall that our parents denounced his “crooning” as decadent. With the coming of the microphone, he showed how to use it for intimate person-to-person singing. Joining in last night, the audience also crooned quietly, a lullaby from 2,000 throats.

      Regrettably, the sound-system amplified his voice to spoil many delicate effects, and the orchestra of three dozen often drowned the singer. Only when accompanied by the subtle Joe Bushkin Quartet was Bing Crosby heard at his best.

(John Barber, The Daily Telegraph)

 

At the age of 72, Bing Crosby packs the London Palladium. Night after night audiences rise to their feet in tribute to his genius. It could not happen to a nicer person. For Bing is not just a great singer who has brought sunshine and happiness into the lives of millions. He is a good man. Modest and gentle and unassuming. I applaud his triumph. Will people be queuing to see Mick Jagger in the year 2015?

(The Sunday Express)

 

BING, IT’S GREAT TO HEAR YOU AGAIN

We weren’t just applauding a smooth performance by Bing Crosby last night. We were giving the Old Groaner - a nice guy extraordinary - an ovation for the pleasure of his company during 50 years in show business. At the age of seventy-two - although Bob Hope insists Crosby is seventy-five - Bing is making his official British stage debut. Older Blue Eyes is well worth seeing. Such an entertainer with around 4,000 recorded songs behind him and disc sales running into the hundreds of millions has got to be a bit special.

      Bing is unique. There are better singers and better actors. But none who has so consistently projected his talents with such warmth and amiability.…

      Financial footnote: Bing is not singing for his supper. His fee is going to various charities. The guy’s all heart.         

(Arthur Thirkell, Daily Mirror)

 

Some day, should I ever try and put down on paper what were the most exciting events that I have ever attended over the years, I am sure that the list will include Bing Crosby’s 50th Anniversary Show Business salute at the London Palladium. It was an evening to treasure for a lifetime.

Let there be no mistake that Bing Crosby belongs only to America. His records, his films and his radio and television appearances have been seen all over the world. He is truly an international entertainer.

A few years ago Bing Crosby almost died of a lung ailment. He survived surgery and this appearance at the Palladium is a charity event with all proceeds being donated to a worthy cause.

His two week engagement at the Palladium was sold out before the box office ever officially opened. And as I looked over the capacity house on the night I was present, it was not strictly the “moms and dads” crowd. To be sure there were many grey and white haired folks in the crowd, but Bing Crosby brought out all ages from rock and roll fans in their teens to a great number of young adults who have heard the Crosby voice over the decades.

The orchestra struck up the strains of “When the Blue of the Night Meets the Gold of the Day” and with that the curtains parted and out strode Bing Crosby.

At 72 Mr. Crosby is more than a legend in his own time. He is the hallmark of what people 100 years from now will regard as popular singing in America. And the voice? It is in excellent condition. Unlike Sinatra whose singing is an embarrassment today, Mr. Crosby is still crooning and “groaning” with all the style and ease that makes him appear years younger than he is.

The first half of the bill featured Mr. Crosby in song joined along the way by Rosemary Clooney. It had been 25 years since Miss Clooney was last at the Palladium. Then she was the queen of the record industry and her “Come On-a My House” was selling millions. She has gotten a bit heavier but the voice is still as great as ever. I wish she had sung more of her record hits rather than so many contemporary tunes; but it was good to see her again.

THE SECOND HALF of the show was all Crosby. He brought on his wife Kathryn who sang and danced with him. He introduced his children: Harry who played the guitar well; Mary-Francis who sang and danced; and Nathaniel who looked lost. Together they made a happy picture.

The final portion of the show was the most moving, Mr. Crosby with Joe Bushkin at the piano sang a 35-song medley of his many hits. The audience joined in on each song singing along with Bing as they had so many times on their radios and phonographs. With each song from memory lane more eyes seemed to glisten so that Mr. Crosby’s beg off finale must have been a tear-stained blur to most people present. The standing ovation was stopped only when the management turned on the house lights and the orchestra played “God Save the Queen” to finally silence the crowd.

Bing Crosby at the Palladium was an event to take its place among the greatest in show-biz history. I hope that someone will persuade Bing to repeat this concert in America. It is too fantastic not to be seen by more people.

(William E. Sarmento, Lowell Sun, August 31, 1976)

 

June 24, Thursday. Decca producer Geoff Milne visits Bing at his West End apartment to discuss songs for a forthcoming album to be called Feels Good, Feels Right.

June 25, Friday. Johnny Mercer dies.

June 29, Tuesday. Presented with a scroll for services to Britain by Lord Ponsonby, chairman, Greater London Council at County Hall, Westminster, at a full session of the Greater London Council. The proceedings are broadcast by LBC. Later, Bing records a brief television tribute to Johnny Mercer during the interval of his Palladium show, which is shown on BBC2 on July 2.

 

ADDRESS OF WELCOME TO MR BING CROSBY

BY THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL AT THE COUNCIL MEETING ON 29 JUNE 1976.

We, the Chairman and Members of the Greater London Council on behalf of the people of London extend to you a very warm welcome on your visit to Britain’s Capital City.

Your association with this country, and with London in particular, is a long and distinguished one. Many people still remember with gratitude how, during the Second World War you came to these islands at your own expense and gave so much of your time to entertain our troops and help boost their morale. Your regular trans-Atlantic commuting has made you one of the most distinguished and best loved ambassadors of the United States and you have proclaimed your love of this country, and especially of London, both publicly and privately on many occasions.

During this time you have dedicated yourself without ostentation to many charitable causes in Great Britain. Indeed, you are generously donating the entire net proceeds from your present two-week engagement at the London Palladium to three British charities - the National Playing Fields Association, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme and the National Society for Cancer Relief. You are also participating in a number of fund raising celebrity golf tournaments, as well as helping the British Tourist Authority with a film to be called “Bing’s Britain”. On top of all this, you are giving much material help and encouragement to the Ochtertyre Theatre in Crieff, Perthshire. We wish you every success in this venture – as also we wish every success to your wife Kathryn who will shortly be acting there in “The Heiress”.

As an artist of world stature and in your 50th  year in show business, you have appealed to so many people in this country - and particularly in this our capital city - for so long that your art has become a part of our culture and your visit, therefore, an occasion of national significance.

We offer our sincere good wishes for your continued health and well-being in the coming years and, as a token of the esteem and affection in which all London regards you, we present you with this scroll not only as a memento of your present visit but in appreciation of all you have done for this country and for our city over so many years.

 

July 1, Thursday. Bing and family plus Rosemary Clooney are guests of the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace. Prince Philip spends an hour talking to Bing at a drinks party in the 1844 Room and the Queen unexpectedly joins the gathering as well.

 

The Duke of Edinburgh gave a Reception at Buckingham Palace this evening for Mr. Bing Crosby.

(Court Circular, July 1—as reproduced in The Times, July 2, 1976)

 

At 5:30 PM on July 1st, three outrageously long limousines picked us all up, and drove us slowly to the palace. I sat on a jump seat, while Bing murmured, “I’ve always hated this sort of formal thing. I should have said no while I had the chance."

"It would have been your last word on Earth," I assured him solemnly.

He nonetheless lamented his fate all the way to Buckingham Palace, where Prince Philip was at the door to take my hand and lead us in.

I entered the formal reception room, and was so busily engaged in admiring furnishings and portraits that I failed to notice the hush when a small woman in a pale summer frock floated in.

I was recalled to the here and now when she walked up and presented herself. It seemed that her given name was Elizabeth.

I suppose that I should have curtsied, but I was temporarily paralyzed by the bright blue eyes. I sent urgent telepathic pleas for aid to my husband, but he was occupied on the other side of the room, discussing Philip's golf game.

Fortunately Rosie Clooney was at hand, and she initiated a homey little chat about children. I expressed my admiration for Princess Anne's horsemanship, but Her Majesty replied that she found it frightening, making me recall British editorials inquiring how the daughter had presumed to terrify her mother so.

Chastened, I let my mouth run on to other subjects: the drought, the gardens, our nightly work at the Palladium, Bing's fragile health, his love of horses and field sports. The Queen's tranquil smile was unhurried, and her interest seemed completely focused. We constituted an island of calm in the grand room.

After some thirty minutes, two gentlemen moved in beside Elizabeth. One glanced significantly at his watch, and inquired about my children's schooling in America. The other asked Rosie about her latest album. Her Majesty eased from the room without a farewell, since that would have put an end to the party. With my Texas background, I flashed onto cutting horses. The Queen’s retainers had gently eased her from the herd.

Bing and Philip were photographed as they strode out to our car.

(Kathryn Crosby, My Last Years with Bing, pages 371-373)

Bing’s invitation to work with him was a breakthrough, both personal and professional, like an apostolic blessing. Once I appeared with him, under his imprimatur, in his major venues, the world began to open up to me again. I’d had good reviews from the anniversary benefit; I began getting offers for more and better work, and I accepted them with confidence. So when Bing asked me to join him on tour that same spring, I was ready for the challenge and the exposure.

     We played Vegas, San Francisco, New York—then we crossed the Atlantic to play the London Palladium. I felt that the pieces of my life were shifting and locking into place. . . .    

      One evening before our show, we were all invited to a small party at Buckingham Palace, where Prince Philip seemed happy to meet us. . . .   

      The Queen was as approachable and amiable as her husband. She and Kathryn and I stood and chatted for a full twenty minutes about our families, our children.

(Rosemary Clooney, writing in her book Girl Singer, page 250)

 

July 7, Wednesday. Takes part in a photographic session at the ATV Studios at Elstree where he and his family have been rehearsing for their Christmas show.

July 8–10, Thursday–Saturday. At Elstree studios, Bing records his annual Christmas television special (which airs on December 1) with his family, Jackie Gleason, and Bernadette Peters. Norman Campbell is the director and Peter Knight is the musical director. The script originally called for Bing to perform an assortment of contemporary hits with Bernadette Peters but, in view of the recent death of Johnny Mercer, this is replaced by a medley of Mercer songs.

The Crosby family had been making a Christmas Special in the United States for many years. However, in 1976, Bing came to ATV with his wife Kathryn, sons Harry and Nathaniel and daughter Mary, famed for her appearances in the hit soap Dallas. Directed by Canadian, Norman Campbell, the guest stars were a young and vibrant Bernadette Peters and a not so young and certainly not so vibrant Jackie Gleason. Bernadette sang ‘One (Singular Sensation)’ from the hit Broadway show Chorus Line. Her rendition was terrific.

Fake Christmas trees swamped the studio. Artificial snow was still being found weeks after the set was pulled down. An over-the-top park area was designed for Bing and the entire family to wander around singing a cacophony of Christmas songs. Thankfully, because the medley was mimed, the listener avoided hearing whining snow machines swirling thousands of white chips of polystyrene around the studio. This was all very jolly, but it was the middle of August and in the hottest year on record. The studio air conditioning could not be used during takes, so the dock doors were almost continually open to let some sort of fresh air in.

1976 was also the time when England played Australia in a series of gripping test matches. The vision department had rigged several floor monitors for the crew to follow the proceedings. The cast gathered round these monitors during breaks requesting explanations of the ‘strange proceeding’ taking place at Lords cricket ground. The scene boys were happy to oblige. Talks of ‘leg before’ and ‘bowling a maiden over’ caused sniggers from Mr. Gleason, who could well have been noting it all for future stag night speeches.
(Ted Scott, Senior Sound Director, from his website tedscott.co.uk)

July 11, Sunday. Bing and his party fly into Dublin, Ireland, and are greeted by American Ambassador Walter Curley and the Artane Boys Band at the airport. In the afternoon, starting at 2:24 p.m., Bing golfs in the Musgrave-Christy O’Connor Pro-Am at the Hermitage with Christy O’Connor and Val Doonican. During his round, he gives a short interview to Noel Mould of Downtown Radio. Both Nathaniel and Harry also play in the Pro-Am. Bing performs in a hotel cabaret show that night. Stays at the Gresham and gives a dinner party in his penthouse suite.

July 12/13, Monday/Tuesday. Rehearses at the Gaiety Theatre during the morning. Manages to fit in some golf with his sons at Portmarnock during the afternoons. (7:30–10:30 p.m.) The Bing Crosby and Friends stage show is at the Gaiety Theater, Dublin. Proceeds go to the Artane Boys School and to the Madonna House. Bing writes to the editor of The Irish Times.

 

My Dear Sir,

I know this is highly unusual but I’m asking, if it is possible, if you would publish a short message to Dubliners from me? i.e. All the Crosby’s and the rest of the strolling players who came along are grateful for the warm reception we received in Dublin. All of this was made possible by the kindly offices of Mr. George O’Reilly.

Sincerely, Bing Crosby

 

…But thanks to George O’Reilly, I was able to attend the rehearsal for the Gaiety show. The show did, of course, follow the pattern of the Palladium performances I had already seen - but seeing the rehearsal was quite different and certainly a fascinating experience. One difference between this show and the Palladium was, alas, that it was not preceded by that fascinating newsreel shot of Bing in the 1944 Stagedoor Canteen.

I took my seat, unobtrusively, at the back of the stalls, while the band was on stage tuning up, and lots of other activity going on…Kathy was dancing around, limbering up as it were…the two lads came on stage, very casually dressed - chips off the old block, I thought…microphones were being placed at strategic points…and then there was Bing himself dressed in a short-sleeved sports shirt and the inevitable straw hat, and making much of putting out the microphones, checking the light changes and the “spots”, clearly very thorough, very concerned. And for me it was all pure magic.

Before long Bing sat himself on a tall stool and took the mike in hand; the band started up on ‘Send in the Clowns’ and after a false start, Bing went on to sing it all through without further hitch. He did however, sing the final two bars again, and nonchalantly commented: “OK – I’ll buy that. It’ll do... What’s next?” Next was ‘Slow Boat to China’, and naturally, on came Rosie Clooney. Again, there was a false start or two and then they had it all together and went right thro’ it faultlessly.

Kathy joined Bing to rehearse ‘My Cup Runneth Over’ but there were no problems, straight through without a hitch. Bing next put ‘The Way We Were’ through its paces again faultlessly and I began to wonder why they bothered to rehearse! True, Bing sang the last couple of lines again but I saw no need for it. I should mention that throughout these rehearsal proceedings, Bing was joking all the time - with the band boys, his family and the other artists, and all sorts of hands and technicians milling about on the stage. And what was very apparent was that everyone was enjoying themselves, Bing most of all - and he was in top form.

Bing kept singing snatches even between the songs, throwing in plenty of “boo, boo, boo’s” to the obvious delight of everyone there. At one stage he walked to the front of the stage, which sloped quite steeply to the orchestra pit, and seemed to be appraising it. “Better not get too close here,” called Bing to Kathy, who was dispensing sweets from an enormous bag, “a guy could go on his ass down there.”

Following a break, the whole family rehearsed the ‘Row, Row, Row’ routine, right down to the last detail…next Bing called on Ted Rogers and proceeded to swap cracks with him in great style, finally going into ‘Gone Fishin’’ – after which the whole band applauded!
(Noel Mould, writing in BING magazine, Christmas 1976 [#44])

 

BlNG’S 50 YEARS OF SHOW BUSINESS

Fifty years of show-business history sang danced and gagged his way through a three-hour show at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, last night and Bing Crosby showed us just what it was all about. He opened his show at 7.30 and at 10.30 took his final bow, each time to standing ovations of several minutes.

      What seems, to amaze most people was his great stamina. Bing is 73 and after last night’s show, one wonders how many of today’s show-business names will still be around to perform at that age, let alone handle the lion’s share of a three hour presentation.

      Opening his show Bing went back to his start in show-business with a couple of the first songs he sang in public and anecdotes and from there the show rolled along smoothly, with Bing introducing and doing songs and bits with Rosemary Clooney, the Joe Bushkin Quartet and comedian Ted Rogers who won the audience with a snappy line in localised topical jokes and some humorous general political observations.

      In the second half of the show Bing was joined by his family - wife Kathryn, sons Nathaniel and Harry and daughter Frances, all of whom contributed to the evening. Harry Crosby III seems to have inherited his father’s musical bent, if not his voice, and played classical guitar and piano. Other son Nathaniel is the golfer, it seems - at one time mother Kathryn remarked “If he could do it with a putter he’d be all right” - while Kathryn, formerly actress Kathryn Grant, and daughter Frances both sang and danced with Bing.

      The Old Groaner rounded off the evening with a medley of songs - nearly 40 in all - which included ‘Irish Lullaby’, ‘Galway Bay’ and ‘When Irish Eyes Are Smiling’ and the audience were encouraged to sing along. In fact, the only thing he didn’t sing was ‘White Christmas’ and had he done so, it would not have been inappropriate despite it being a warm night in July.

      Crosby is a show business master craftsman, of which there are very few. Everything about last night’s show had a subtle class to it. And it’s not something you just get. It’s acquired over years of experience. In short, it was a great and memorable evening in the company of a man who is truly a legend in his own lifetime and deserves to be.

(Tony Wilson, Evening Herald, Dublin, July 13, 1976)

…The night though, belongs, to Mr. Crosby. His personality is exceptional: he exudes warmth and sincerity, and there is an inner contentment about him that is rare and beautiful in this modern age. He expresses his philosophy and his values in “That’s What Life Is all About”—a quietly strong song of some spiritual content. It sums up the man very well indeed.
(Desmond Rushe, Irish Independent, July13, 1976)

July 14, Wednesday. Flies out from Dublin and arrives at Turnhouse Airport in Edinburgh with his family. They drive to Ochtertyre in Crieff, where Kathryn and Mary Frances are to appear in The Heiress at the local theater. Bing and his sons then golf at Crieff's Ferntower course.

July 15/16, Thursday/Friday. Bing Crosby and Friends stage show at Usher Hall, Edinburgh. The proceeds go to the Ochtertyre Theater Appeal Fund. On the first night, the theatre is only two-thirds full as it is felt that £10 was a lot for a ticket. It is estimated that £10,000 is raised for the theatre.

 

BING AT HIS BEST - AND NOW I CAN DIE HAPPY

At last I’ve seen Bing in person, on stage. You see the legend in his own lifetime before your very own eyes and you get to feeling that now you’d be content to meet your maker. Crosby at the Usher Hall last night was that kind of experience.

      Knock me down your Sinatra records if I detract one iota from the marvellous man himself. The renowned pipes took the strain of the three-hour show with, it seemed, plenty to spare. Bing on stage strung it all together. The singing compere. First Miss Clooney. Delectable… Ted Rogers, Britain’s most topical comedian recommended to Crosby by Como… Bing on his own had given us contemporary hits like ‘The Way We Were’ and ‘Send in the Clowns’, but it was with a 30-minute medley with the quartet that he really scored with this audience.…       

(John Gibson, Edinburgh Evening News, July 16, 1976)

 

His high-stepping, short-paced gait, lively in appearance but economical of effort; his raised chin and firmly closed mouth, an attitude elderly men tend to use for keeping old skin taut. His impeccable microphone technique; his voice rich as ever, except for the high notes, which he avoided. His charm and, well, talent is the only word, I suppose, for an ability to command a stage for almost three hours without moving a wrong muscle…The old man’s watery blue eyes as he sang “The Way We Were”. His self-possession during the applause at the end – doesn’t he realize how rare standing ovations are in Edinburgh? – and his gentle send-up of our enthusiasm as he strutted off, hand on heart.

(The British Medical Journal, October 30, 1977)

 

I worked with Bing Crosby during his last two Palladium seasons, and also on his provincial date. Previously I had done a British tour with Perry Como, and it was he who went back to the US and persuaded Bing to come over to the UK and play some concerts.  He also suggested that he (Bing) should have me on the support bill, which I took to be a tremendous honour.

I remember the first time I met Bing. I had gone round to the offices to discuss with him our routine on stage, which included some duets and comedy together.  When I arrived he was in another room, talking on the telephone—I could hear him, and he spoke like he sang! You could hear his voice going up and down. I remember being in great awe of the fact that he was next door and that I would meet him in a few minutes, but the moment we shook hands the whole aura of his legend disappeared. We were simply two artists there to do a job.

After some Scottish dates, Bing took a party of 14 of us from the show, including Rosemary Clooney to a local mansion where we had dinner and were then entertained in the typical Scottish manner. After the proceedings he began to reminisce about his life and career, and he was talking about artists who to me were legends. It was just so marvellous to be with him. I last saw Bing on the Monday before he died when he played his last concert in Brighton, and he seemed particularly bright and aware during his performance. It was a great fun show.

To me, losing Bing Crosby is like losing my father. Everything has been said about him now, but his death still leaves me speechless.

(Ted Rogers, as quoted in Woman’s Realm magazine after Bing’s death)

 

July 18, Sunday, Bing attends mass at Crieff's St. Fillan's Roman Catholic Church.

July 19, Monday. Bing at Churchill Hotel in London. Elsewhere, a  16-minute filmed  history of San Mateo County titled "Between Sail and Satellite" with narration by Bing and Merv Griffin is shown at Hillbarn Theater in  Foster City, San Mateo County.

July 20, Tuesday. Records the first part of the Feels Good–Feels Right album with an orchestra conducted by Alan Cohen at Decca Studio No.3, Broadhurst Gardens, London, working from 10:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

 

Bing had come to England to create a spoken word, three-LP box-set, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, with Geoff working on the sound effects. While Crosby was there, Geoff (Milne) had snapped up his latest record, Southern Memoir.

“He said nobody wanted it. He had run out of steam, as far as the record labels were concerned,” Geoff says. “I knew John Scott Trotter [Crosby’s regular accompanist and director], whom I’d met in America, and he told Bing I would be interested.”

Having released the album, Geoff was given the chance to produce a new Crosby record: 1976’s Feels Good, Feels Right. “One can get very blasé about this sort of thing, but it was quite an event to meet him,” Geoff says. “It was very pleasant seeing him. I was always interested in Crosby – he was a bit of a legend, a little bit special.”

Geoff says being in the studio with the singer was a memorable experience: “It wasn’t just a job. It was exciting, in a way, listening to him. It’s hard to explain, but he was a man who had been singing since 1926 and he was still going strong – he had an incredible track record.

“He went through a period in the 1950s when he sounded a little bit tired and the records didn’t sound as good, but he seemed to recover from the early ‘70s onwards – there was a new timbre to his voice.”

The first step was to decide which songs Crosby would record, with Geoff driving up to the singer’s rented house at Holland Park to talk over possibilities. “We were going through all sorts of titles in the flat,” he says. “He knew most of them, having probably sung them on the radio at one time or another. But I remember having to sing one of them for him, and him saying: ‘That was very good – you ought to record it’, very much tongue-in-cheek.”

And Geoff did get a chance to croon in the studio, as Bing struggled with one particularly tricky melody line. “There was another song, either Rose in Her Hair or Old Fashioned Love, where he couldn’t get the melody quite right and had to be reminded of how it went,” Geoff says.

“If you look on the back of the LP, there’s a photo of me singing to him, because he couldn’t get it right. Everybody found that very amusing. I suppose even the master professionals can have their weaknesses.”

Mostly, though, Geoff was taken aback by just how easy Crosby found the process. “The actual recording didn’t take very long,” he says. “Myself and the studio producer Kevin Daley suggested titles and Bing usually went along with what we had to say.

“He could nail a song in the first go. If you did it again, it was just a safety, just to be sure. I often heard the first take and thought: ‘How’s he going to improve on that?’”

The album was recorded in one three-day period in July, with a second session at the start of August where Bing recut four songs he was unhappy with, using a different style and tempo, including one that never made the record – That Old Black Magic.

Geoff’s favourite song from the record is the enchanting, dreamy closing number. “The song that stands out from those sessions is When I Leave the World Behind,” he says. “He liked that song; I remember when we talked about it. Al Jolson had made it famous and we thought: ‘Hmm, is it the right sort of material?’, but Bing was convinced it was, and he was right.”

Geoff says that while Bing was “practical” and “no mug”, he had much in common with the happy-go-lucky persona he cultivated in films and on records. “He wasn’t particularly interested in money,” Geoff says. “We signed contracts with him for a very nominal amount. He was just happy to be working.”

Still, it wasn’t always easy for the singer to fit in studio time along with his other commitments. “Golf was more important to him than singing,” Geoff says. “We were fixing duties for the studio and he would say: ‘I shall be at the golf that day’ – that always came first.”

The singer used his trip to the UK to pursue several hobbies, going grouse-shooting near Ripon in North Yorkshire, playing cricket with youngsters at the High Side playing fields in Kirkby Malzeard which he had helped build, and attending a golf championship in West Sussex.

While Crosby was in the country, Geoff did his best to make the star feel at home. “Bing used to come in with all sorts of requests,” he recalls. “That included getting hold of some records of bird noises for his wife Kathryn.” Feels Good, Feels Right was released during a major upturn in Bing’s fortunes.

“It did quite well in sales,” Geoff says. “Bing was in the middle of a resurgence of interest – people were saying his voice was even better than in the ‘50s. He was more relaxed. He had done a concert – two or three nights at the London Palladium, and that had sparked this big interest. By general consensus he was singing very well indeed.”

Geoff remembers Crosby as “a very down-to-earth sort of man”, matter-of-fact and unfailingly polite. “I remember while we were in my office, a West Indian waitress brought some drinks in, and he was up there like a shot to take the tray from her and thank her,” he says.

“He was on his feet instantly, a man of his stature. I can think of many artists who wouldn’t have moved.” Though the company tried to keep Bing’s visit quiet, word inevitably leaked out, with vast numbers of fans visiting the studio. “There are some who hate signing autographs, but Bing would sign anything,” Geoff says.

“He said when people stopped asking for his autograph, that would be the time to worry. People were constantly knocking on the office doors, but he never refused them. That just shows what kind of a man he was.”

(An interview with Bing Crosby’s producer, advicetothelovelorn.blogspot.com/, 7 April 2010)

 

July 21, Wednesday. Continues recording the Decca album between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

July 22, Thursday. Further recording session at Decca Studios between 10:00 a.m. and 12:20 p.m. Bing arranges for another check for $100 to be sent to British fan Leslie Gaylor annotated "publicity".

 

The spirit’s willing, but Bing’s tired pipes aren’t what they once were despite his choice of nine splendid standards and three more recent tunes recorded last summer in London. One must overlook faulty intonation, an inability to sustain notes and an overall feeling of fatigue in this program produced by Kevin Daly and with orchestra conducted by Alan Cohen. For Crosby filberts, however, the LP will hit the mark. No annotation. Best cuts: “Nevertheless,” “When I Leave This World Behind.”

(Billboard, January 29, 1977)

 

Not having received that advance publicity that most of Bing’s albums have had this last year or so we have, in this Decca presentation, a superb surprise bonus that keeps us reeling in amazement at the resurgence of our new, top-form, Bing. Yes, let’s not lose sight of the fact that Bing is singing better than he was, and this LP is as good an example as any to prove the point.

Basically a collection of love ballads, there is at the same time a nice balance of pace as well as featuring appropriate ‘openers’ for each side. It appears that the up-tempo tunes were recorded at the third of the four sessions and the introductory number, first sung by Bing on a TV programme in the autumn of that anxious 1974, is easily the best example of three of them, It gets the album off to a flying start with Bing infectiously enthused by a lyric which tells us that as far as he is concerned it is great to be alive and well, and back singing in with a band.

Band?  Let me not do an injustice to this very fine orchestra conducted by Alan Cohen, who also contrived the arrangements. No line-up is to hand but there is aural evidence of a full string, brass and woodwind complement, including harp and harmonica. The arrangements are mostly traditional without losing sight of the contemporary big band sound and there’s no doubt that the modern recording techniques do full justice to every member of the orchestra.

For me, the best session occurred on 21 July when four very fine ballads were recorded. At one time the verse to a song was almost always featured, then for a time they became the exception rather than the rule. In several recent recordings Bing has given us verses which must be quite new to many listeners and happily, that’s a prominent feature of the presentation of the ballads to which Bing brings his unique vocal nuances on this LP.
(Bert Bishop, BING magazine, Christmas 1976 [#44])

 

July 27-31, Tuesday–Saturday. The annual horse race meeting at Goodwood, near Chichester, West Sussex, takes place. Bing attends at some time during the meeting.

August 2, Monday. (3:00 p.m.) Bing is at Decca House to listen to acetates of his recent recording sessions before returning to Claridges. Elsewhere, Kathryn and Mary Frances open in The Heiress at the 100-seat Ochtertyre Theatre in Crieff.

 

While in my office with Bing, we were constantly interrupted by knocks at the door. “Would Mr. Crosby please let me have an autograph?” Never once did he demur. We usually tried to keep his visits quiet so that he would not be disturbed, but it would soon get round the building that Geoff Milne was meeting with Bing in his office! Indeed, Bing once said to me that he would be worried when people stopped asking for his autograph. At 3:30 p.m., the door opened for a West Indian waitress bearing tea and biscuits. Bing immediately jumped up and took the tray from her, with profuse thanks, much to her surprise and delight. I don’t think she will have ever forgotten that gracious little act, so typical of Bing.

(Geoff Milne, in a letter to BING magazine, December 1996)

…Kathryn Crosby, as Catherine, the heiress was stunningly beautiful – which should not have been – but she bravely carried through the part of a 20-year-old and undoubtedly pleased the packed house who had come to see her…
(Aberdeen Press and Journal, August 4, 1976)

 August 3, Tuesday. Golfs in the pro-am curtain raiser for the Colgate European Women’s Championship at Sunningdale. He and his partner, Susan Downer, return a 12-under par 62 but their score is eclipsed by a 57 scored by Nathaniel Crosby and his partner.

August 5, Thursday. (Evening) Visits Ashington, West Sussex, and dines at the Old Smithy restaurant off the London Road as one of a party of guests of Capt. H. Ryan Price, the Findon racehorse trainer.

August 9, Monday. Bing and his two youngest sons leave Heathrow for Frankfurt, West Germany.

August 10, Tuesday. Bing and his sons golf in the American Express Pro-Am at Frankfurt Golf Club. Bing tees off at 10:00 a.m. Elsewhere, The Heiress starring Kathryn and Mary Frances transfers to the Church Hill Theatre in Edinburgh.

 

FRANKFURT - His voice isn’t as strong as it once was and his golf game isn’t as good as it once was, but it is evident at first glance that Harry Lillis Crosby enjoys life. For, lo, these many years, Bing Crosby has been enjoying life. So, why should things have been different Tuesday morning at Frankfurt Golf Club where the old maestro made an appearance to play, along with his two younger sons, Harry and Nathaniel, in the American Express ProAm prelude to the 42nd German Open. Things certainly weren’t any different Tuesday.

      “I’ve been working quite hard with my concerts lately, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed them. Over the years, I’ve played many charity shows, but they haven’t been on such a large scale as the recent presentations in London, Dublin and Edinburgh,” Crosby said.

      “My family has been taking part in the performances and I’ve really enjoyed every minute of all of them. We had a great band, we played in great theaters and, most of all, we had a great cast - what more could a man want?” he added.

      Harry is an accomplished guitarist and pianist who is interested in serious music, and Bing’s wife is the former actress Kathy Grant. She is currently performing in “The Heiress” in Edinburgh and daughter. Mary Francis (16) also has shown some acting potential.

      Crosby, of course, is a golf enthusiast from way back. He tries to play on weekends when the boys are out of school and his Crosby “Clambake,” near Monterey, Calif., the first big pro-am ever staged, is one of golfdom’s annual big attractions.

      “Oh, I’ve managed to get in a few rounds of golf in England, Scotland and Ireland between performances. The boys and I have had some wonderful times on those links courses. We really enjoyed Portmarnock (near Dublin), what a great course.

      “I don’t play as good a game as I used to play, but it’s still fun for me. That’s why I’m here today, to have some fun. The boys really take the game seriously and they’ll be trying to win today. Me, I’m going to enjoy myself,” Der Bingle said.

      Crosby said he didn’t play the game as good as he used to, but he smiled and said “nine” when he was asked what handicap he plays to. A nine isn’t too bad for a 72-year-old performer - no, indeed, it’s pretty darn fine. During his warmup, in preparation for partnering Spanish pro Angel Gallardo and H.O. Krings, president of the German Golf Federation, Crosby hit shot after shot straight down the middle on the Frankfurt driving range and he got off the first tee with a slight hook down the left side.

      Harry was teamed with Severiano Ballesteros, the young Spaniard who fared so well in the British Open and won last week’s Dutch Open and Nathaniel (14) played with South Africa’s Hugh Baiocchi and Alexander von Bensheim. Harry, who turned 18 on Sunday, had a net 62 and Bing, who was “playing for fun,” turned in a net 69.

      “You have to adjust a few things in your life as you get older,” Bing said. “I know I don’t have the singing range I had 30 or 40 or even 10 years ago. So, I don’t try to hit those high notes, I try to sing an octave lower. Some people believe it’s all over when they can’t reach those high notes. Not me, I keep on singing because I love to sing.”

      ‘White Christmas,’ Crosby said, had to be his favorite song, because it had the “biggest impact on my life.” It had a big impact on many lives because it is the biggest selling single record of all times. He said he had performed in something like 24 concerts over the past few years and had released six or seven albums and quite a few singles in the last 18 months in addition to his concerts.

      “What do you do in your spare time?” he was asked.

      “Oh, I golf. I fish. I travel. I enjoy life. And I do as much of this as possible with my family. The basis of a sound community is sound family life within the community and sound communities make for a sound country.

      “I am very active in two organizations - the American League of Anglers and Ducks Unlimited. Too many of our American rivers are becoming polluted and too much of our forest land is being destroyed, much of it by sheer carelessness, and those two groups have been fighting a war to preserve the beauty of America and I try to do my bit to help them,” he said.

      Crosby also is interested in baseball, especially the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in which he has some cash invested. He spoke right up when he was told that John Candelaria had pitched a no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers Monday night.

      “He’s a big lefthander and he can really throw the ball. Sometimes, he doesn’t know where it’s going, but then again neither do the batters. And that can be good sometimes,” Crosby said. “Candelaria’s been having a pretty year.” (Ed. note: Candelaria owns an 11-4 record, proving that Bing keeps on the top of things.)

      Der Bingle warbled bits of some of his songs. Like he said, he doesn’t have that far out range any more, but he sure was enjoying his day at Frankfurt Golf Club Tuesday.

(Ben Abrams, Stars & Stripes, August 12, 1976)

 

August 11, Wednesday. Flies in from West Germany to stay at Godfrey Bostock’s house near Ripon, North Yorkshire.

August 12, Thursday. After grouse shooting on Dallowgill Moor with his son Harry in a party led by Godfrey Bostock (Bing shoots six and a half brace), calls at Kirkby Malzeard, near Ripon, to see the Highside Playing Fields he has helped with donations totaling £1250. Briefly, plays cricket there and the event is captured by photographers. He is then interviewed outside the Drovers Inn in Dallowgill by Gerald Hine-Haycock for the BBC-TV  programme "Look North" and this is shown the following day.

 

With his pads and batting gloves on Bing strode into the centre of the picturesque village pitch to face the bowling of some youngsters who had never heard him sing or seen his films.

      “How do you hold this bat?” he joked. “And what do you do with it? Don’t send those balls down fast,” he said, hitting the first ball for four. But to the delight of the spectators he was out—clean bowled with the second ball.

(Daily Mail, August 13, 1976)

 

August 13, Friday. Bing and his son Harry remain at Godfrey Bostock’s home.

August 14, Saturday. Bing and Harry travel to London.

August 16-18, Monday–Wednesday. Bing accompanies his fourteen-year-old son Nathaniel to Sunningdale for the British Boys’ Golf Championship. Nathaniel reaches the fourth round before he is knocked out.

August 17, Tuesday. (10:00–12:30 p.m.) Records four more songs for the Feels Good–Feels Right album with an orchestra conducted by Alan Cohen at Decca Studio No. 3, Broadhurst Gardens, London. Three of the songs are not issued until after Bing’s death.

August 21, Saturday. Bing and his sons watch Kathryn and Mary in the final performance of The Heiress in Edinburgh. The play has been a disaster from start to finish during a three week run, first at Ochtertyre and then in Edinburgh, although Kathryn's reviews were good. Bing had been asked by Sir William Murray (the 11th baronet of Ochtertyre) to help the theatre but despite the efforts of the Crosby family, Murray had to sell off his estate to clear debts and the theatre had to close. Murray committed suicide in  November 1977 at the age of 38 and the theatre premises themselves were destroyed by fire in 1981.

August 22, Sunday. Starting at 2:30 p.m., Bing captains a team of USA celebrities against a British team led by Sean Connery on the King’s Course at Gleneagles, Scotland. The event is organized by The Saints and Sinners Club of Scotland and the Scottish Taverners Club and is watched by a large crowd.

 

I don’t like to name-drop, but look at this list of names for when the American team came over to play against the UK members at Gleneagles: Bing Crosby, Burt Lancaster, George C. Scott, Robert Stack, Phil Harris, Steve Forrest, Dick Martin, Jack Lemmon and Alan Shepard, the astronaut who took a golf ball to the moon and actually hit it while he was there. It was one of the most wonderful golf tournaments ever. Sean Connery was our captain, and, among others, we had James Hunt, Jackie Stewart, Max Bygraves, Henry Cooper, Val Doonican and Jimmy Tarbuck in our team. What a crowd. . . . The day I played with the American crooner Bing Crosby, Bing turned on the heat when we got to the last few holes. He gave us a bit of a thrashing and won the game. He was such a keen golfer. He used to smoke this extra-long pipe which he put down on the grass before we played a shot. I often wondered whether the position of the pipe helped to line him up for the direction in which he wanted to hit his shot. But I don’t really think so. Would Bing do that to Brucie? How can I be so untrusting, so cynical? But, believe me, it was a very long pipe!

(Bruce Forsyth writing in his autobiography Bruce: The Autobiography, page 222)

 

August 23, Monday. Golfs on the King’s Course at Gleneagles, with Sean Connery, Phil Harris, and Jackie Stewart as they tape a further International Pro-Celebrity Golf television program. Bing remains at the course all week to introduce the other matches in the series, which is presented by Peter Alliss and shown on BBC2-TV in January 1977.

 

The event was run by Ken Bowden, a prolific author and golf magazine editor, who timidly asked my father to tape an introduction to the show. Dad agreed, and when he showed up at the appointed hour on a chilly morning, he “amiably greeted the crew,” Bowden wrote in one of his books, “then turned to me.  ‘Okay. Script?’”

Bowden handed him the text, at least a few hundred words long, he estimated, and asked whether he should load it into the teleprompter. “Give me a minute,” my father said. He stepped away and quietly read it three times. “I got the impression he was trying to memorize it,” Bowden wrote, “but couldn’t believe that was possible in so short a time.”

He returned the script to Bowden, stood in the designated place in front of the camera, and said, “Let’s go.” Bowden again offered to put it on the teleprompter to let him rehearse once. “Not necessary,” Dad said. Bowden, meanwhile, was concerned that Dad would stray from the script. The opposite occurred. “Amazingly, Bing's delivery was virtually word-perfect, meaning he’d memorized the darn thing in just three quick readings. By then, I’d worked a few hundred such tapings, some featuring superstar actors. In golfing terms, Bing Crosby had just made them all look like bumbling hackers.”
(Nathaniel Crosby, 18 Holes with Bing, pages 43-44)

The format was simple: nine holes, famous celebrity and famous professional golfer versus ditto, with Peter as the referee, commentator and interviewer. It took off from the first, getting good viewing figures for BBC 2, and a wide spectrum of viewers, not all of them golfers. It was dropped from the schedules some time in 1986/7, just as golf was really taking off as a popular sport. Go figure, as Bing might say …

      I am not sure who the professional golfers were that year in Gleneagles, but Bing Crosby’s star opponent was the great American screen actor George C. Scott, fresh from his success as Patton. Two nine-hole matches were played every day, one teeing off at 9 a.m. and the afternoon match at 2.30 p.m. Crosby and Scott were due to engage for the morning four ball. Belying his years, Crosby was on the tee early, eager and frisky and ready to bring the King’s Course to its knees. A large crowd of spectators had turned up to cheer on the great men. The problem was that one of the great men was missing: George C. Scott.

      There was no panic. George was not known for his time-keeping; indeed, it was suggested that he might be nursing a bit of a hangover, as he had been seen enjoying a post-prandial snifter or several the evening before. Runners were sent to his bedroom, the breakfast room and, finally, to the bar. There he was behind it - well, beneath it, dozing, surrounded by several bottles! He growled at all attempts to move him. All appeals to his finer nature, to his golfing soul, came to nought. Bing Crosby was sent for. In he ambled, and bending over his erstwhile opponent, crooned: ‘George … George!’

      The hulking figure opened an eye. ‘Yeah, Bing?’

       ‘Whaddya want, George?’

       ‘Two things, Bing ...’

      ‘Yes, George, and what can we get for you?’

      ‘A piss, and a plane ticket outta here.’

      George C. Scott left for Edinburgh airport within the hour. Peter Alliss recalls him hurling his golf clubs out of the limousine window, as it made its stately progress down the drive.

(Terry Wogan, writing in his book, Is It Me? pages 79/80)

 

How could one ever forget a week with the late Bing Crosby? At that time he was not too strong, frail, ageing. He was an entirely pleasant man, steeped of course in show business—he has quite the most astonishing wig I have ever seen which fitted sweet as a nut—but not one to talk much about it at all. He was a good conversationalist, enjoyed his life, loved the game of golf, loved the people he found in golf, loved going to Scotland. He enjoyed his Scotch and soda at the end of the day, and did every single thing smoothly and quietly. One thing he said which I cannot forget was that every single day of his life he tried to learn something—a new word, a new phrase, a new thought, a new fact. Just something about life. Pity more of us don’t do just that.

(Peter Alliss—An Autobiography)

 

August 26, Thursday. Interviewed by a Scottish schoolgirl (Judy Allan) on video at Gleneagles for FETV. The twenty-one minute interview entitled Talking to People is made available to all schools in the Fife educational area. Judy’s father, Morris Allan (the producer of the interview) sends a copy of the interview to Bing who replies as follows:

 

Thanks for your note and the 16mm film. I haven’t had a chance to view it yet because I don’t know how to run the projector and Harry is away at school. But I’ll get at it soon – when he returns.

Thanks for the cuttings describing the interview that Judy and I did over at Gleneagles when I was there. Very nice exposure – the whole incident – received in the various papers, and I’m pleased. Glad to hear, too, that the film is well received by both parents and children.

As regards the International Crosby Circle, it’s certainly all right for Judy to do a tape and send it to them for their use. They have been a very loyal adjunct of my connections there in Great Britain.

Thanking you very much – and Judy, too – for the interview.

Always a pleasure to oblige – your friend, Bing

 

During his time at Gleneagles, Bing also films a documentary called Bing’s Britain for the British Tourist Authority. He appears in both productions free of charge. Bing returns to London later in the week.

August 30, Monday. Bing flies to southern Spain for golf.

September 10, Friday. Bing flies into New Orleans from Miami, having been delayed by an airport strike in Madrid. He is greeted by Lt. Gov. James E. Fitzmorris and Archbishop Philip M. Hannan before giving a brief press conference. (8:00–9:00 p.m.) Bing entertains at the Gala Archdiocesan Charities Ball at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, New Orleans, in front of an audience of 1800 who have paid $100 each to attend. Peter Dombourian leads the Pat Barberot Orchestra.

 

It was one of the classic show business moments, Bing Crosby crooning, Al Hirt tooting and Pete Fountain fingering his clarinet. All under the gleeful gaze of 1800 plus persons who attended Friday night’s Gala Archdiocesan Charities Ball at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Crosby was the headliner for the $100 a plate charity event and Hirt and Fountain were plain customers but the three joined musical forces for one number, “Down the Mississippi” [sic, “Basin Street Blues” was the song] creating an entertainment delight that New Orleansians rarely have the opportunity to view these days.

With his voice as distinctively rich as ever, Crosby was in top form to compete with the musical ways of Hirt and Fountain. The number which came mid-way in a spectacular medley of tunes by Crosby brought a standing ovation. The swank evening kicked off with a gourmet dinner that included tournedos, wild rice and broccoli plus champagne and assorted wines and liquors but it was only a prelude to the “gourmet” entertainment served afterwards by “Der Bingle”. Accompanied by a jazz quartet, Crosby performed solo for more than sixty minutes, belting out a series of old and new tunes that turned out to be as tasty a treat as the dinner itself. He also chatted with the audience, telling a few stories about his career. His best number came early in the act - “Send in the Clowns” - that haunting, touching, Steven Sondheim composition from Broadway’s “A Little Night Music”. Other songs included, “The Way We Were”, “Gone Fishin’” and “At My Time of Life”, a new song from the musical “Great Expectations” which is based on the Charles Dickens novel but the grand finale of Crosby’s performance was a medley of two dozen or more tunes that included, “Swinging on a Star”, “True Love”, “Don’t Fence Me In”, “Pennies from Heaven”, “I Surrender Dear”, “You Are My Sunshine” “I’ll Be Seeing You”, “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans” (which, not surprisingly, drew lots of applause).   

Crosby was introduced by Archbishop Philip Hannan. The Archdiocese could not have picked a more imposing performer to launch its yearly benefit event. Crosby’s long awaited appearance in New Orleans - his first performance here ever - should earn him even more fans at the seasoned age of 72. Beyond the material, there was the familiar voice, which was at its best and the impeccable delivery that skyrocketed Crosby to the status of an entertainment giant—now and always.

(New Orleans Times-Picayune, September 11, 1976)

 

September 11, Saturday. Bing flies back to Los Angeles to attend the wedding of Kathryn's nephew David Grandstaff and Amy Bossen at Stanford Memorial Church that afternoon.

September 19, Sunday. Attends the Radio Awards evening at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, San Francisco, where he is presented with the Armstrong Award by Ken Carpenter for pioneering contributions to radio and for fifty years as an entertainer. Rich Little and Gord Atkinson also make speeches.

September 21, Tuesday. Bing writes to his sister Mary Rose.

 

Just got home the other day and found your letter awaiting. I’m sorry to hear about the deterioration in your vision. I had thought you had arrested this. It must be very uncomfortable and a great inconvenience. I’ll probably get down there to Pebble Beach soon. I’ve got some business there and will look you up.

      Well, we had three great months over there in Europe—touring, working, playing golf. Had a couple of good shoots. A lot of racing. And not one drop of rain! Which was great for us, but not so good for the farmers and for most of Southern England. Scotland was green, but the rest of it was pretty burnt out.

      Had a great time in New Orleans on my way home. I did a concert there for the Catholic Charities. Big event—$100 a plate thing with 2600 people and during the medley which I do, I started singing “Basin Street Blues” and out of the audience came Eddie Miller, Pete Fountain and Al Hirt. This really broke it up good! A standing ovation for these fellas. Bushkin took care of things in great style. We didn’t have a very good band. The conductor was all right but the fellas had a little trouble with the arrangements, but Bushkin played the piano, and this fella, Johnny Smith, on the guitar is a tremendous artist. He played a lot of stuff on the electric guitar that was supposed to be for flutes and other instruments that the local musicians couldn’t quite handle. But it was a great night, and a good conclusion to what was an interesting trip for us all.

      The rest of them came home a little ahead of me. I went to the south of Spain for a week to play some golf.

      Kathryn’s play was very well done . . . She and Mary Frances acquired a lot of experience, I’m sure. Some of it valuable, but most of it just annoying.

     The kids did well at the Palladium. By the end of the first week, and from then on, we really had a great act. About two and a half hours—not counting the twenty-minute interval, and the audiences in Ireland and Scotland were tremendous. Standing ovations every night, and a couple of times we couldn’t get Harry offstage. They wouldn’t let him off. He wound up singing at the piano, “I Write the Songs” a la Barry Manilow. Nathaniel was doing a duet with Clooney on “How About You” and Mary Frances was doing a dance and a couple of songs with me. We had a great British comic who really broke it up in the first half, and he and I sang “Gone Fishin’” together because of the Bicentennial and Armstrong’s birthday and all that.

      It was an interesting tour and profitable for a lot of great charities.

      Love, Bing

(As reproduced in The Grapevine, September 1991)

 

September 27, Monday. Bing writes to British fan, James Dineen in Glasgow.

 

I just wanted to be sure that you were properly thanked for the pictures you sent me. I thought they were very fine indeed. I saw the letter you wrote Mrs. Crosby and I fear maybe the letter I wrote you when I was in London, hadn’t reached you, so, I’m taking this means of furnishing the proper thanks.

All of us appreciate our association with you, and seeing you every year when we are there, and look forward to seeing you when we come back next summer.

Hope you liked “The Heiress”. I thought it was a good play, and it is probably the best thing Mrs. Crosby has ever done. A very successful thing for her, and I believe she’ll probably do it over here. 

Hope that you have a good winter - not too much bad weather - although I know you need the rain, but not as badly as they need it in Southern England, perhaps, but you do need a little bit.

All the best to you and your family.

 

September 30, Thursday. While driving to his home at Las Cruces, Bing gets caught up in Hurricane Liza and has to turn back and stay in the El Presidente Hotel in La Paz. He is given a room on the seventh floor but has to evacuate this when rain smashes through the windows. Stays in the basement discotheque with the other guests. Four hundred thirty-three people die in La Paz and the surrounding area. He describes it in his diary as follows:

 

On my way to Los Angeles, to present the concert for the Thalians, I decided to stop off in La Paz for a week of dove shooting. It was raining when I arrived. By the time I hit the highway, a stiff breeze was blowing, and the potholes were full of water. I ran into Louis Benoit, who was fresh from Las Cruces in a mangled jeep. He described the road ahead as impassable. Chevalo was certain that we could get through, but I made a good decision for once, and turned back to La Paz.

By the time I reached the El Presidente Hotel, I had to fight my way to the entrance through gale-force winds. I checked in, and lay down for a brief nap, only to be awakened by a bellboy, who announced that all guests were to assemble in the banquet hall on the ground floor.

The room had large bay windows with a view of the beach, and they began bending visibly, so we had to move into a windowless basement with strong wooden doors. We lay down on blankets, and prepared to wait out the storm, but minutes later there was an explosion, as the windows gave way in the banquet hall. The locked-and-bolted doors to our room burst open, scattering the guests about the floor, with much screaming and numerous cries of pain.

We were again evacuated, this time to the discotheque, a true subterranean bomb shelter, completely encased by walls of solid concrete. We were served sandwiches and coffee, and remained for seven hours, until we could hear that the wind, which had blown at over 100 miles an hour, was perceptibly diminishing.

The staff began determining which of the guest rooms were still suitable for occupancy. The hotel had lost its electricity, water, telephones, and 60% of its windows. I was escorted back to my room by flashlight at 2 AM. I turned the key in the lock, stepped aside, and kicked the door open. A blast swept through it, and I peeked around the frame to see that all the windows had been blown out. When the gale subsided, I gathered my luggage, sought refuge in a safer room, and finally managed about four hours of sleep.

The morrow dawned absolutely calm, and I started to consider my escape. The mile and a half to the highway was a sea of mud. No one could drive in or out. Even if I managed to reach the airport, it would be closed for lack of power. By early afternoon, the road had started to dry out, and I rented a jeep, whose four-wheel drive managed to carry me as far as the highway to La Paz, where Hughes Air West had a working telephone. I called Aeromexico, and was informed that they’d know by the next morning whether the flight for Los Angeles could take off. Our own strip at Las Cruces was under five feet of muddy water.

La Paz looked as if it had been hit by a thousand-plane raid. Many buildings had been flattened, and those still standing had lost their windows. Most trees were down, and the roads had been washed out by the deluge of water from the mountains. Hundreds of cars and many houses were completely buried. The dam above the city had burst, and the resulting flood had swept the shacks at the edge of town into the nearby gorges. Many persons who had made the mistake of trying to flee from the torrent would have been better off remaining where they were, and hanging onto something. Big boats were beached all along the coast, several right in front of the hotel.

The death toll was over a thousand, and we had an immediate mass burial of seven hundred people, to avoid an ensuing plague. The President has flown up from Mexico City to attempt to assess the damage.

(Extracted from My Last Years with Bing, page 377)

 

October 2, Saturday. Flies from La Paz to Los Angeles in the CBS camera plane. At night, Bing, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour are honored with the “Mr. Wonderful Award” at the Twenty-First Annual Thalian Show,"Road to USA", a benefit charity ball in the International Ballroom at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. They announce that they will make the film The Road to Tomorrow in Moscow, London and Saudi Arabia. Gary Crosby and his wife are among those attending.

 

Many years later, my charity, The Thalians, planned to honor Bing, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour, who had starred together in the seven popular “Road” movies. Everyone told me that I’d have trouble getting Bing to come to accept his award. Bob Hope teased me that I would never get him to agree to it. So I decided to call Bing. In those days you could go direct to anyone, even the biggest stars. You didn’t have to go through their agent or manager or hairdresser like you do now—if you can even get them on the line.

I was then appearing on Broadway in Irene, and Bing was on vacation in Scotland, playing golf. Just as I was going on onstage, I got word that he was on the line. Long-distance phone calls weren’t as easy to place then as they are now, so of course I took the call. They held the curtain until I finished. When I asked Bing to be our honoree, he agreed, but only if he could accept the award before dinner. He didn’t want to wait around all night to receive it. I agreed to his simple request.

 (Debbie Reynolds, Unsinkable – A Memoir, page 239)

 

...John Wayne, followed by the Spirit of ‘76 (a fife, a drum, a flag) led the way from the Beverly Hilton’s Grand Ballroom where cocktails had been served into the International Ballroom for the main event Saturday night. And that, in its unique way, set the theme for the Thalians’ 21st anniversary party benefitting the Thalians Community Mental Health Center at Cedars-Sinai.

This year’s show had three persons receiving the Mr. (or Ms.) Wonderful statuettes—Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour—and a dazzling musical revue a la Ziegfeld billed as “The Road to U.S.A” and produced by Jimmie Baker. As one of the presenters, Lucille Ball. Explained, it was a billing that could only go alphabetical.

In deference to Crosby who won’t perform after dinner, the show followed the first course. (In theory it seemed a good idea. In reality the evening lost some of its momentum after the show.) Crosby sang first. Then came clips (assembled by Jack Haley Jr.) of the trio’s “Road” movies introduced by Fred MacMurray. But instead of Miss Lamour, the audience got Peggy Lee and a few songs next. Then Hope was funny. Then came Thalians chairman of the board Ruta Lee and president Debbie Reynolds followed by Hope and Crosby—and Dorothy Lamour who somehow seemed left out of the whole dazzling production.
(Jody Jacobs, Los Angeles Times, October 6, 1976)

The Thalians did it again. A sensational party with only one snafu. The show raised over $200,000 for mentally disturbed children and those who came to the grand ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel and paid $100 per ticket to salute Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour got their money’s worth - plus.

Road To The USA

They called the nostalgic evening “Road to the USA,” a backward look at all those old tuneful island movies made by Bing, Bob and Dorothy back in the days of innocent movies.

The parade of celebrities started with Lucille Ball introducing Bing, Fred MacMurray introducing Dorothy, John Wayne bringing on Bob Hope. Said Duke about Bob, “His politics make mine look like Jane Fonda’s.”

The big show started before dinner – an innovation – out of respect for Bing’s long travail getting back from hurricane-stricken La Paz, Mexico, to keep his date. Exhausted or not, he sang and joked for almost an hour - a top performance with the “old pipes” as great as ever.

Bob and Delores Hope came from backstage to stand on the sidelines in the jam-packed audience just to watch Bing do his turn, and later, to listen to Peggy Lee, an added starter and a great one.

Feelings Hurt

Fred MacMurray introduced Dorothy Lamour but she didn’t come on until later when all three of the “road” partners were on stage. Her feelings were hurt that she didn’t have own moment in the spotlight. And rightly so. When she appeared for the finale, she took some notes for “jokes” she had intended to tell about her former co-stars and tore them up. A distressing moment for both a lovely person and for the many people there who love Dorothy. It was the only “flub” in an otherwise charming evening.

(Dorothy Manners, syndicated column, October 12, 1976)

It turned out to be the Road to Disenchantment for Dorothy Lamour Saturday night at the Thalians’ charity ball held to honor her, Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.

The evening started out splendidly enough. The black tie crowd that jammed the grand ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel was enchanted by the solo singing of Crosby and Peggy Lee and highly receptive to the stage appearances of Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Fred MacMurray and John Wayne.

But what was planned as the highlight to the evening - the first reunion since the 1961 “Road to Hong Kong” of Bing and Bob and their former Sarong Girl - never quite came off.

When Miss Lamour was asked to join her old partners on stage, they ended up pretty much crowding her out of microphone range. What had been intended as a three-part “Road” parody turned into a duet. And the show ended with Dorothy throwing notes with prepared remarks aside and making an ad lib reference to the bumps in the road of friendship she’s experienced with Bob and Bing in the past.

Later, Miss Lamour (who’s brooded frequently because her old buddies – particularly Crosby – haven’t kept in close touch) told me she hadn’t sung with them on stage “because they didn’t even invite me to rehearse with them. They obviously didn’t want me in the number.”

She also said she had no intention of subjecting herself to such hurt again. “This is the last time. I’ve had it.” She did relent a bit when I informed her Crosby and Hope were hoping to film “The Road to Tomorrow” next year. After thinking the situation over for a moment she conceded that she might lend her talents to the eighth “Road” picture, “if all the conditions were spelled out – and if the price was right.”
(Marilyn Beck, San Francisco Examiner, October 5, 1976)

October 11, Monday. Connee Boswell dies. Bing had been telephoning her daily at Mt. Sinai Hospital prior to her death. He sends a hand-written note to her sister Vet.

My most heartfelt condolences on Connie’s passing – (she was my favorite gal – I called her “sister Constance” and she called me “brother Bingstance”). A great lady, with boundless courage and divine talent. I loved her.

Bing

October 13, Wednesday. Bing writes to Ray Gretencord in London.

Thanks for your note and delighted to hear that you liked the show, and that you’re an old friend of Bushkin’s.

Joe did a good job for us on the tour, and the longer the tour went on, the better he became. He hadn’t been playing too much prior to this engagement, and he really got back on the beam, and at the end of the tour he was really going great!

I looked over your song. It’s a very cute song, Ray. If I ever get a spot for it, I’ll try and slip it in.

Thanks again for your letter.

Warmest best wishes, Bing

October 14, Thursday. Bing is in Las Vegas discussing how to help the Rev. Ben Franzinelli build a church for his Holy Family parish. The priest has been saying Sunday mass in the Sundancer Saloon for the previous twelve months.

October 19, Tuesday. Bing records at Devonshire Sound Studios, Magnolia Boulevard, North Hollywood, for United Artists. Bing adds his voice to tracks recorded by Pete Moore and his Orchestra in London. Most of the songs appear on the Beautiful Memories album.

 

Sadness inevitably surrounds “Beautiful Memories” by the late Bing Crosby, which must be one of the last LPs we will enjoy by this splendid gentleman with fifty years of consummate artistry to his credit, although we are advised of at least one more in the pipeline from Polydor. It is not his best album by any means, but Crosby never made a bad one to my knowledge, and there is much of value and interest in his versions of mostly recent pop ballads such as “A Little Love and Understanding,” “My Resistance Is Low,” “When a Child Is Born,” and “The Woman on Your Arm.” It is certainly a very adequate valedictory souvenir from a singer who has left beautiful memories for a multitude around the world.

(The Gramophone, December, 1977)

 

October 20, Wednesday. Bing writes to Father Bob Murphy of the Church of the Risen Christ in Kansas City.

 

Thanks for your note. See you’ve been moving around a bit – from church to church – and I hope that the present assignment proves to be a salutary one.

There’s certainly going to be a lot of work to do with the schedule that you indicated in your letter but nice to know you did get a chance to catch the Royals once in a while.

They went a long way for an expansion team. George Brett is going to be a superstar, I’m sure, if he can keep the weight off and he attains speed on the bases, because he certainly is great with the bat, and looks like a pretty good defensive player, too.

Yes, I think we’re going to play in New York at the Uris Theatre. We’re working out the details now. Hope if we do you can arrange to catch the act.

All best wishes, Bing

 

October 23, Saturday. Tapes a television commercial for the K-Tel Palladium LP album in San Francisco.

October 24, Sunday. (8:05-9:00 p.m.) Bing is the host of the third part of the radio series "The First Fabulous Fifty" broadcast on many of the NBC affiliated stations. The series looks at the history of NBC and celebrates its 50th anniversary.

October 29, Friday. Bing records further tracks under Ken Barnes’ direction at Devonshire Sound Studios, Magnolia Boulevard, North Hollywood, for United Artists. Again, tracks laid down by Pete Moore and his Orchestra in London are used.

November 2, Tuesday. Democrat Jimmy Carter is elected president of the United States of America.

November 5, Friday. Bing records three more songs at Devonshire Sound Studios, Magnolia Boulevard, North Hollywood, using tracks recorded in London by Pete Moore and his Orchestra.

November 8, Monday. Writes to John Simmons of Frome in Somerset, England.

There are no easy answers to your question, “What Makes a Star?”  

I suppose if I have observed anything over the period that I’ve been in show business it is that nobody can tell. It’s who the public will accept.

I’ve seen so many instances where people have been declared inadequate as regards talent, appearance, they had physical deficiencies, too short, too tall, too fat, big ears – every kind of a criticism that could be levelled against them, and still, when they appeared, the public loved them.

And that’s what makes a star. Public acceptance. Some kind of a chemistry. Some kind of an appeal that isn’t apparent but when the particular person is up there performing, it communicates itself to an audience with a mysterious kind of electricity that defies definition or description.

People have had to work like the very devil to become a star. Others became a star without any appreciable effort. And include me in the latter description – if it can be assumed that I am a star.

The best advice I can give to anyone who seeks success in show business is to listen to good advice from qualified people - people who have a track record of guiding others to success, with making good pictures, making good records, writing good songs, writing good scripts. Associate yourself with all these kind of people - and listen to them, and do what they tell you.

This, plus lots of exposure. Work every time you get a chance. If it’s only for five people at a bus stop - wherever. Try out your material. Try out your style. Amateur entertainments. Parish recitals. Social affairs. Practice. Get on. Be on. Try everything on. Action – that’s the thing.

But the big advice is to listen.

My second admonition is if you’ve tried all these things, you’ve had these opportunities and you’re still not getting anywhere and the years are slipping by - get out of show business and get into something that’s more productive, more fruitful. Something you can do. Something you can succeed at.

This will avoid a lifetime of frustration, because it really is sad to see someone working his head off and getting nowhere and the years slipping by and they’re finally not qualified for anything else. This is sad and it breaks my heart to see it happen.

I hope in some way that these comments will be useful to you, Mr. Simmons, in the material that you’re compiling for publication.

Very best regards, Bing

November 22, Monday. Bing arranges for another check for $100 to be sent to British fan Leslie Gaylor annotated "publicity".

November 25, Thursday. Bing and his family fly into Las Vegas.

November 26, Friday. (Starting at 8:00 p.m.) Brings the Bing Crosby and Friends show to the huge new Aladdin Theater in Las Vegas to raise funds to help the Rev. Ben Franzinelli build a church for his Holy Family parish. Rosemary Clooney, Joe Bushkin, Ted Rogers, and the family take part with Billy Byers leading the Al Gambino Orchestra. Bill Loeb presents the show. 4833 people attend and over $65,000 is raised for the cause.

 

Bing to help parish move out of saloon

LAS VEGAS, Nev. Crooner Bing Crosby is giving a benefit concert in this glittering gambling town — to help a priest move his congregation out of a saloon.

Crosby, 71, who played a priest in several films, will perform without fee on Nov. 26 to raise money for construction of the Holy Family Catholic Church, producer Bill Loeb announced Wednesday.

“He’s even going to buy his own plane ticket,” Loeb said. “He wants the church built.... He wants to be part of it.”

Crosby and his family, who live in Hillsborough, a suburb south of San Francisco, will fly here to entertain what Loeb hopes will be a sellout crowd of 7,500 at the new Alladin Theater of the Performing Arts.

The pastor of the church, Father Ben Franzinelli, said he was “most grateful” for the Crosby benefit, “and those words don't seem to express my personal feelings.”

Father Franzinelli now holds five services each Sunday in a local country and western saloon. He received some help from the MGM Grand Hotel, a resort on the famous “Strip” which donated theatrical props to hide the bar during services.

“What we want to do is get the Holy Family out of the saloon,” said Father Franzinelli.

He said the new church will cost an estimated $750,000, and that plans call for completion by the end of 1977. Loeb said the concert should raise at least $75,000.

Crosby, who has sold more than 400 million records — more than any other singer — has been semiretired in recent years, performing mostly for charity and usually with his wife, Kathryn, and their three children. He plans four benefit concerts in New York City in December.

(West Bend News, November 1, 1976)

It was a cold and windy desert night that felt like it could have turned into a “White Christmas” had it been Christmas Eve, but Bing Crosby warmed the hearts of an estimated 6,000 persons Friday night with his first-ever appearance on the famed Las Vegas Strip. . .  For more than two hours, Crosby, his family, singer Rosemary Clooney, the Joe Bushkin Quartet and British comic Ted Rogers held a captive audience in the sparkling new theater. 

(Las Vegas Sun, November 28, 1976)

 

The highlight of our Las Vegas trip last week was the Bing Crosby benefit show at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts. To see and hear this legendary singer cavort around the stage with his beautiful wife, Kathy, and three of his talented children, is a memorable experience.

Bing’s voice is as rich and true as ever and he delivers enjoyably the songs so long identified with him. Kathy and daughter, Mary Frances, add some graceful choreography to the show, son Harry delivers a creditable guitar solo and Nathaniel helps dad with the comedy schticks.

The Joe Bushkin Jazz Quartet, singer Rosemary Clooney and British comedian Ted Rodgers (sic) added to the enjoyment. If and when the Crosbys perform again in these parts, don’t miss them.

(Bob Keely, The San Francisco Examiner, December 5, 1976)

Bill Loeb was Rosemary Clooney’s manager for many years until 1981 and he produced Bing’s appearances in Las Vegas and at the Uris Theatre in New York in 1976. I asked him what Bing was like and he was fulsome in his praise saying:

“…he was one of the nicest people – the most professional I have ever been involved with – he had no ego, he had no demands, he didn’t travel with an entourage. He was very much to himself and he had a saying that he would only get involved with people who knew more about it than he did… A very private person, he didn’t go out partying after shows. He would have his cereal at a coffee shop and go back and go to bed. He was a very simple human being and to me that was very impressive…I had tremendous respect for him and it was a marvellous experience in my career.”
(Author interview with Bill Loeb, June 9, 2011)

 

November 30, Tuesday. Bing and Kathryn arrive at JFK Airport in New York. The family stays at an apartment owned by their friend Anne Slater.

December 1, Wednesday. During the day, Bing meets up with Rise Stevens and is photographed with her. The picture appears in the New York Times the following day. (8:00–9:00 p.m.) Bing Crosby’s White Christmas Special, his annual Christmas show, is televised on CBS and is fourth in the weekly ranking of 67 prime television shows. The show is sponsored by Timex and by Amana.

This musical special, filmed in England, features crooner Bing Crosby and his family, as well as a few special guests. Crosby opens with “Let It Snow” and “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” with wife Kathryn, and they are soon joined by three of their seven children – Mary Frances, Nathaniel and Harry – as well as singer Bernadette Peters and the Crosby Christmas Choir of young singers. “The Great One,” comedian Jackie Gleason, soon joins the group with presents for all, and everyone sings “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas” and “Happy Holiday.”

Crosby chats with Gleason, whose interest in bringing “mirth and girth” to the program halts when Crosby suggests that he dress as a merry toy soldier, and they both agree that they are “A Pair of Loafers” at heart. Kathryn finds Peters and requests that she give aspiring performer Mary Frances a “pep talk” about show business, and they sing “I Feel Pretty” together, after which Peters performs “One” from “A Chorus Line.” Crosby then finds Nathaniel playing with his new putter and urges him to get back to rehearsal, and the three kids perform a hip version of “Jingle Bells” together, though Bing and Kathryn agree that “I Love to Dance Like They Used to Dance.”

Crosby, Peters and Gleason perform “Style,” and Crosby joins the young choir singers for “Swinging on a Star.” Peters chats with Mary Frances and Nathaniel, both of whom have musical dreams of their own, and the Crosbys plus Peters and Gleason perform a medley of Johnny Mercer songs, including “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive,” “Jeepers Creepers,” “Hooray for Hollywood,” “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe,” “Lazy Bones,” “I’m An Old Cowhand,” “Moon River,” “That Old Black Magic,” “Too Marvelous For Words” and “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening.”

Confusion then ensues when both Crosby and Gleason dress as Santa Claus, but the two St. Nicks eventually agree to “Put It There, Pal.” Further songs performed include “There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays,” “Christmas is Coming,” “Here We Come A-Caroling,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella,” “God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen,” “What Child is This?”, “I Saw Three Ships (Come Sailing In)”, “Silent Night” and “Joy to the World.” After a bit of teasing from Gleason, Crosby closes the program with his signature “White Christmas.” Includes commercials for Amana and Timex.
(The Paley Center for Media website)

At some stage that day, Bing writes to Michael Grayson of the Motion Picture Relief Fund.

 

I would certainly be happy to make an appearance at the March 20th function which you are scheduling for the Motion Picture Home.

At the moment, I just can’t get a clear schedule for that time of the year, and I would ask you therefore to contact me in mid-February about my availability.

I certainly can guarantee that if I’m loose, I’ll come down there and sing a couple of songs or something.

I’m particularly expert in the area of the 30’s and 40’s. By expert, I mean I know the songs - I might not sing them well, but I know them all!

 

December 2, Thursday. A letter from Bing appears in Rolling Stone magazine.

 

I much enjoyed reading Charles Perry’s informative, well researched and interesting article “A Tequila Way of Knowledge” (RS 223). I spend a lot of time in the Guadalajara area and it is good to read something which is accurate and not just romantic nonsense, as is so often the case with stories about tequila.

However, I do disagree on a couple of points. Firstly, for a tequila to be called añejo or “aged” and to use the word on the label requires a certificate from the Mexican government and approval by our own authorities in Washington. At present only Herradura Añejo is so entitled. Excellent tequilas though they are, neither Sauza Conmemorativo nor Cuervo “1800” can yet make this claim.

Secondly, what may be a printer’s error, almost all tequila sold in the U.S. is 80° proof, not 86° as stated. Herradura happens to be 92° and is distilled to this proof, unlike almost all other tequilas, which are distilled to 110° and then reduced with water to 80°.

Once again, thank you for an enjoyable and well-written story, and I must try and drop in on Senor Don Juan next time I am down Guadalajara way.

 

December 3, Friday. (8:30-9:30 a.m.) Guests on the Joe Franklin television show in New York.

 

James Reston once wrote about a certain good man that “he brings integrity into every room he enters.” He was referring at the time to Gene McCarthy, at the height of his political career. But that description applied just as well to another off-the-cuff straight shooter, Bing Crosby.

      In December 1976, Bing came to Broadway for the only thing that got him out of the house on the San Francisco peninsula—to help somebody. This time it was a three-week engagement for charity at the Uris Theatre. He was due to give us a ten-minute plug, smile, and say how great it was to be back on Broadway for the first time in forty-one years. He ended up singing to the cameramen, joshing his wife about their courtship, and talking a small book about his life and times. The more Harry Lillis Crosby tried to submerge himself in others, the more he shone like the noonday sun.

      “Everybody who hears me knows he can sing as well as I do” Bing began, “and that’s my appeal.” In 1932, when his “B-B-B-Boo” was wafting across the land, he said a college somewhere in the South got the crazy idea of staging a “Singalike.” All contestants, Crosby included, tried to imitate the crooner. Bing came in third, which, he said, “Ain’t that bad.”

      My favorite record happens to be “White Christmas.” That’s corny, but there must be a lot of people out there like me, because Bing knew that’s the Irving Berlin song that put him in the stratosphere. Between you and me, Bing sang better than most people. I once handed him an album called “Steve Mason sings Bing Crosby,” and he casually did a lyric from each song on the cover, pitch perfect, recordable. But he talked just as well as he sang. And seldom a word was wasted. Just witness—

      On Hope: “Ample in the waist—the only pot that doesn’t have a rainbow.”

      On scriptwriters for Hope and Bing: “If you hear a line that’s yours, holler bingo.”

      On trouble: “Go fishin’. The seriousness will abate.”

      On aging: “Can’t chase the chicks anymore.”

      On Bob Burns and his bazooka (or don’t you remember where the GI’s got the name for the antitank contraption): “He’s better than Hope.”

      On marital problems: “Usually, you kid or you hug.”

      On golf: “The only way to play well is to forget everything else. Then you’ll never be tired at eighteen.”

      On breaking a romance: “When you find he’s a fink you haul your freight.”

      On the Joe Franklin hour: “You’ve pumped me up immeasurably.”

      It doesn’t matter that we’ve heard all the words before. Like little kids, we say, “Do it again. Dad!” The old lines don’t die; they just come from somebody else’s heart. At least once a month I hear the old Hollywood line, “Things are great but they should pick up,” and it still tickles me. And I use the same old saws over and over, too. It isn’t the words that make the thought.

      So my message is, be like Bing and don’t be on. Hug the happy side of the road.

(Joe Franklin, writing in his book Joe Franklin - A Gift for People, pages 38-40)

 

 (7:30–8:00 p.m.) Interviewed on Pat Collins’ television program on WCBS. The program is titled “A Look at a Legend.” During the day, Bing and Kathryn tape a guest appearance on AM New York on WABC when they are interviewed by Stanley Siegel. The program is televised on December 6.

December 5, Sunday. (10:30 a.m.) Bing and Rise Stevens guest on the TV program Sunday on WNBC. Later, Bing rehearses at the New York State Theater. (6:30-7:00 p.m.) Bing hosts a film "The People's Business" about public television that kicks off "Open Sesame," the 10-day membership drive by the PBS channels 45 and 49. 

December 6, Monday. (Program commences at 7:00 a.m.) Bing is interviewed by Gene Shalit on the Today program on NBC. (9:00–10:00 a.m.) Bing and Kathryn’s taped guest appearance is shown on AM New York on WABC with the title “An Hour with Bing & Kathryn Crosby”. On radio, the Jack O’Brian Show - "The Critic's Circle" -  at 12:15 p.m. on WOR-AM features the first part of an interview with Bing. Later at 7:00 p.m., Bing and the family give a performance at New York’s Avery Fisher Hall in the Lincoln Centre as a benefit for Fordham Prep School (a Jesuit institution). An audience of 2,500 watches the show. The Crosbys are said to have raised $183,000 in one night! Bing goes on to a party at the New York State Theatre in Lincoln Centre where he shares a table with Mayor Abraham Beame. He is photographed being presented with a carnation by Gloria Swanson.

 

NEW YORK (AP) — Bing Crosby opens on Broadway tonight for the first time in 45 years, one day after a cheering audience refused to let him off the stage where the New York Philharmonic performs.

Crosby, 72, did 40 minutes of encores Monday night for an audience of 2,500 who paid up to $250 a ticket at Avery Fisher Hall to benefit Fordham Prep, a Roman Catholic boys’ school.

“It was a great evening wasn’t it?” said Tricia Nixon Cox, daughter of the former president, “the best show I’ve ever seen.” Dressed in chiffon shaded from pink to orange, she was there with her father’s friend, Charles “Bebe” Rebozo. Her sister, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, was on the guest list along with Nixon intimate Robert Abplanalp.

Crosby, whose voice has lowered a major third with the years, looked half his age and confessed to the crowd, “To show how much I care, I wore my hair “ Crosby is bald.

When Crosby and his family, who appeared with singer Rosemary Clooney and British comedian Richard Bennett, finally got offstage, they crossed the Lincoln Center Plaza to the Promenade of the New York State Theatre for a gala dinner. Bing was wrapped in a black Persian lamb coat with a black mink collar.

Father Eugene O’Brien, head of Fordham Prep, told Crosby he had raised $150,000 for the school. Gloria Swanson, who was queen of Paramount Pictures when Crosby was king, came over and gave him a red carnation. The Fordham Glee Club sang “White Christmas.” Ethel Merman, Crosby’s costar in several pictures, came over and gave him a kiss.

Crosby’s commercial appearance will benefit a host of charities. In an example of life copying art, one of them is the Mannes College of Music headed by Rise Stevens. Crosby won an Oscar for “Going My Way,” playing a priest whose charities are saved from disaster by a benefit given by an opera star — played by Miss Stevens.

(Associated Press, December 6, 1976)

 

So how did the Bing Crosby show business family make out on its bow on the Big Apple?

      How could it be bad? Right at the opening, at the Avery Fisher Hall benefit for Fordham Prep, Father Crosby said, “To show you how much I really care, I wore my hair—but it’s a little short back there.”

     But before he’d opened his mouth he got a five-minute standing ovation. About two hours later he estimated that his closing medley included about 40 songs. He raised $150,000 for the needy school and Mayor Beame changed Big Apple to Big Orange for the evening. Bing jiggled with laughter at the good one the Mayor got off about his Minute Maid interests.

(Earl Wilson, New York Post, December 7, 1976)

 

December 7, Tuesday. (12:15–1:00 p.m.) The second part of the interview with Bing is broadcast on the Jack O’Brian Show on radio station WOR-AM. During the evening, Bing is photographed backstage with columnist Radie Harris and Rise Stevens.

December 7-18, Tuesday–Saturday (excluding December 13, Monday). (Starting at 7:30 p.m.) The Bing Crosby on Broadway stage show is at the Uris Theater, 51st Street West. Bing is again accompanied by Rosemary Clooney, Ted Rogers, Joe Bushkin, and his family. The Billy Byers Orchestra provides the musical backing. The proceeds from the season are split equally between the Association for the Help of Retarded Children and the Mannes College of Music (whose president, Rise Stevens, starred with Bing in the film Going My Way). Irving Berlin sends Bing a note.

 

“Dear Bing,

Good luck tonight to you and your family. If you’re stuck for a finish I’ve got a song about Christmas that I wrote some years ago that you might consider.

Love, Irving.”

 

After doing good business in the opening week with a gross of $131,600, attendances fall during the second week.

 

It was something not at all unlike wild horses that dragged me to “Bing Crosby on Broadway” at the Uris Theater on Tuesday night. My admiration for Mr. Crosby is unquestioned — he was one of the lyric poets, the casual troubadours of my generation. Mr. Crosby and Frank Sinatra were to me what Led Zeppelin is to my son. But I was far from certain that I wanted to see Mr. Crosby on stage, in the flesh. I remembered all those television commercials for orange juice or something, and faintly but palpably shuttered.

      Yet the man is fantastic. He is still a great singer, with a sweet, accomplished voice. I loved the performance. He has come back with all that certain charm, and really, all of that gorgeous voice.

      What is the charm? It is chiefly the ability to be himself in any circumstance. There is a certain pressure, a certain tension, which only goes to give a total impression of naturalness a special gloss. The man slouches on stage like a nervous giant. A small nervous giant. His casualness, which is absolutely endearing, appears to be paid for in blood. His lovely suavity is so memorable because it seems to have been bought at such a price. He seems nervily impregnable to nerves.

      I cannot recall when I did not know about Mr. Crosby. I hummed him in my nursery. Yet here he comes on Broadway and, with no apologies asked for or received, the voice is just beautiful. It has darkened a bit over the years. It is now a bass baritone, but he still has great flexibility, and, once in a while, daringly, but convincingly, he will move up a complete octave.

      His technique is better than I ever recalled it. No, he probably is not a technician in the way that Mel Torme is a technician—who is?—but he uses his voice with astonishing and enchanting skill. Moreover his voice is totally at the service of his personality. He lives his songs. He never plays any role other than himself. His singing is his nature, so he never fakes. This is what is so touching.

      Thinking of singers, more or less of his generation, who had that skill, I think of Hans Hotter, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Gerard Souzay. Yes, all lieder singers. It is a question of the dramatic identification with the music. Mr. Crosby sings in a way that makes words into statements.

      Mr. Crosby used to be called “The Groaner,” and there is indeed something to that description. He does gravel notes; he actually plays with songs in the lower register, toying with them like a friendly bear. He sings oldies with the excellent Joe Bushkin Quartet that slide into one’s past like perfected memories. Here is a legend that lives. What was that Noel Coward remark from “Private Lives” about the power of cheap music? A man such as Mr. Crosby, and there are extraordinarily few men such as Mr. Crosby, carry through their voices, and perhaps even more their styles, the remembrances, fantasies and aspirations of a generation.

      Now for the show. Well, so far as Mr. Crosby was concerned it was sumptuous. He even got away, as he had to, with singing “White Christmas.” His family, at present, is less talented than himself. Markedly less talented. But they appear little, and at least look good. He brought with him a British comedian called Ted Rogers, who was only sporadically funny and more often silly, but he did have Rosemary Clooney, who sang with charm and expertise.

      Of course, it was an evening of nostalgia. An evening when you watched an old man being defiantly young. But why didn’t he sing “It’s June in January”? That was my song for Mr. Crosby, and he sang everyone else’s, but not mine. But I forgive. Because I remember. And there is nothing like a surviving pop singer to chart the patterns of your life, rough-hew them as you will.

(Clive Barnes, The New York Times, December 9, 1976)

 

Bing Crosby’s return to Broadway for the first time since his appearance at the Paramount Theatre more than 30 years ago, provides another demonstration of the Old Groaner’s skill at song. He has brought in an elaborate show to accompany him on his reentry and he is working gratis to provide maximum returns to several designated charities. First week’s gross hit a fine $131,600.

      Crosby enhances his stature as a national monument. He still has that rich voice, the amiable personality and distinctive style that has made him a major factor in the musical world since radio days. Crosby and Joey Bushkin Quartet make the show a memorable event. Together they retrace a rich vein of Tin Pan Alley. Crosby goes on a musical binge lasting about 40 minutes at the conclusion of which the audience was on its feet. Bushkin, who opened the second half, also scored on his own. His kind of music is imaginative, jazzy and extremely bright. With a background of bass, guitar and drum, Bushkin’s piano and occasional trumpet work provide a potent moment of entertainment. The first half, despite Bing’s occasional tunes and duetting with other principals, was somewhat slow and unrewarding. Rosemary Clooney with her son Miguelito Jose Ferrer at the drums, sings well, but her remembered old excitement didn’t project at the Uris Theatre. British comic Ted Rogers came to life only a few minutes before his close with political jokes. Billy Byers conducts the huge stage orchestra effectively. As for the others - Bing Crosby has a nice family.

(Variety, December 15, 1976)

 

 . . . It was simply impossible to dislike Bing Crosby. Just how irresistible Crosby could be was demonstrated at the rehearsal before his opening at the Uris. His ad libs, which I thought would turn up during the actual performance, were apparently genuine ad libs. Also, he did not display a performer’s persona as distinguished from the image he presented offstage. His wife, Kathryn, a beautiful, untalented woman in black skin-tight leather pants, unconsciously pointed up his naturalness with her own stage face—the plastic smile and studied posture that means “I’m on.” Crosby, the true minstrel, was never off. He reminded me of a line in an old Carl Reiner-Mel Brooks routine about a pop singer, Fabiola, who says of his audience, “I am them, they are me, we are all singing, I have the mouth.” He moved on a stage as though it was his living room. Everyone else was frantic. Son Harry was tuning his guitar, and Mom called him over to get his floor cue. Bing: “He’s tuning his guitar.” Kathryn (impatiently): “Well, you have to come here.” Harry: “What color am I?” Kathryn: “Blue.” Bing suddenly sang ““Am I Blue?”— ahhh, Ethel Waters,” he reminisced, then walked over to Hank Jones at the piano and asked, “Remember Buck and Bubbles?” He told a story about hearing John Bubbles sing “Am I Blue?”

      The actual show was smooth but limp. The jokes were unworthy of him—the usual Bob Hope-type TV-gag witticisms that only a soundtrack can laugh at. Rosemary Clooney joined him for a sprightly “Slow Boat to China”—which proved to be the highlight of the evening—and then sang some old numbers well, though her high notes were strained. Crosby sat down to sing “Send in the Clowns,” and his habitual detachment turned the song into an undistinguished croon. When Sinatra appeared at the Uris the previous year, it was the same song that enabled him to shuffle off his absurd posturing in favor of the lyric’s irony. Crosby was just going through the motions—expertly, of course, but without the personal resonance that someone who knew him best from the pre-Decca recordings might have expected.

      After intermission, he introduced the Joey Bushkin Quartet with that ineffable number from High Society “Now You Have Jazz.” Bushkin is a distinctively lyrical pianist—for a while Capitol tried to package him as a keyboard Bobby Hackett—but he had been away from the piano and sounded it; his chordal improvisations and arpeggiated flourishes were obvious and frivolous. Milt Hinton and Jake Hanna made a fine rhythm team, and it was nice to see the elusive guitarist Johnny Smith. The Crosby family—Mom plus Larry, Moe, and Curley Joe—followed. The only one with stage poise is the youngest, Nathaniel, who was stuck singing a round; Harry played a surface-action serenade on the guitar; daughter Mary Francis kicked up her legs; and Kathryn, who should have been playing Major Bowes with a cane, dueted with her husband on “My Cup Runneth Over.”

      Finally, Crosby announced he would sing some old stuff (applause) and he fed everyone’s nostalgia with nearly four dozen song excerpts in medley fashion, accompanied by the Bushkin quartet. The audience was hungry, applauding the first measure of every ditty, most of them rather ephemeral. Johnny Smith’s obbligato was clever, and at one point his rippling through a series of minor chords caused Crosby to laugh in acknowledgment. On several songs, the audience joined in.

      And why not? We weren’t there to hear Bing Crosby the legendary singer, but to pay homage to the ultimate pop icon whose very presence gave cohesion to several generations of American feelings. He was not there to move us, but to remind us. He was us, and we were him, only he had the mouth.

(Gary Giddins, writing in his book Riding on a Blue Note, pages 19-21)

 

December 8, Wednesday. (9:00–10:00 a.m.) Bing and Kathryn again guest on the AM New York television show on WABC.

December 9, Thursday. The American Legion gives Bing their “Entertainer of the Year” award.

December 10, Friday. (Program starts at 7:00 a.m.) Bing and Kathryn are interviewed on Good Morning America on WABC. At 1:00 p.m., Bing, Kathryn, Harry, Nathaniel and Mary Frances guest on the Midday program hosted by Bill Boggs on WNEW with Rise Stevens, Mabel Mercer and Melba Moore. Bing laments the poor audience numbers at his Uris shows. At night, Bob Hope is Johnny Carson’s guest on the Tonight program on NBC-TV and Bing is thought to have made a contribution to the show.

December 15, Wednesday. Sings “White Christmas” at the City Hall Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in New York. At his stage show at the Uris later that evening, Rosemary Clooney is unable to perform because of laryngitis and Bing fills in by singing “As Time Goes By”.

New York (AP) – Bing Crosby sang “White Christmas” and Mayor Abraham Beame pulled the switch to light the city’s official Christmas tree, a 46-foot balsam fir, in City Hall Park. Beame introduced Crosby to more than 1,000 spectators on Wednesday as “another joyous Christmas custom”.
(West Bend News, December 16, 1976)

December 17, Friday. (Program starts at 7:00 a.m.) Thought to have been interviewed on Good Morning America on the ABC network.

December (undated). In his suite at the Waldorf-Astoria, Bing and Kathryn record an interview with Werner Baecker for the German television show “New York, New York” which is shown there on NDR on Christmas Day. Accompanied by Joe Bushkin, Bing sings "White Christmas" (including the verse) and he and Kathryn sing “Silent Night” together in German for the program.

December 20, Monday. Bing and his family fly back to San Francisco. Bing writes to Patrick Joyce of New Jersey.

Dear Mr. Joyce

Mrs. Crosby handed me your package of songs that you had composed.

They all look very good, too. I'll take them along with me and if an opportunity develops where they can be used, I'll see if I can do so.

I don't get too many chances to use new material.
      Most of the things I do, as you know, are standards and the people who write for the television shows generally lean in that direction, but I’ll do the best I can.

I do want to wish you lots of success. As ever,

Your friend, Bing

December 21, Tuesday. Back in California, Bing and his family take part in the annual Laguna Honda Hospital show in the Gerald Simon Theater in San Francisco.

 

Many of the 600 cheering fans in the audience could only show their appreciation through a wrinkled smile, or a starry glint in their eyes, but residents of Laguna Honda Hospital were visibly happy to have Bing Crosby and his family headline their Christmas show yesterday — the way he has for eight years.

      . . . And for two hours they got their show: Magicians, dancers, singers, a clown and balancing act and finally, the crooner himself and the whole Crosby clan — fresh from a Sunday night appearance in New York’s Palace (sic) Theater capping an 18-month tour.

      “People ask me how it feels to cavort around with such young sprouts (his children are 18, 17 and 15) in my act,” Crosby said. “At my age, I’m happy to have a pulse!” While Crosby does his solo numbers, son Nathaniel and wife Kathryn smile at each other and hug backstage - happy with their last song. Before the show, Crosby and Mayor Moscone posed for pictures with Laguna Honda officials, and Crosby talked about the tradition that brings him back every year to do this show.

      “We love to do it,” he says, “Why, we even started our family act right here—the tour grew out of our act on this stage.”

      Son Harry agrees, adding, “You get just as much response doing this place as you do in the best theatre in the country — there’s a lot of joy doing this.”

      The 72-year-old Crosby hasn’t lost his touch with a crowd. Juggling his family around the stage, he gives the crowd the family warmth so missed during the holidays. He grants interviews before the show, asking television cameramen to “back up a few feet… no close-ups, please, only waist up.” But it really doesn’t matter. He has held his age well. . . The Crosby clan finished the show with several Christmas favorites, like “White Christmas” and “A Christmas Song” — and for the finale the whole cast sang “Merry Christmas” and kicked a hundred red, white, and blue balloons into the audience.

(Larry Kramer, San Francisco Examiner, December 22, 1976)

 

December 23, Thursday. Bing and his family are featured on the Good Morning America program on ABC-TV.

December 30, Thursday. Bing writes to (1) British fan Arthur Blood and to (2) Eugenie Baird.

 

 (1) Thank you so much for sending me the beautiful tray with the pictures of all the English Kings and Queens since England was first a nation. Of course, there are a couple who have ruled since then who weren’t included but I guess they weren’t available. It’s a beautiful thing to have, and very useful, too. We have a fella working for us named Fisher who is quite an authority on all these things. He once was butler for the Duke of Windsor. He was much interested in the tray. We certainly thank you for it.

I’m glad you liked the Palladium show, and that the album is achieving some currency around England.

I like the Feels Good, Feels Right album very much, although I wish I had the chance to do the title song over again. They played it too slow, really. Dragged out the verse too long. I use it in the act now as an opening song. It’s a great opener, but I picked up the tempo a lot in the verse and it’s much more effective.

The engagement in New York was quite successful. Very warm and responsive audiences. We did 13 concerts there, and a lot of TV work, too.

Happy to tell you that the parcel arrived intact and we want to extend to you and your family our warmest greetings.

Sincerely yours, Bing

 

(2) Well it was a great surprise to hear from you – and to know that you were at the concert when we were in New York working at the Uris Theatre.

I would have loved to have seen you and said hello, but I guess opening night was a little hectic getting backstage and Cork probably didn’t want to get involved – and I don’t blame him.

It was fun working in New York. Business wasn’t as good as I thought it would be, although the final week was pretty good. But the audiences were universally responsive, warm and most kind. And the children enjoyed themselves immensely, as did Kathryn and I.

Sadly enough, Rosie Clooney had throat trouble almost from the day before the concert, when we played the Avery Fisher Hall and it held over all through the two week engagement.

It was too bad in New York that she wasn’t in peak form, because in Europe and all the other concerts she had absolutely been perfect.

When Bushkin, Hinton and Johnny Smith play, you just have to do your best.

Appreciate your kind comments, Eugenie. The next time I’m in New York we will have to have a cup of tea or something. I’ll get hold of you through Cork.

Give him my best, too – and warmest best wishes to you for a nice holiday season.

As ever,

Bing

 

1977

 

    January (undated). Thought to have taped a song for the German TV station ZDF. He sings “Dear Hearts and Gentle People” with the Medicine Ball Band in the street just outside his home. It is shown on January 8, 1978 in an episode of “Das Sonntagskonzert” (“The Sunday Concert”).   This particular episode discussed the American Forces Network.

January 8/9, Saturday/Sunday. Bing and son Harry are shooting quail on Calvin Bentsen's Star S Ranch in Mason. Texas.

January 17-19, Monday–Wednesday. Bing and Kathryn are at Pebble Beach to prepare for the Pro-Am. Kathryn interviews visiting celebrities for her TV show and finishes by interviewing Bing on the 16th. tee at Cypress Point on the Tuesday. On the Wednesday night, Bing hosts the Crosby Clambake with guests Phil Harris and Jim Stafford. Bing also writes to Reg Bristo, editor of BING magazine.

 

Thanks for your letter, and I want you to know I appreciate all the kind things you had to say and the things that you told me that the other members of the Circle had to say about the things we did this summer - and the things we did really for the past eighteen months or so.

It hasn’t been a lot of work. It’s been fun! It was nice to give the kids a chance to work before a live audience. And the recordings were fun, too. Glad you liked the Christmas show.

Have done some concerts since returning - about 3 weeks in New York and a concert in New Orleans. Have a couple more planned in the near future.

Also getting ready to do a big hour and a half TV Special with an all-star cast. A lot of famous names doing cameo appearances. It’s a black-tie thing to be done over in Pasadena in a new and quite impressive theatre that’s been erected over there. Should go well. I hope they play it in England.

Again, thanks, and warmest best wishes to you and all the Circle.

As ever, Bing

 

January 20-23, Thursday–Sunday. The thirty-seventh Bing Crosby National Pro-Am Tournament at Pebble Beach. In very good weather, the professional winner is Tom Watson with a record-breaking 273 for the four rounds. The crowd on Saturday of 28,000 is thought to have been the biggest gallery in the history of golf at that time. Gerald Ford (handicap 18) is the first ex-president to play in the Crosby pro-am while Nancy Lopez and Marianne Bretton become the first women to play in the tournament since 1939. Other celebrities taking part include Andy Williams (handicap 16), Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (12), James Garner (4), Mac Davis (6), Clint Eastwood (18), Flip Wilson (18), Jack Lemmon (17), Glen Campbell (9), Alan Shepard (15), Hank Ketcham (11), Kerry Packer (12), Charles Schulz (10) and Pat Boone (18). In addition Nathaniel Crosby (2) and Howard Crosby (5) also play. Because of drought conditions, the shore course at Monterey Peninsula Country Club is substituted for the Spyglass course.

January 22, Saturday. The California Legislature has passed a resolution commending Bing on the 40th anniversary of his pro-am golf tournament.

January 25, Tuesday. (9:30-10:00 a.m.) Bing is a guest on The Kathryn Crosby Show and sings several songs from his Bingo Viejo album.

January 28, Friday. Bing writes to (1) British record producer Ken Barnes (2) Pat Sullivan, President of Club Crosby.

 

1. I would appreciate it if when you get things organized you’d send me a final list of the songs to be used in the ‘Seasons’ Album.

It occurred to me that a summer song which should definitely be used would be Gershwin’s ’Summertime’. I don’t know how we forgot this!

And with that, I believe the list would be pretty complete.

I wanted to say something to you also about the arrangements. I think they should be simple. I think there should be several of them where I start cold, with a pick-up and the orchestra comes in, or with a vamp-a vamp which works right on through the arrangement, like Nelson Riddle used to do for Sinatra.

Verses, of course, as we discussed when you were here at the house.

I want to avoid too many changes of keys and I don’t want to have a lot of big arrangements unless in a number that actually calls for such things, but simple, melodic type of arrangements.

And this is definitely an album, I think, that has to be done live. I have never believed that you get a good performance working to play-back. You’re locked into a tempo which may not be the one you really consider ideal, and as a result the delivery is not what you would hope for.

I’m sending along the two Xerox copies of the reviews that you spoke about when you were in San Francisco.

I’ll be awaiting word from you—

Yours, Bing

(As reproduced in The Crosby Years, pages 56-57)

 

2. Thanks for your letter. Enjoyed seeing you and the others at the golf tournament. It was truly a magnificent function this year with the weather which prevailed and with the excitement of the ex-President and the lady amateurs also in the field for the first time.

I think it would be a good idea if you had some of the members send in questions to which they would like me to supply answers, and I’ll put it on tape.

You could put the questions on a cassette, and I would put the answers on a cassette. That’s more convenient for me than reel to reel because although we have such a machine, our resident engineer, Harry IIII is now attending school in Los Angeles and I don’t even know how to turn it on.

So send me the cassette with the questions or whatever other questions you think would be informative and useful and would evoke some sensible replies.

The Mills Brothers, I believe, are going to be on the Special which we’re taping in Hollywood on the 3^rd of March - I think that’s the date - out in Pasadena.

I’m going into Florida for 7 concerts - Miami Beach - and then we do a concert down at San Jose for Santa Clara University. A big yearly thing they have out there. I think it’s called the Golden Circle or something like that. A big fund raising thing.

So up until early March, I have a pretty active schedule.

I hope you found everything in order when you returned back to work - All the best, Bing

 

February 15, Tuesday. The Crosby family flies to Miami. They stay at The Cricket Club.

February 16, Wednesday. Bing and Kathryn are at Miami airport to see a National DC-10 named after him. The Crosbys are also presented with the traditional keys of the city. Around this time, Bing writes to Crosby fan Johnny Joyce in Willenhall, West Midlands, UK.

Dear Johnny:

Thanks for your note and for the tape. I enjoyed the tape very much - particularly the one you did with Richard Crooks and me.

Glad you liked the Palladium performance and also the album. It’s really very hard to get good quality - taping a live show from the theatre - because of the problem of microphone placement, etc., and getting a proper balance between the band and the singer, but I think they did as good a job as could be done under these circumstances.

I like the album recently done by Decca called, “Feels Good, Feels Right”. The Alan Cohen arrangements have proven very popular with people who have heard the album.

As far as improving your golf is concerned, I don’t know any really outstanding tip to give anybody except stay behind the ball with your body – don’t sway over the ball. Take a good big backswing, a good big turn. Hit through the ball but don’t let your body precede the clubhead. That seems to be a problem that harasses most golfers. I hope it’s helpful to you.

Thanks again, Bing

February 18-24, Friday–Thursday. Starting at 7:30 p.m. each night, the Bing Crosby and Friends show is at the Deauville Star Theater, Miami Beach. The proceeds received by Bing are donated to charities of his choice. Bing and his family are supported by Rosemary Clooney, English comedian Billy Baxter, the Joe Bushkin Quartet, and the Billy Byers Orchestra.

 

Bing & Friends opened Feb. 18 for a unique evening, Crosby, the durable phenomenon who doesn’t hesitate to admit he’s ending 50 years in show business, demonstrated he’s lost none of his charm and easy manner and only very little of his voice, While it may not be quite so mellow as it once was, Crosby is always in tune, never off key, He still can sing and delight an audience, And sing he did during the 2 ½ hour mini-variety show,

Although he sprinkled the first set with several contemporary tunes, “At My Time of Life” and “Send in the Clowns,” the crowd reacted far more favorably to the older, more familiar tunes.

One of the highlights of the evening was when Crosby was joined by Rosemary Clooney in a duet on the perennial favorite “Slow Boat to China.”

Clooney then did a stint alone, starting off with “I’ll Go My Way By Myself” to prove that she still can captivate audiences as she has done for the past 25 years.  She, too, brought a contemporary feel to her all- too- short portion of the show with “Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover” and “Song for You,” It would have been nice to hear the golden-throated Clooney perform some of the many hits she made during her long career.

Crosby’s wife Kathryn joined her hubby in several duets, “Sing a Song,” “My Cup Runneth Over” and the attractive blonde changed costumes at least six times during the show. Although not a great singer, she manages to hold her own and is very professional in her endeavors. The obvious warmth between the husband and wife team was evidenced in each song selection and the audience loved it.

Crosby’s other friends included the Joe Bushkin jazz quartet and English comic Billy Baxter who’s sly, clever and has excellent material and great delivery.

Crosby wound up the show with a long medley of hits and each of the 30 tunes stirred a response from the audience. This last segment turned into a giant singalong with the audience participating in the more familiar Crosby-created hits; “Swinging on a Star,” “Blue Skies,” “You Are My Sunshine,” “Don’t Fence Me In.”
(Sara Lane, Billboard, March 12, 1977)

 

The stance says it all: Bing Crosby, an entertainment legend at 72, moves about the stage of the Deauville Star Theater with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tuxedo jacket. He’s the coolest of pros; his patter is as smooth as the top of his toupeed head. Time and talent do that to a man. From the moment that the Billy Byers Orchestra strikes up “Blue of the Night” and Crosby strolls onstage, ears protruding and blue eyes flashing, we sense that we’re about to witness a legendary performer living up to his own lofty reputation. When an evening BEGINS with a standing ovation, it establishes a challenge for the entertainer, and in Crosby’s case, it’s a challenge that’s more than met. . . .

      And there’s the slight shock at hearing the voice, affected only slightly by the passage of years. It’s rich, it’s smooth, it booms and flows; a medley of Crosby hits is nostalgia delivered with all the fervor of the originals. . . . And after an evening of watching him roam the stage and listening to his folksy stories, we feel we’ve become reacquainted with an old friend.

(Christine Brown, The Miami Herald, February 22, 1977)

 

February 26, Saturday. The Bing Crosby and Friends package forms the Golden Circle Theater Party show at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts in California. This is the University of Santa Clara’s annual benefit show and Bing and his family are supported this time by Rosemary Clooney, television comedian Norm Crosby, the Joe Bushkin Quartet plus the Billy Byers Orchestra. Bing undertakes the show at the request of his grandson, Steven Crosby, adopted son of Gary Crosby, who is a student at the University. Tickets are $100 per person and the funds raised are to go to pay for the Louis B. Mayer Theater complex at the university.

 

…From my perspective, my grandfather treated me with respect, encouragement and love. A good example of his affection for me occurred during my senior year at the University of Santa Clara. I was approached by the university to find out if my grandfather would perform at a fundraiser for the university as part of an annual show – the “Golden Circle” dinner party. Performers in previous years included Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, and Andy Williams. I was a bit nervous about asking my granddad – and it was at that moment that I truly realized the enormity and importance of this man – because with one positive response, he could raise $250,000 for my school. I called him on the telephone and asked if I could drive up to his home in Hillsborough, just south of San Francisco, and speak with him. He said, “Sure.”

When I arrived, his ever-present and quite entertaining butler, Alan Fisher, answered the door and brought me to the study where my grandfather was seated. He said, “What can I do for you?” I took a deep breath and asked the question: “Would you do me a favor and perform for a large fundraising event for my university?” He looked at me and smiled ever so slightly and said, “Sure – when is it?” With that statement, I felt a cool breeze come across my body and the uneasiness left. I later found out that he was happy to do it, was proud of me for going to college, and further pleased that I was on my way to law school the following year.

As anyone might guess, the performance at the university was superb. The entire family was present on stage, along with Rosemary Clooney singing and Joey Bushkin playing the piano. The audience loved it, the university was very grateful, and there was one extremely happy college senior sitting in the audience beaming brightly.
(Steven Crosby, writing in Going My Way – Bing Crosby and American Culture, pages 171-2)

Bing Crosby gave us a night to remember . . . But it was the singing and personality of Bing Crosby—and the exchange of affection and warmth between the star and the audience—that made the event memorable. It was a rare opportunity to hear in person the prototypal popular singer of our times.

      Crosby was in great voice, singing old and new tunes with casual ease. In a tour de force finale, backed by the estimable Joe Bushkin Jazz Quartet, he excerpted what seemed like every song ever written. Crosby is unbelievably tireless, always musical and making light of it with characteristic insouciance.

      Ever the raconteur, Crosby included many anecdotes along the way and guided the evening with easygoing charm and deft comic touches, kidding his own fame and fortune, strutting across the stage, breaking into a little dance step or making a twinkletoes exit.

(Gloria Tully, San Jose News, February 28, 1977)

 

February 28-March 2, Monday-Wednesday. Bing and family rehearse for Bing–A 50th Anniversary Gala, a ninety-minute television special at the Ambassador Auditorium, Pasadena, California. Kraft Incorporated are to sponsor the program and J. Walter Thompson handle the arrangements on their behalf. Kraft are to pay a package price of $1million to CBS. 

March 3, Thursday. (7:00-10:00 p.m. with a 20-minute interval) After videotaping a three-hour performance before a specially invited audience who each pay $100, Bing falls twenty feet into the orchestra pit of the Ambassador Auditorium, Pasadena, California. Bing is taken to Pasadena’s Huntington Memorial Hospital, where it is found that there are no fractures but that he has ruptured a disc at the base of his spine. The ticket proceeds from the show benefit WAIF and the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation.

 

The medley lasted 30 minutes.

At its conclusion, Bing said farewell from the center of the stage, while the section behind him, which held the Joey Bushkin Quartet, silently descended 25 feet into the basement.

Bing bowed, stepped backwards out of the lights, and disappeared into the void. Whirling in midair, he grasped a handful of drapery, which ripped free, but slowed and deflected his fall.

Just missing the quartet's drums, which would have cut him in two, he landed on his left hip on the concrete floor. By the time I reached him, he was trying to rise.

Had he not broken his fall, his spine would have been shattered, leaving him permanently paralyzed. I shoved my coat beneath his head.

I gazed into his eyes. The pupils were the same size. I told him to wiggle his fingers, and then his toes.

One shoe had been torn off, and I saw a hole in the heel of Bing's red sock. It took a moment to realize that this was not merely his customary contempt for the dress code, but the consequence of a contact with the wall on his way down to the basement.

I glanced about, seeking help. Bob Hope was seated on a piano bench, holding his head in his hands. Pearl Bailey was sobbing in the background.

Medics arrived with a stretcher. As we left the auditorium, Bing began humming, Off we go, into the wild blue yonder, and I feared for his mental state as I stumbled along beside him in my high heels.

At Huntington Memorial Hospital, he was carried in one door while I was dispatched to another.

(Kathryn Crosby, My Last Years with Bing, page 389)

Crosby finished with a fast version of “Ol’ Man River,” then walked to the front. “You’ve been very kind,” he told the audience, “Let’s not wait another 50 years before we do it again,” and they stood up for him. He walked to the side of the stage to say goodnight to Pearl Bailey. “Isn’t it something,” she said to a neighbor, “to be friendly with a legend.”

      “See you soon Pearl,” Crosby said, and stepped back. They had lowered the center of the stage and he fell twenty feet just missing the open spikes on Jake Hanna’s drums. Down in the corridor they put him on a stretcher. Bob Hope stood beside him shaking his head. I was on the other side with Joe Bushkin. They wheeled Crosby by, and he cocked an eye.

      “If you gotta fall” he said “You gotta fall in a classy fashion.”

(John Hutchinson, The Shields Gazette, November 1, 1977)

 

I have already told several stories about this incredible man. He was a professional in a class all by himself. A natural-born performer who could do just about anything that was necessary to entertain people. Act, dance, sing, tell jokes,—you name it—Bing could do it all. He kept a tight schedule and he was never late for a rehearsal or performance. On one particular Christmas special, Buz Kohan and Bill De Angelis created a brand-new ten-minute musical segment especially for him—all original music and lyrics. We rehearsed it a couple of times and that was it. We didn’t have personal audio cassettes then. I wrote the orchestral arrangements and three days later, we videotaped the show and Bing performed it perfectly—no cue cards—nothing! He obviously had a photographic memory.

      Many times during a long production meeting, he would get bored leave the table come over to the piano and say quietly to me, “Play some Jazz.” Whatever I quietly chose to play was fine with him. He would take the pencils he had in his pocket and start to beat rhythmic patterns on top of the piano. And then, he’d quietly hum or whistle some jazz licks.

       The producer would many times yell over, “Will you guys please hold it down?” No big deal - we’d just go looking another piano. The pre-record sessions with the band were always very relaxed. After listening to an arrangement of mine, he often times said to me things like, “you really wrote your ass off on that one” or that’s beautiful, my friend.” We generally made only one vocal take on any song, and he’d insist that we move on

       Bing’s 50th Anniversary in Show Business Television Special started out to be very exciting because so many famous stars showed up to honor and pay him respect. But at the end of the show, a tragic mishap occurred. While making his final exit he forgot that he was supposed to walk out into the audience. Instead, after saying good night to them he instinctively turned his back and started to walk onstage. He forgot that the middle of the stage had been lowered one floor because of the previous act’s performance. The audience gasped as they watched him fall into the large gaping hole. While conducting the closing theme with my back to the audience, I suddenly realized the orchestra was in a state of shock. They all saw Bing fall. The lady violinists were in tears. I remember seeing Tommy Tedesco pack up his guitar and leave the stage. Poor Kathryn Crosby and her children were all there, and it was a traumatic time for everyone. Fortunately, dear Bing was not seriously hurt. We were so relieved to see him wave and smile as he was carried out on a stretcher.

     I choose to remember Bing as the giant entertainer that we all loved. He was the man who blazed the trail for many of the talented crooners who followed in his footsteps. In later years, Perry Como insisted on doing a fifteen-minute medley honoring Bing at the end of every one of his live concert shows. He said that if it wasn’t for Bing, he would still be back in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, cutting hair and Frank (Sinatra) would own a pizzeria in Hoboken, New Jersey.

(Nick Perito, writing in his book “I Just Happened To Be There”, page 212)

 

March 20, Sunday. (9:00–10:30 p.m.) Bing–A 50th Anniversary Gala, a ninety-minute television special, edited from his Pasadena performance, airs on CBS sponsored by Kraft. Guest stars include Pearl Bailey, Bette Midler, The Mills Brothers, Bob Hope, Rosemary Clooney, and Paul Anka. Marty Pasetta is the producer-director with Nick Perito taking responsibility for the music. The script has been written by Buz Kohan, Frank Konigsberg is executive producer. Short guest appearances are also made by Debbie Reynolds, Sandy Duncan, Anson Williams, Donald O’Connor and Martha Raye, each of whom is paid $500 for their services. Rosemary Clooney receives $2500 for her appearance whilst Pearl Bailey receives $4000. There is no mention of Bing’s accident during the telecast. The special achieves a 23.7 rating and a 37% audience share.

 

“Conclusion” of Bing Crosby‘s “demi-centennial” as the singer terms it, involves class, understatement, and a host of memories. A 90-minute celebration taped at Pasadena’s Ambassador College March 3, Marty Pasetta’s production focuses on Crosby, whose voice sounds richer than it has in some time. It’s a stylish entry, sure to attract audiences from all age groups…

The quality continues high as Hope joins Crosby onstage for diverting badinage in which the two again goad one another and Hope introduces a Crosby scrapbook of stills laid on overhead including several of crooner’s leading ladies Marion Davies, Shirley Ross, Carole Lombard, Dorothy Lamour, among others.

And Rosemary Clooney simply comes out and sings “Tenderly” with only a piano for accompaniment. It more than suffices in its pleasant, restrained fashion.

Last 15 minutes are the clincher as Crosby runs down his own musical past from “I Surrender, Dear,” “Just One More Chance,” “Blue Hawaii,” “Sweet Leilani,” and so on. It’s a good stint, and a crowd-pleaser as Bushkin and his three musicians back nobly on the tunes.

Nick Perito handled expert musical direction of on stage orch. and Ray Charles contributed special musical material.

(Daily Variety, March 18, 1977)

Since Bing Crosby is still hospitalized after a fall he suffered during the taping of this special, one finds a certain reluctance to celebrate his 50th anniversary in show business at this time. However, this show is so delightful and the tone and warmth are so affirmative that one ends up realizing that “the show must go on” is a worthy tradition and one that Bing himself would be the first to applaud.

The show covers the spectrum from the old to the new by bringing on some of the wonderful performers with whom Bing shares past memories — the Mills Brothers, Pearl Bailey, Rosemary Clooney and, of course, Bob Hope — as well as more recent arrivals Bette Midler and his own beaming children, Mary Frances, Nathaniel and Harry. The marvelous Joe Bushkin jazz quartet backs Bing on a 20-minute medley that captures nearly everybody’s favorite Crosby song.  Also along to join in the festivities are Paul Anka, Sandy Duncan, Donald O’Connor, Martha Raye, Debbie Reynolds, Anson Williams and dazzlingly pretty Kathryn Crosby.

Buz Kohan is the writer of this delightful salute with special musical material by Ray Charles: Nick Perito is musical director; Marty Pasetta is director as well as producer; Frank Konigsberg is executive producer for his own company. Delightfully nostalgic film sequences are by Stu Bernstein and Eytan Keller.
(Hollywood Reporter)

There is probably no one more deserving of having his 50th showbiz anni celebrated on TV than Bing Crosby. He was a staple during the golden age of radio and a regular ‘special’ performer through most of the TV years. He is the last word in household words. The pity is that CBS, for which most of his work was done over the years, couldn’t have come up with a better show to cap his half-century. The problem wasn’t with the guests, nor with the production (staged before an appreciative ‘invited black-tie’ audience) The trouble started after a glib but polished intro by Crosby’s old ‘Road’ mate Bob Hope and an ‘Of Bing We Sing’ rouser with Hope, Sandy Duncan, Martha Raye, Anson Williams, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor .The producers felt it necessary to intro Bette Midler as a singing usherette. She came up to spread coyness and clumsy cavorting on stage with Crosby and the Mills Brothers. Her singing was fine, but her antics hit a sour note in the proceedings. It was difficult to find a reason for her presence. With few TV credits in her past, she can hardly be well enough known (outside of New York and Los Angeles) to bag much of a general audience. Certainly, she doesn’t have the major star credentials to justify the on-stage treatment she got on the show.

      Pearl Bailey, too, was introed from the audience and much time was consumed in banter that wasn’t particularly funny before she got on stage for her Crosby duet. Far better was the more normal intros for the Mills Brothers and Joe Bushkin, who performed up to their high standards.

      But the occasion was Crosby, and the audience got what it tuned in for in most numbers. If the singer has lost a little off his fast ball in repartee, and if he seemed to limit his singing throughout, the deft touch with a tune and a lyric remained. No one has ever had a surer grasp of popular music than Crosby and, in a second bit with Paul Anka, he showed that he could handle today’s musical idiom if he’d a mind to. He did one number with wife Kathryn that went well. But he might be better advised to leave the kids home next time or let them watch from the audience.

(Variety, March 23, 1977)

 

March 22, Tuesday. Bing has arranged for another check for $100 to be sent to British fan Leslie Gaylor annotated "publicity".

Crosby Hospitalized 4th Week

PASADENA, Calif. (UPI)— Bing Crosby, hospitalized since he tumbled 20 feet from the Ambassador College stage into an orchestra pit three weeks ago, may remain in Huntington Memorial Hospital for another week.

A friend of the singer said. “Bing is still in pain and won’t leave the hospital until he’s feeling better. It may be another full week.”

The spokesman said severe bruises, especially on his thighs, continued to plague the 72-year-old entertainer.

Crosby was injured March 3 at the finale of his “50th Anniversary in Show Business” benefit for a child care fund. The show was televised and broadcast by CBS earlier this week. His fall was snipped from the taped show.

(The Waukesha County Freeman, March 24, 1977)

March 24-27, Thursday-Sunday. Kathryn Crosby hosts the Kathryn Crosby-Honda Civic Golf Classic at Rancho Santa Fe, which is won by Sandra Palmer.

March 25, Friday. Still hospitalized, Bing is transferred by air ambulance to the Peninsula Hospital at Mill Brae near Hillsborough. Tests appear to indicate that he has cancer but this is subsequently found to be a mistake.

Bing Crosby was being flown to Peninsula Hospital in Burlingame this afternoon for what a spokesman called “a long convalescence or surgery.”

The 72-year-old singer has a ruptured spinal disk. It was discovered at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena where has spent the past three weeks. He was hurt in a 20-foot fall from the stage of the Ambassador Theater into the orchestra pit while taping a television special on his 50th year in show business.

Doctors thought initially that he received only a minor scalp wound and bruises and could be released in a day or two. But as the weeks went by, the singer complained of persistent pain when he tried to walk. Traction and daily hot therapy baths failed to help.

It was only this Wednesday that doctors made a myelogram, an X-ray taken after injecting a contrast material into his spine. It showed the ruptured disk in Crosby’s lower back.

Eventually Crosby will have to decide whether to undergo surgery or wait out a long period of convalescence with his pelvis in traction, a spokesman for the Pasadena hospital said. Physicians waited to make the myelogram because “you don’t do a myelogram unless you have to – injecting any type of invasive material like that can cause problems,” the spokesman explained.
(The San Francisco Examiner, March 25, 1977)

March 30, Wednesday. Bing writes to Pearl Bailey to thank her for sending him a greeting on the 49th Annual Academy Awards show on March 28.

Heard you on the Awards show and I was pleased at the very nice greeting you sent my way. It elevated my spirits a great deal!

You were very good on the Awards show, too.

Lots of love,

Bing

 

April 5, Tuesday. Is released from the hospital and convalesces at home. Bing’s butler Alan Fisher later recalled life in the Crosby home.

  

Bing Goes Home

BURLINGAME, Calif. (UPI) — Bing Crosby ended a month's stay in the hospital Tuesday with a song. Wearing a jaunty hat, Crosby, ‘72, walked out of Peninsula Hospital crooning “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning.” Crosby suffered a spinal disc injury March 3 when he fell from a stage at the end of a television taping.
(The Waukesha County Freeman, April 6, 1977)

“I admired him as a human being - humane - Christian - honest - fair - kind - but as an entertainer, he wasn’t my type at all. I was extremely aware I was living with what is called ‘a living legend,’ and I was amused by it all. There is a famous saying: ‘No one is a hero to his valet.’ I think it was Napoleon they were referring to - and it’s so correct and so true. You see them as they are - happy - cross - angry - distressed - all the emotions only those living in their ‘hip pocket’ can see in them.

An ultra, ultra conservative man, an amusing father - strict, but he never really believed in punishment as such. I administered all that! And providing much love and affection is always first and foremost in a child’s life. Punishment can be applied and it was!

As an employer, he left one completely alone. If you did your job well, he wasn’t interested in bothering you in any way. He loved his home. It was an extremely formal house - candlelight for dinner, fingerbowls, etc., but that formality came from me. But it was so easy, as the ‘setting’ was so elegant and luxurious.

Mr. Crosby could have been put in a field alone with a gallon of water (purified!), a can opener and two cans of corned beef, and he would have survived. He truly needed no one. Of course we cosseted him totally, though he was quite unaware of this. Our whole lives quietly revolved around his axis.”

Regarding the rumors of Bing being a “loner,” Alan had this to say: “He knew everyone and everyone called him. He was available to all, but seldom rang anyone. His friends, I must say, were - almost to a man - tycoons of industry. In my humble and probably quite inaccurate opinion, he did not feel acting was an honorable profession - singing, either. He truly admired men with brains who had made it to the top.”

With regard to Bing’s moral beliefs, Alan wrote: “He was an extremely moral man - whilst married - I am not talking of him as a widower. I saw him as a married man. Women were drawn to him. He loved to smile, wink, flirt, but he was essentially, 100% in fact, a one-woman man.”

I asked if Bing ever sang around the house or played records. Alan responded, “He never played his own music in his own home. He seldom - no never - sang at home either, other than three bars coming into breakfast. Of course guests in his home meant the drawing room after dinner, a log fire in the winter, then on rare - rarest - occasions they would end up around the piano, but it took two glasses of champagne to do it. Basically, he was quite a shy man.”

Alan said he was never a fan of Bing Crosby, so I said, “Bing was fond of just about every type of music. Did he share any of your tastes in music?” Alan replied, “I wonder! I did once try to persuade him to record a piece Louis Armstrong sang in one of the Bond films. It was called something like ‘We Have All the Love in the World.’ I felt he could have given it such ‘timbre.’ Of course, he didn’t heed my pleadings!”

I asked what a typical meal was like in the Crosby home and what types of food were favorites of Bing’s. Alan went on at great length!

“Gosh, he had so many favorites! When we served asparagus or fruit, we always served fingerbowls with leaves of lemon-scented verbena. People dipped their fingers in the bowls and crushed the leaves. This released a lovely lemon scent. What it was, really, was a bit of show business. It looked elegant, but did serve a purpose. The whole family adored caviar. Whenever one of the four boys rang to ask me “What can I get Dad for his birthday, Father’s Day, Christmas, etc., I invariably said a pound of Beluga caviar. So we had it a lot. Most people like it plain, spooned onto a piece of toast, but we had it served in a caviar dish, set in ice. Finely-chopped onion in one crystal bowl - white of egg (hard-boiled eggs) passed through a sieve, in another bowl. Yolk of egg in another bowl. Sour cream in yet another bowl. That first course at any dinner was always a winner! I chose the menus, which was easy, as I knew exactly what they liked. Mr. Crosby loved ducks he shot himself; quail done Texan style; Irish stew. Another favorite was roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, or roast lamb - mint sauce - very, very ordinary tastes, actually. For dessert, a peach pie with homemade peach cream; an apple pie with cheese melted over it; a chocolate soufflé with vanilla sauce over it. A special dessert was crème brûlée cheesecake served with a thick wedge of lemon which they squeezed over it - try it! The lemon over the creamy cheese is superb. Our cook was famous for lemon ice (homemade) with a lovely almond cookie. Mushrooms, Mr. Crosby said, was like serving him buttons! So, no mushrooms.

He loved his tea at 5:00 p.m. - very English! And he never missed it - again with a cookie, milk in his tea, no sugar. Mr. Crosby was punctual. One could set one’s watch by him. When he said dinner at 7:00 p.m. he meant dinner at 7:00 p.m. Very much a creature of habit.”

My last question was how Bing handled his convalescence after his fall from the stage in 1977. Alan said, “He was an adorable patient, asked for nothing - well, he didn’t need to. We hovered over him all the time. He was morose, glum, but we expected that. First there was the cancer scare (in 1974), then the fall off the stage. To have recovered as he did and to have died as he did was such a worthy end - too soon, of course.” (Alan Fisher, in correspondence with Greg Van Beek, as published in BINGANG, winter 96-97)

 

April 10, Sunday. Kathryn and Mary Frances fly to Dallas to begin rehearsals for the play The Latest Mrs. Adams.

April 12, Tuesday. Bing writes to Arthur Schreiber of the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

I would, of course, be flattered to be among those who are to be nominated for your Hall of Fame.

Unfortunately, I had an accident recently which is going to keep me confined for another couple of months, and it would be impossible for me to make a personal appearance in connection with the function on April 24th.

I have a very dear friend in New York who is well known for his newspaper, broadcasting and television activities – Jack O’Brian, and if he would consent to accept the Award in my behalf, I would be delighted.

I suggest you contact him and I’ll also write him and between the two of you you can determine whether or not Jack can be available for the affair – or if he wants to be involved to that extent.

If Jack O’Brian is not available, possibly Ben Grauer or David Hartman or Stanley Siegel might accept the chore. All of them are friends of mine and all of them, of course, are well known in the industry.

Whoever you contact, you can, of course, tell them that I suggested their name. But I would try Jack O’Brian first as he is really my closest friend and has such a long association with the media.

If there is anything further I can do, let me know.

Sincerely yours, Bing

April 15, Friday. Records “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” with a jazz group for Concord Records, his last recording in the U.S.A. The recording is made as a tribute to the late Duke Ellington and is issued on a memorial album.

 

Wanting to make sure he’s on the tribute to Duke Ellington tunes album, Bing Crosby came up from Hillsborough the other day to add his track at Concord Jazz Records. The report: Bing enjoyed the session and appeared in fine fettle. And what do you think was recorded by Bing, who’s been laid up so long from that fall? “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.”
(The San Francisco Examiner, April 19, 1977)

Great artists are seldom very well served by recorded “tributes” to them, particularly if they are musical giants of the stature of Duke Ellington. It is much better in most cases simply to rerelease some of their own best performances: they make a better testament, a more lasting monument. But there is the occasional exception to this rule as there is to all others, and here’s one: Concord Jazz’s new release “A Tribute to Duke.” which employs the formidable talents of such performers as Bing Crosby, Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, and Woody Herman to present the almost incredible creative vitality of a man who was one of America’s greatest and most influential musicians. It is music that can bear the endless reworking of numerous performers’ interpretations and still delight, year after year, just as that of Gershwin, Porter, and Rodgers does.

...The Duke was a Compleat Musician, and the performers here are Compleat Interpreters. Bing Crosby—sadly, now gone as well—offers a reading of Don’t Get Around Much Any More that is as definitively unspoiled Crosbiana as it is pure Ellingtoniana...

(Peter Reilly, Stereo Review, April 1978)

 

April 16, Saturday. In Durango, Colorado, Lindsay Crosby is arrested for swimming nude in a motel pool and running naked around the pool area. He is released the following day on a $300 bond. Lindsay had recently bought a ranch in the area. He subsequently pleads guilty and pays a $100 fine.

April 19, Tuesday. Kathryn and Mary Frances open in the play The Latest Mrs. Adams at the Country Dinner Playhouse in Dallas. The play runs until May 23.

April 21, Thursday. Bing has dental surgery during the morning and at night, he is interviewed by phone by broadcaster Arne Fogel. The interview is aired a few weeks later on KUXL-AM radio.

April 22, Friday. Bing writes to Priscilla Koernig, vice-president of Club Crosby.

 

Thanks for all the pictures. You certainly had a busy lens. Some of them are very good. Nice souvenirs for me to have - both of the concerts and of events at the Pebble Beach tournament.

The close-up is a very good shot indeed, and I’m returning it to you autographed.

Glad to hear that some of the British albums are starting to come out. I think the “Feels Good” album is the best I’ve done. In addition to the songs you mention, I like “The Night Is Young and You’re So Beautiful”. It has always been one of my favorite old songs.

The accident at Pasadena was a ridiculous affair. There should have been some protection. The stage was constructed so part of it went up and down to the basement to bring different bands up and performers.

The show had been finished, and I took my bows, thanked the audience, and turned to make exit stage right into the wings and stepped into space.

Bad as it is, I could have been killed quite easily. I’m recuperating now. It’s going to take a couple of months before anyone knows whether or not an operation is going to be necessary.

The surgeons in charge seem to think I have a very good chance of eluding surgery. I hope they’re right!

I think the March Club journal is a very good issue indeed.

Very best to you and all your associates –

Most sincerely, Bing

 

April 24, Sunday. Ben Grauer accepts the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame Award on behalf of Bing at the ceremony at the American Hotel, Freehold, New Jersey.

April 25, Monday. (10:00-11:00 p.m.) An ABC-TV show Paul Anka–Music My Way includes Bing singing a snatch of “My Way” as part of a procession of guest stars. No doubt recorded before his fall.

April 27, Wednesday. Gives a telephone interview to radio station 5DN, Adelaide, Australia.

April 29, Friday. The J. Walter Thompson Agency in Chicago have sent a Bing a leather box containing a cassette player, a "Road to Recovery" tape and ten cassettes of his old radio programs. He replies as follows.

Dear friends

I can’t tell you how much pleasure you gave me when you sent the cassette player with all those marvellous cassettes and by the special song you wrote to kick off the segment called “The Road to Recovery”. I’m sure that it is therapy like this that’s going to facilitate or accelerate my recovery. I do appreciate very much the trouble you went to and I hope you’ll thank everyone at J. Walter Thompson and everyone at Kraft who had anything to do with it. If they enjoyed it half as much as I enjoyed listening to it, I think we’re even.  I’m particularly anxious to see what Chuck Schaden has in the way of tapes in which I am involved and some of the vintage radio programs. I wonder if you could give me his address and I could get in touch with him to see if there are some things I might like to have. I never did seriously try to find any of these programs. I have a couple somewhere but it would be nice to have some of the good ones. If you would be kind enough to send me his address, I’ll take it from there…..

May 2, Monday. Nathaniel Crosby treats his father to dinner at a Chinese restaurant near Hillsborough to celebrate Bing’s birthday.

May 3, Tuesday. In a letter to Bob Hope, Bing states, “It’s unlikely that I’ll be able to swing a stick by June – if ever.”

May 4, Wednesday. Variety reports that Santa Monica Superior Court judge Laurence Rittenband has dismissed look-alike Jack Harris’ libel suit against Bing, which stemmed from Crosby’s protest about Harris appearing in commercials for Mark C. Bloome Tire Co.

May 6, Friday. Bing writes to Gord Atkinson.

Dear Gord:

Thank you for the kind regards from you and Elaine on the occasion of my birthday.

I hope by the time the next one rolls around I’ll be in a little better shape physically!

Kathryn and Mary Frances are in a play in the east, so I’m holding down the fort with Nathaniel. He’s holding down the golf course!

Warmest regards, Bing

May 14, Saturday. Bing and Harry fly to Las Cruces.

May 22, Sunday. Bing arranges for another check for $100 to be sent to British fan Leslie Gaylor annotated "publicity".

May 23, Monday. Bing writes to fan Dick Pearson.

 

Dear Dick,

Thanks for your very kind note. I seem to be convalescing successfully, although it seems interminably slow, but the medics tell me that is standard procedure in this type of accident. I don’t know whether or not I’ll be back on tour again, though - and I’m definitely afraid my golf is going to have to be put on the shelf unless some dramatic recovery takes place. But then, I’ve had a great deal of golf - more than most men, and I’ve enjoyed every moment of it.

      Glad you liked some of the recordings. There’s another album I haven’t heard yet that Ken Barnes did over in the States. I was working to soundtracks which is not my favorite type of recording procedure. I’d rather work with a live band. With the sound tracks you’re kind of locked in to tempos which may not be just quite what you want.

      Yes, I read all of Dick Francis that he writes. I’ll be glad to sign an album for you any time you want. I suppose I’ll get to England this spring, but I wouldn’t guarantee it. Nathaniel wants to play in the Boys Championship over there again, and several other Pro-Ams. He’s been Captain of his High School golf team which has just won the championship and he was low medalist for the 12 matches, so he feels quite full of himself now!

      Thanks again for your letter - Warmest regards to you and your family,

Bing

 

May 24-June 26. Kathryn and Mary Frances appear in the play The Latest Mrs. Adams at the Country Dinner Playhouse, Columbus, Ohio.

May 31, Tuesday. (10:00-11:00 p.m.) A Barbara Walters Special appears on ABC-TV in which Bing is interviewed at his Hillsborough home.

 

And, recently on her ABC special, Walters conducted interviews in their respective homes with Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Redd Foxx. And with Bing, looking well but still recuperating from that terrible spill he took last March, the questions gnawed close to the bone.

After a discussion of Bing’s first marriage and how his first four sons were reared (“I must have left something undone”), Barbara said: “You’ve got a young family, teenagers. There’s a lot of difference in the morals today. How do you feel about young people living together?”

“Without being married?” Bing said.

“Yes.”

“I think it’s wrong.”

“Well,” Barbara said, “suppose one of your sons came home and said, ‘Dad, I’ve got this girl. We’ve been staying together or living together. Would you mind if we shared a room in the house?’”

Bing was incredulous. “In OUR house?” he said. Then he emitted a wry chuckle. “No chance.”

“But,” she persisted, “it happens in other families.”

“Well, it wouldn’t happen in my family,” Bing said. “I mean, if one of them did that, I wouldn’t speak to them ever again.”

Now it was Walters’ turn to be incredulous.

(Don Freeman, Copley News Service, writing in an article headed “Nothing's Sacred to TV Newsmen", reproduced in The Nashville Graphic, June 28, 1977.)

The interview with Bing Crosby was a surprise. The seemingly affable, easy going Crosby turned out to be as strict and rigid a parent as one could find. Many young people at the time were beginning to share a room and sleep together without marriage, but when I asked Crosby how he would feel if one of his seven children wanted to share a bedroom with someone they were going with, he said he wouldn’t speak to them ever again.

Flabbergasted at his answer, I asked, “If one of your sons said, ‘I like this girl and I’m living with her and we’re not getting married,’ you would never speak to him?”

I will never forget Crosby’s dismissive answer: “Aloha, on the steel guitar.” (My producers and I still use that expression today if we want to get rid of something on a show.)

Beyond that he said if his only daughter, Mary Frances, told him that she was having an affair, he would tell her to take her things and move out and he would never, ever, talk to her or see her again. He seemed to have conveniently forgotten his own reputation as a philanderer in his younger days. But now he insisted that that was how he, a Catholic, had been raised, and he knew of no other way to behave.

Still, in spite of this rigidity, which I daresay some people might agree with, I liked Crosby. I liked the fact that he took second billing on films, and I liked the way he told me he wanted to be remembered as “not a bad fellow who sang a fair song in tune most of the time.”

Most of all I liked the way he treated my mother.

For the very first time I had taken my mother on one of my assignments, and I took her without my sister.

My father was in the nursing home, Aunt Lena had agreed to look after my sister, and my mother had finally agreed to travel with me alone. She loved Bing Crosby from all of his films, and this visit thrilled her so much.

Crosby had a magnificent estate on the outskirts of San Francisco. To take care of it, he had a wonderful English butler named Alan Fisher, who had worked for the Duke of Windsor before coming to America. Mr. Fisher took my mother all over the beautiful house and prepared a special tea for us with buttered scones and little sandwiches. My mother was so elegant and charming that day. She was at her best, and both Crosby and his butler doted on her. I wished that I could have taken her on every interview I did. She deserved the respite, but even during this magical time for her in California, she worried about how my sister was getting along and called home constantly. 

The visit with Bing Crosby remains very important in my eyes, not only because of my mother but because it turned out to be Crosby’s last interview. He died six months later of a heart attack in Madrid, Spain, after playing eighteen holes of golf. He was seventy-three. After his death, Alan Fisher sent me a pair of Crosby’s eyeglasses. He said he thought nobody would miss them and that my mother might like to have them. She did.

(Barbara Walters writing in her book “Audition”)

 

     June 7, Tuesday. Bing writes to his childhood friend Jimmy Cottrell seeking “anecdotal material for a new book.”

June 11, Saturday. Bing attends the graduation of his grandson, Steven Crosby, from Santa Clara University. Gary and Lindsay are also there. Bing writes to Ken Barnes in England.

 

Thanks for your note. Glad to hear the news about the album being awarded a Silver Disc.

They did send me a copy of the framed citation. Very nice.

When you’ve gotten anything developed in the direction of recording for Polydor, let me know, and we’ll start organizing a date or two.

I don’t know about the duet package with Hope. This would require special material, I believe.

The project with Venuti might be good, too. If we could get a good guitar player.

I’m going to be around most of the summer, I guess. I have a concert probably to do in Oslo in late August and then taping a television show September 1st to the 9th in London. With Hemion and Smith.

Then it’s a question whether we play some dates on the Continent or maybe five or six big towns in England. I rather prefer the latter. I can’t really imagine audiences in Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin—places like that—coming to hear a bunch of old songs that I do.

But I am fully convinced that we would have no problem filling theatres in these English cities, with good responsive audiences.

Give me a ring when you’re out this way—

Yours, Bing

PS. I haven’t heard anything from you about the album we did the last time you were out in California—the one that we did to tracks.

What’s happened to it? Have you got anything I could listen to? If so, send it on.

(As reproduced in The Crosby Years, page 57)

 

June 23, Monday. Bing and son Harry visit Columbus, Ohio, to see Kathryn and Mary Frances in the play The Latest Mrs. Adams at the Country Dinner Playhouse. Bing speaks to the audience at the end of the performance and receives a standing ovation. The next day, Bing plays a full 18 holes of golf at the neaby Blacklick Woods course in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. Kathryn accompanies him.

June 26, Thursday. Bing flies back to San Francisco. Kathryn and Mary move on to Indianapolis for a 5-week engagement in The Latest Mrs. Adams commencing on June 28.

June 27, Friday. Bing writes to Tom Rooney of the San Francisco Sports Show.

Dear Tom

Thanks for the material you sent me about the British hole-in-one Golf Society.

I don’t know whether or not I qualify for these awards, Tom. I’ve had 13 holes-in-one in my golfing career. This is probably just to celebrate my recent hole-in-one. This material you sent me.

I like the California Game Fair. Maybe my son Harry and I will try and drop in. He’s quite a good shot and has trained some Labradors through the years. I’ll get in touch with you about this -

As ever, Bing

He also writes to Wes Hartley in Carson City, Nevada.

Of course, I would be flattered to receive a copy of “America’s Troubadour”, and I am happy to learn that your students have been interested in putting together something that was descriptive of my efforts or my career.

Answering your question about a mastery of language, I certainly think it’s a tremendous help to anybody who is considering a career in show business.

Just the ability to get up on your feet and express yourself intelligently and colorfully is a vital asset.

I went to a Jesuit school – both High School and College, and we had debating societies, elocution contests, extemporaneous speaking contests, did plays, and I’m sure it was very helpful to me.

When you say “language” I wonder if you mean foreign languages. I certainly think everybody should learn one or two foreign languages, even if they just have a superficial knowledge of the language.

Spanish would be the one I would select that anybody should learn.

And I think it would help also – the training in mastery of language in a singing career, because it would influence the phrasing, the way you sing a song and make it more meaningful. If you can interpret the lyrics sensibly and intelligently, there’s no question but what it would help your delivery.

I hope that some of these suggestions ae of use, and again, thanks for putting me in “America’s Troubadour”.

Always your friend, Bing.

Later, he signs his last will in which he leaves a number of bequests as follows:

 

Kathryn Grant Crosby (wife)                                       $150,000

Carolyn Miller

(niece—daughter of his sister Mary Rose)                    $15,000

Marilyn McLachlan

(niece—daughter of his late sister Catherine)                $15,000

Mary Rose Pool (sister)                                              $20,000

Catherine Crosby (niece—Ted’s daughter)                  $10,000

Mary Sue Shannon (niece—Everett’s daughter)            $10,000

St. Aloysius Church, Spokane                                       $5,000

Gonzaga University                                                     $50,000

Gonzaga High School                                                 $50,000

Basil Grillo (his business manager)                               $25,000

Leo Lynn (employee)                                                  $20,000

Lillian Murphy (secretary)                                            $15,000

Louis Serpe (his mother’s chauffeur)                           $10,000

Marian Harrigan (cousin)                                              $5,000

 

In addition, Bing leaves all of his automobiles, jewelry, silverware, books, paintings, works of art, household furniture and furnishings, clothing and other personal effects to his wife Kathryn and the residue to the Trustee of the Harry L. Crosby Trust. The Trust had been set up earlier in the day and was apparently an inter vivos trust for his benefit. Richard C. Bergen is named as executor of the will and given full control of the Harry L. Crosby Trust. In the will, Bing makes the following stipulation about his funeral:

 

I direct that my funeral services be conducted in a Catholic church; that they be completely private with attendance limited to my Wife and the above mentioned children; that a low mass be said and that no memorial service of any kind be held. I further direct that insofar as possible services be held without any publicity, other than that which my family permits after my burial, which shall be in a Catholic cemetery.

 

June 28, Saturday. Kathryn and Mary Frances open in the play The Latest Mrs. Adams at the Indianapolis Beef N Boards Theatre. The play runs there until July 31.

June 30, Monday. Bing is at Las Cruces, Mexico. Said to have golfed with his sons Harry and Nathaniel at Guadalajara during his time in Mexico. Plans for five concerts in Canada between August 9-14 are dropped.

July 8, Friday. Bing writes to Chuck Schaden, the Chicago broadcaster.  

Dear Chuck

Thanks for your letter. I am certainly desirous of receiving a list of just what you have involving some of the things I have done and possibly I can make a selection of some of these things that fill out what I have. My list is pretty scarce. I never really made an effort at collecting stuff but now in the fading days of my career I think it would be nice to have these things. Do send me the list and I appreciate it very much. Also I appreciate very much your interest and support.

Your friend, Bing

July 9, Saturday. Nathaniel Crosby (age 15) wins the men's championship at Burlingame Golf Club.
On the evening of July 9^th, Bing phoned me to announce that it was the happiest day of his life. I awaited news of a miraculous cure, but it transpired that, at the age of fifteen, Nathaniel had just won the men’s championship at the Burlingame Country Club.
(Kathryn Crosby, My Last Years with Bing, page 393)

July 11, Monday. Bing writes to Liza Minnelli (1) British fan Leslie Gaylor (2) Radio Station WTBQ in Warwick, New York (3) and Gord Atkinson (4).

 
(1)  Dear Liza

I saw “New York, New York” the other night, and I just wanted to drop you a line to tell you I thought you gave a beautiful performance. Very sensitive. And you looked and sang beautifully.

I was impressed with the ending. I though the Producer or the Director or whoever was very brave, but it was the only possible ending, really, to make sense.

Say hello to Jack for me – affectionately, Bing

(2)…The Bingo Viejo record has been remixed and it sounds much better than ever it did before. I don’t know what they did to it but they brought up the vocal a bit more and cut down on the background, which made it sound a little more intimate and a little more personal…

(3) Dear Friends

That was really a heartwarming thing you did for me recently - the autographed plaque with the very amusing little poem that accompanied it, plus several pictures from some of my films!

I really didn't know I had that many friends in the whole state of New York, let alone Warwick, and I'm immensely pleased.

Please convey my warmest thanks to all those who signed, and I also want to send my very best regards along to your listeners - Always your friend, Bing

(4) Dear Gord:

I don’t believe there will be any appearance in Toronto at the O’Keefe Center this year. Everybody is busy with other things, and I really don’t feel strong enough yet to undertake a serious concert schedule.

Glad you’re having a nice summer with all your family at home, and I know you’ll find the Shakespeare Festival at Stratford to be a very exciting occasion -

All best wishes, Bing

 

July 19-22, Tuesday-Friday. Bing accompanies Nathaniel to San Diego and watches his son compete in the boys 15-17 class of the Junior World Championship at Torrey Pines. Nathaniel scores 74-77-78-229 to qualify for the final round. He is not placed. Bing visits Del Mar for the first time in thirty years.

He enjoyed watching me compete. When he accompanied me to golf tournaments, he wore his Sherlock Holmes hat and an overcoat and often watched me through his binoculars from a couple of fairways away. Or as Sports Illustrated once described it, "flitting cartoon-fashion from tree to tree." He did not want me to know he was there, worried that he would make me nervous or cause me to be distracted should he be recognized and crowds start following him. So he wandered the course alone.

On one such occasion, when I was playing the Junior World Championship at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego in 1977, Dad actually snuck up to watch me up close on the fourteenth hole and caught me in the act of throwing my club at a tiny tree that had been strategically placed on the right edge of the fairway to torment me. A subtle lecture followed, which, alas, a photographer caught on camera.

(Nathaniel Crosby, 18 Holes with Bing, page 157)

...At 1:55 p.m., five minutes before first post, they’ve put on the old Crosby record, “Down at old Del Mar where the turf meets the surf.” Bing groans it out. Funny thing about this ritual. The original got so worn it was driving people crazy. A couple of years ago, they finally got Crosby to cut a new record. But when they introduced it, long-time patrons were outraged. They demanded the original, scratches and warts and all. So now they play the old one to start the day, the new one to end the day, and everybody’s happy.

(John Hall, The Los Angeles Times, July 29, 1977)

July 26, Tuesday. The London Experience Electrovision film opens in the British capital.

July 28, Thursday. During the morning at his Hillsborough home, Bing is interviewed by Jerry Perchesky of station KOMY Watsonville. Later Film expert Bob DeFlores visits Bing at his Hillsborough and during the afternoon Bob shows Bing over two hours of rare movie clips including one of Bing’s father.

 

…In every clip I showed him from 1929 through the late forties, he knew in an instant every other character in the sequence, and would call them out, sometimes adding a cute anecdote or touching story. l showed a rare clip of him at twenty-eight years of age, shot during “Star Night” at the Cocoanut Grove. It was a color short and the make-up was gaudy and overdone. Bing laughed at the sight but loved the clip because it included Mary Pickford, a favorite of the crooner's. I included another film of him, his mother and father, but this one also pictured Dwight Eisenhower, Ben Hogan, and Byron Nelson. Bing said he was unaware of a camera that day and the clip caught him by surprise, but he was happy someone recorded the event. Another film found Bing at his college graduation (sic), standing next to Gonzaga University’s basketball star, a seven-foot giant and school chum of the crooner’s. He told me of some of his escapades and pranks with the giant. Crosby particularly liked my footage capturing him with comedians. He got a good laugh from a 1932 shot of George Burns and Gracie Allen and him, and he loved all the rare clips with Bob Hope or Jack Benny. Many of my clips showed Bing on the links with other notables, such as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and ex-Presidents and Statesmen. Bing knew everyone in the shots, even the caddies.

He showed his gratitude for the films which I personally had restored. He was genuinely pleased that someone cared enough.

While I changed one of the reels, he offered me a drink, but he abstained so 1 declined. He also never fired his pipe while I was there. The only obvious trademark he kept was his sweater which looked very natural on him.

I showed a clip of Bing and Bob Hope at a bond rally. Hope had introduced Crosby as “Old Chub and Blub”. Bing had never heard that introduction before and he turned to me with mock indignation and said, “Old Chub and Blub.” Then he laughed. “I’ll have to get Hope for that one,” he said.

At the end of the two and a half hours of nostalgia and films, Bing turned to me again and said he would like all of what I showed him to be put on video tape for his files. Needless to say, I agreed and in retrospect I think he took a real liking to me because I never asked for nor expected money for the clips. I was happy to give them to him. Then he asked about an article telling of my restoration of a 1929 motion picture of John McCormack - the great Irish tenor, called “Sing O’ My Heart.” I told him I still had it and he said he would love to see it one day because his mother collected all of McCormack’s records. “We could see that,” he added, “when I get back from Europe.”

In between films, Bing would conjure up stories of the old days. He talked of Sennett and college and Paul Whiteman’s Rhythm Boys and his life on celluloid. In one flashback, he told me be had made some comedies for the Christie Brothers. “No, you didn’t, Bing,” I said. Surprised, he said. “Yes, I did, Bob,” I held: “No, you didn’t. You made some Mack Sennett comedies at the Christie Brothers Studios, but you never made a film for the Christie Brothers.” He stood firm and I let it drop. Later when he talked to the 3M people about our day together, I got my concession. He told one of the executives that he really enjoyed our meeting and that I knew more about his career than he did.

The last film I screened was a war bond rally in which Bing sang, “Buy, Buy, Buy, Buy a Bond.” After I turned off the projector, we talked for another fifteen minutes or so and I told him that my children and I would love an autograph from him. He left the room with me following him toward the stairway. He told me to wait downstairs while he climbed the magnificent circular stairway to the second floor, singing and whistling all the way up, “Buy, Buy, Buy, Buy a Bond,” replete with the familiar exploding “B’s.” He returned with three recent photos, signed to my daughters and then gave me a signed piece of sheet music from the movie, Pennies from Heaven.

I had been there about three hours and I felt he must be tired and I suggested that I go.  He took my arm and said, “Nonsense, you don’t have to go, do you?” I was pleased and said, “No, not really.”

“Why don’t I give you a tour of the house?” he said, and I jumped at the opportunity.

The entire house was immaculately kept and formal. Curtains and drapes flowed from ceiling to floor over every window, and the house was surfeited with antiques. The dining room was large, sedate in design and formal. A beautiful table cloth with nice embroidery covered the long dining table and against the wall stood a buffet cabinet, elegant in its rich hand-carved wood and delicately supporting beautiful crystal glasses. Later, Alan Fisher told me that every night when the family was together, the Crosby’s would dine formally; no levis, no loose fitting golf shirts, formal attire only, and no nicknames. It was Nathaniel, not Nate, or Kathryn, not Kathy.  When he told me of the formality, it seemed to fit the room

Much of the house had rich carpets over the floor, but the hall floor was done in impressive stone. In one room upstairs, a closet encircled the entire chamber and in the closet, pressed one against the other, filling the whole enclosure, were suits; and on a shelf above the suits were hats flushed one against the other, with no room left for a new purchase. Yes, they were golf hats.

The walls of the house in nearly every room displayed paintings of the Old West, many of which were drawn by Charles Russell…

It had been a long afternoon and we started back to the car. He asked me about a movie he made with Russ Columbo, another crooner, for Pathe and filmed at the Cocoanut Grove called The Romantic Rivals. I told him that after many years of searching I still could not find it and thought it to be lost, though I would never stop hunting for it. He thanked me and said that if I found it to let him know. I then told him of a rare clip featuring his first wife, Dixie Lee, impersonating her husband while singing “I Apologize.” He did not know about the film and wanted me to get a copy for him and I said I would.

As we walked, Bing casually shuffled along with his hands stuffed in his pockets. His relaxed and quiet ways seemed to soothe everything around him, including me. As we walked to my car I said, “You sure have a beautiful home.” He shrugged his shoulders and said, “It’s comfortable, Bob, It’s comfortable,”

We walked to the car and Bing opened the door for me.  I got in, sat down and closed the door. The window was open and Bing leaned his forearms on the door and said, “When I return from Europe, let’s get together again and go over some more films, okay?” Of course okay. Then he asked if I liked to fish, and I said I was not very good. He let it drop.

…Bing Crosby left quite an impression with me, an impression I will never forget. He was casual as I have said, but he was dignified too. He exuded the charm and a formality of another time, and his easy-going ways did not seem affected. He seemed lonely in that huge house, but that may simply be my perception and not the reality. After all, he was not entertaining and no crowds clamored after him. He was a humble man, a virtue not popular today, and that struck me. He told me that there were a lot of better singers than he, but he just got the breaks, He was not fishing for compliments, but sincere in his estimation of his talent. Of course I disagreed. He just shrugged his shoulders.

He never travelled far from his poor beginnings, at least in his mind. He empathized with those less fortunate. Fisher told me that it hurt him to hear people fight or to see old people abused. He felt a kinship with the poor and wanted to help them if he could. And to me he seemed unaffected and maybe slightly confused by his own good fortune, but not uneasy with it. Like his house, it was comfortable.

I felt close to Bing in that four and half hours I spent with him. He drew me into his peaceful world and let me stay awhile.

I remember he talked of one main worry that ruffled his calm. He was booked for a concert in Concord, his first in a very long time, and he worried that he would not draw the fans; he thought that they forgot him. Well, he did that concert, and the house was packed and fans were turned away at the door.

Bing loved seeing the old film clips of him and his friends. They brought him happiness. In fact, he told me that viewing those films were the most memorable hours he had spent in years. I know they were unforgettable hours for me…
(Bob DeFlores, writing in The Crosby Voice, April 1982)

 

July 29, Friday. Kathryn and Mary Frances appear in a special charity performance for the Lions Club of The Latest Mrs. Adams at the Beef-N-Boards Theatre in Indianapolis.

August 11, Thursday. Chuck Schaden has written to Bing with a list of the material available and Bing replies.

Dear Chuck

I received your letter of August 1^st with the enclosures. I must say you have a very expansive list of collectors’ items. I have never seen anything like it. Must keep you busy in going over your inventory and cataloguing various things. I would indeed like to have copies of everything you have red-marked except where duplications are involved and I would like you to give me some sort of an idea of what this would cost before proceeding further. It would be a nice thing to have. I suppose that you would put them on tape or are cassettes preferable? I don’t know how well cassettes stand up through the years. I’m certainly very grateful to you for providing me with this list and for your interest. I’ll expect to hear from you someday about the cost of reproducing all these things for my files. When you have made a decision about this, will you write me and list the things involved so that I can check what I have, although I am convinced that what I have is pretty scanty, and then I’ll get back to you.

Assuring you of my appreciation with warmest personal regards.

Yours sincerely, Bing

Bing also writes to Crosby fans Mr. and Mrs. Bob Chandler in Florida.

 

Dear Friends:

Thanks so much for your kind letter. Delighted to hear that you have found some amusement and entertainment and recreation out of some of the things that I’ve done on records and on radio and television.

I’m like you - I like the radio very much. I think it gives a person an opportunity to make his own impressions about how people look and what’s going on.

A good radio program, with sound effects, and good performances, seems to me to still have a place in the entertainment field.

I keep doing a lot of the old standards, of course. This tour I was on all last year, I did 30 or 35 old songs. Sometimes just half a chorus. Sometimes verse and chorus. Sometimes a full chorus.  And I keep adding and subtracting from this medley.

I’m coming along pretty well since the accident. It does take time though. The back is a difficult place to have anything happen because it takes so long to heal.

I do want you to know I’m grateful for your good wishes –

Your friend, Bing

August 15, Monday. Says he is “still a little limpy” from his accident but “I’d never retire completely.” However, he decides to cancel proposed concerts on a British tour and writes to Scottish fan James Dineen saying:

 

A series of circumstances has arisen forcing me to scrub the English provincial tour and the engagement at the Palladium in September. I have delayed this disclosure as long as possible but now it seems it is not to be.

 

August 16, Tuesday. The death of Elvis Presley. Meanwhile, starting at 8:00 p.m., Bing performs in a new stage show at the Concord Pavilion, California, with Harry and Mary Frances accompanied by Joe Bushkin’s Jazz Quartet. The Dave Frishberg Five open the show. This is Bing’s “comeback” after the Pasadena accident and there are said to be 5,000 in the audience, most sitting in the open air. He changes his mind about canceling his British concerts completely but cuts out ones planned for the Southampton Gaumont on September 16 and the Liverpool Empire (September 21).

 

…She called me that afternoon and said, “Get the next train over here and don’t ask questions. You’re meeting Bing Crosby!” Needless to say, in record time I was at the Pavilion in the company of my friend, wearing a slightly false press badge, to witness Bing’s rehearsal! I can’t, even at this late date, express the thrill. At last the great man took a break, and my friend pushed me up and introduced me. Fully expecting a greeting only as courteous or long as necessary, I was quite floored by the cordiality this legend exhibited toward a stammering kid like myself. He asked me about myself, and chatted amiably. When I timidly proffered a test pressing of Arnheim’s “One More Time” that I had had the presence of mind to bring along in hopes of an autograph, his face lit up with delight and he launched into an impromptu, a capella version of the song, a song he certainly hadn’t sung in decades! My point? That in my experience, Bing Crosby was not only a kind, decent and amiable man, bur far more so than a person his stature would ever need to be for mere ‘PR’ purposes.  I was also lucky enough to spend the balance of the afternoon sitting and chatting with daughter Mary, a lady of real class whose love for her father was more than evident.
(Tom Bertino, in a letter to BING magazine, winter, 2000 [#126])

 

Just a little stiff of back, but with the famous easy voice remarkably the same, Bing Crosby picked up last night at the Concord Pavilion where he left off last spring at Pasadena. His 25-foot fall into the pit there came to mind only when he made a joke of it—and that only happened a couple of times.

      The crowd loved him, of course. He drew a standing ovation of homage, not mere welcome, when he first stepped onto the stage, and a longer one when the show broke up well past 11 p.m.; only the prematurely raised house lights could have broken it.

      . . . But it was clearly the old standards the crowd wanted and they were the best music of the evening. “Mary Lou,” “Gone Fishin,’” “Sweet Leilani,” and so on, with a long medley on each half of the enforced intermission during his set. Enforced, because the sound system went stone dead on him. The first time it has happened to Concord, the emcee apologized later, but that did not help: for what seemed like twenty long minutes there was nothing to do but noodle. Crosby was game: he pantomimed a long shaggy dog story, sat reading his cue-sheet while the Joey Bushkin Jazz Quartet churned out fillers. Finally it worked again—they wired up a whole auxiliary set-up—and Crosby came out, grinned ruefully, thanked us for our “patience and tolerance” and allowed as how “anyway, it’s better than falling in the pit, I guess.”

(Charles Shere, Oakland Tribune, August 17, 1977)

 

“I met him at the Concord Pavilion in California a month before he died. I couldn’t believe it! I was going to open a show for him by singing six songs. It was like meeting Babe Ruth and being out in the field with him at the same time. So I did my show. Bing shook my hand, complimented me and went onstage. He did thirty minutes of a show. Then the sound system failed. This fantastically expensive system went dead in the middle of his forty-minute medley of hits. I watched a frantic scene backstage. The crew was looking for the source of the electrical failure. They were shouting and screaming. But Bing stood on stage and said nothing and did nothing. The audience waited good-naturedly for fifteen minutes. He said a few things to some ringside people. They laughed a little. Someone backstage said that if it had been another singer, he would have been on a plane on his way out of town by then. But Bing didn’t show one little bit of temperament. He finished to a giant ovation.            

“He came offstage and said, ‘What the **** happened?’

“Oh, the best sound system in the world" they explained; they didn’t know why it happened.

“I said to him. ‘Well, that can’t be the first time it happened.’

“He said, ‘It never happened before in my life.’

“That was his last American appearance. He played in England and then died in Spain on a golf course. To me, Bing, Johnny Mercer and Fred Astaire were the first white jazz singers. They sang with the black influence and not in blackface. They brought jazz singing to us as an art.”
(Dave Frishberg, as quoted in the book Louis’ Children: American Jazz Singers)

You can’t say enough about Bing Crosby—totally relaxed and no foolishness. Just to show you how relaxed he was, once in the middle of a concert the entire sound system went out. He walked to the edge of the stage and calmly finished the tune. Then he stood there and cracked jokes for twenty minutes until they restored the sound.

(George Duvivier, Bassically Speaking-An Oral History of George Duvivier, page 102). 

 August 19, Friday. Groucho Marx dies.

August 22, Monday. Kathryn arrives home.

 

When I arrived, he [Bing] was closeted with Dr. Sullivan. Upon news of my advent, he rushed out delightedly to welcome me.

On the other hand, the normally imperturbable ex-marine passed me by without a greeting, looking as if he’d just been confronted by a legion of ghosts.

It was many years later that I learned that Bing had told him the following: “I feel fine now but I’ve had unmistakable signs that I’m going soon. Promise me to take care of Kathryn and the children.”

“But I’m just an academic, and anything but a financial wizard, as you well know.

“Yes, but I trust you.”

“You can’t die. Everyone here needs you, myself included.”

“Sorry, but this is one thing that I can’t control. Will you promise?”

“Of course, but I find this inconceivable. Please don’t go.”

“I’ll do my best, but I rather doubt that we’ll meet again on this green planet. Good luck, Bill. You’ll need it.”

And Bing had come out grinning, while Dr. Sullivan stumbled off without a word to his mountain hideaway.

(Kathryn Crosby, writing in My Last Years with Bing, page 393)

 

August 23, Tuesday. Bing and Harry arrive in London. Bing tells reporters:

 

“Boy, I would like to do the whole tour but it looks a bit tough. The back is so bad that I can’t even play a round of golf. I have to walk around with a four-iron and a putter and I can only manage nine holes. I told the promoters two months ago I couldn’t manage the complete tour planned for Britain. But the pain is a day-to-day thing, and I may still be able to make it.”

 

August 25, Thursday. Flies into Oslo’s Fornebu Airport, Norway, during the afternoon and gives an hour-long press conference.

 

Mr. Knut Lie had, for 10 years, been producing an annual event in Momarkedet featuring international entertainers, performing in benefits for the Norwegian Red Cross. As Momarkedet is a large race track just outside Oslo, it could attract and accommodate large crowds.

In 1977 Mr. Lie was able to state: “This year we have really hooked a big one - Bing Crosby! I’ve been tracking that man for ten years - and this year, he’s coming!”

Not cheap, eh?

Not really, no!

Knut Lie had planned to make a TV show, transcribing directly to Norwegian, Swedish and Danish television, celebrating the event of 100 years of recorded sound. Crosby would appear together with assorted Scandinavian singers and performers.

Mr. Lie had asked Bing for 20 minutes performance. But Bing said he wished to do no less than 30 minutes. He also insisted on bringing his own accompaniment, consisting of Joe Bushkin, Johnny Smith, Jake Hanna and George Duvivier. Bing had visited Denmark before, but never Sweden or Norway.

Mr. Lie had also hoped to have Princess Grace Kelly appearing with Bing - Lie even had Norwegian royalty press Princess Grace to come - but without any luck.

It was a cold and gloomy day when Bing arrived at Fornebu Airport, one and a half hours late due to bad weather in London. “JET CLIPPER BING CROSBY”, it read on an elegant plastic lettered sign on the Pan American plane. This Thursday afternoon (25th of August) Bing was met and honored by thousands of fans who did not mind the bad weather that much. Bing was dressed in raincoat, yellow straw hat, and red neckerchief and carried two black walking sticks under his arm.

Bing went straight to the VIP-room, where he, standing, held an hour-long press conference: - “l see you better this way,” he said. He had already promised to answer as many questions as the press would like to ask. He only stipulated that later on there would be no more cooperation. He wished to have peace and quiet around him now for a few days. “Well. I’m an old man, now…”

When Knut Lie introduced Crosby to the press in English, he got a bit carried away and he lost Crosby: “Say it in Norwegian,” joked Bing. Then, he started to sing a bit, dazzling the journalists so that they almost forgot their questions.

“Oh, what a beautiful morning,

Oh, what a beautiful day -

Raining in Oslo in Norway,

Maybe I should go away.”

The bad weather obviously had no influence on Crosby. He talked and asked his own questions all the time. And when he quit, then he sang! Bing reported that a wave of nostalgia was sweeping the USA. Old buddies such as Harry James, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman and his kid brother, Bob Crosby, had plenty to do…

One reporter asked: “Did it take much persuasion to get you over here, Mr. Crosby?” to which Bing replied, “No, not at all. The Red Cross is a very good thing, and London is quite close. Tomorrow I will visit a Red Cross home In Oslo. Oslo is a beautiful city - - you do have sunshine at times?”

Bing’s son, Harry, who had accompanied Bing on the trip, was asked whether they had any musical differences at home. “Never”, Bing answered for him. All the time, Harry laughed, though he volunteered he liked his father’s singing, especially when he was singing jazz.
(Lars Roth, writing in BINGANG, winter 1985)

 

August 26, Friday. Bing visits a Red Cross home in Oslo.

August 27, Saturday. Gives an open-air performance in pouring rain for the benefit of the Norwegian Red Cross at Momarkedet, a large racetrack near Mysen (about forty-two miles from Oslo), in an event commemorating one hundred years of recorded sound. Harry Crosby and Joe Bushkin accompany Bing. The concert is recorded and shown on many European television stations including the Norwegian NRK TV on December 29. Meanwhile, Kathryn plus Mary and Nathaniel leave San Francisco for London. The family reunites in the same flat in Green Street which they had used in 1976.

 

Bing promised the Scandinavians a 35 minute long show that they would never forget.

He had gathered an audience of 15,000 people of varying ages. Soon before Bing was to appear on the stage, the heavens literally opened. Since it was an out-of-door arena, the audience had to get their umbrellas up in a hurry. But - they held out! It is not every day that Bing Crosby is singing in Scandinavia, and the audience intended to stick it out to the very end.

Bing sang the same kind of medley he had been using at the Palladium shows. Mostly old chestnuts-----

To assure that he would remember what to sing next, Bing had made note of the songs on a hardcover paper which blew down to the floor, forcing Bing to pick it up several times, which probably did not do his back any good. “I‘ve got to pick this up,” Bing said, referring to his memory notes. “When you get as old as I am, you spend all day trying to remember names, and all night getting up to go to the bathroom.” Harry Crosby laughed loudly at this remark.

The sound equipment made some bad noise, and Bing managed to joke about that, too: “I thought that was a boat landing”, he said, and when it happened a second time: “I think Bob Hope must be in the audience!”

In the big finale, Bing, together with the Scandinavian artists, sang an old Norwegian song, “Per Spelman”, Bing reading the lyrics phonetically. When Knut Lie slipped on the wet floor, he almost dragged Bing down with him, along with the rest of the cast. At last, to the public’s delight, Bing sang another two numbers. He had been on for 45 minutes! It was a great success!

Sweden had planned to have Bing over for another special sometime during the beginning of 1978. And, Bing had agreed to come, but not before he had made a planned visit to Australia and Japan.

Little did the world know that only two weeks later Bing would go to Spain for his final game of golf.

(Lars Roth, writing in BINGANG, winter 1985)

 

       September 4, Sunday. In the UK, Bing joins Nathaniel in a pro-am golf tournament at Hartsbourne Country Club, Herts. The event is in aid of the Jewish Blind Society and raises £30,000. Other celebrities taking part are Bruce Forsyth, Henry Cooper and Ed Stewart.

September 5-9, Monday–Friday. Bing tapes the first part of his final Christmas show with his family at Elstree, near London, for CBS. Guests include David Bowie, Twiggy, Ron Moody, and Stanley Baxter. The orchestra is directed by Ian Fraser.  Dwight Hemion is the director, Frank Konigsberg is executive producer. (The show airs on November 30 in the U.S.A. and generates a 30.7 rating and 44 share (good for a third-place ranking)). Bing plays golf at Mill Hill while at Elstree.

 

In the summer of 1977 I was in my early twenties and about to go up to Edinburgh to perform in a play on the fringe. But three days before rehearsals were due to start, the director phoned to say that the play was off. To ease my disappointment, he asked me if I’d like to work for Bing Crosby for a couple of weeks. The famous crooner was coming over to London to record a “Christmas Special” at Elstree Studios.

I gave a non-committal answer and then forgot about it. All I wanted was a good mope.

Two hours later the phone rang and an American voice asked to speak to Jo Ross.

“Speaking”

“This is Bing Crosby.”

“Oh, stop it, just stop it—it’s not even funny. Anyway, he’s been dead for years.”

Twenty toe-curlingly embarrassing minutes later I found myself employed as Mr. Crosby’s gofer. My duties seemed to be remarkably light—take Mr. Crosby to the set each morning, run errands for him, make sure his car was in the correct place at the end of the day.

I reported for duty in a dark green Mini Moke that I had borrowed from my boyfriend. It had long since lost its canvas sides and the petrol gauge didn’t work. It was a disgrace.

Elstree was huge. When I got there the sound stage was being turned into the interior of a “typical” English country manor house, with a drawing room the size of Westminster Abbey. In the rehearsal room, leaning on an upright piano, was a small, upright man with a pale blue trilby hat on the back of his head.

“Hi there,” said Bing Crosby. “How you doin? Gonna show me round? Can you show me where to get coffee?”

“Certainly,” I replied. I hadn’t a clue where to get a coffee. Bing was very relaxed and chatty, and pretended not to notice that I was lost. Eventually we reached a junction in the corridor.

With a wry smile, Bing suggested that we turn left. “What d’you think? Shall we risk it?”

Pretty soon I was having a ball. Bing was undemanding—and rather shy. I thought he was adorable and was thrilled when one day he asked for a lift back to his hotel. Twenty minutes later we were chugging along in the Mini Moke, when suddenly the engine cut out. I hopped out and started looking pointlessly under the bonnet.

A voice from the front seat asked, “Could you have run out of gas?”

Of course. Bing and I stood by the side of the road waiting for someone to give us a lift to the nearest petrol station.

Eventually, a little car heaving with children stopped. The driver, a middle-aged man, approached us, eyes bulging.

“You... you... you...”

“Yep” said Bing. “We’re out of gas. Can you give me a ride to a garage?”

“Me?... You?... Me... me... and you? Kids, out, get out... Get out of the car!”

Two minutes later I was standing by the road with four bewildered children, watching Bing Crosby disappear in a Ford Fiesta.

When the car returned with petrol, the fan insisted on pouring it into the tank. Then, still unable to speak, he bundled the now-furious children into the Fiesta and, with a final “You,.. you...”, drove off.

Bing ended his Christmas Special, not surprisingly, with “White Christmas”. The studio was packed for the recording. Bing asked to see me in the make-up room, “Hey, Lefty,” he said, using the nickname he’d given me when he discovered I was a southpaw. “Write me out an idiot board, would you?”

“Yes of course. What for?”

“White Christmas’.”

There was stunned silence in the make-up room. Could it be that Bing Crosby did not know the words? He explained that he needed a cue card because he had trouble remembering the verse at the very beginning.

Somehow I found some large white cards and a marker pen. I scrawled out the first verse and took up my prearranged position under the piano.

As the band struck up, Bing looked down and began to sing these lines:

   The sun is shining

   The grass is green

   The orange and plum trees sway

   There’s never been such a day

   In Beverly Hills LA

 He was about to continue with “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas” when he faltered, took another look at the card and...stopped singing. The music cut out. Bing got down on his hands and knees and crawled under the piano. He took my hand and very quietly said, “There isn’t a plum tree in LA.”

Fearing one of us had lost the plot, I gripped his hand and said, “That’s a pity.”

A little less gently now, he stabbed at where I’d written the word “plum”. “It’s palm trees, palm trees, palm trees.”

It was awful. From my position under the piano 1 thought of what a useless gofer I’d been and how often I’d let Bing down, even forgetting to bring the clubs when  he was playing golf. Yet he had always responded with humour and grace. Now he’d fluffed his lines—all because of me.

The rest of the day was a blur of sets being pulled down and costumes being packed up. People were saying their goodbyes, making plans for farewell drinks.

I wanted to say goodbye to Bing and to apologise, but I couldn’t find him. Feeling oddly empty and depressed, I wandered outside, thinking that I’d never see him again. Then I heard a familiar voice.

“Hey, Lefty! Can you give me a ride?”

There was Bing in the front seat of the Moke, one foot perched on the dashboard.

“Absolutely” I said. “London?”

“Why not—shall we risk it?”

Five weeks later, Bing Crosby died of a heart attack while playing golf in Spain. He was 74 years old.

      (Jo Ross, writing in the UK edition of Reader’s Digest, December 2008)

 

Legendary is a word we toss about quite frequently in this trade. Scarcely does a slew-footed third baseman who played briefly with the St. Louis Browns pass away but some sportswriter will refer to him as the legendary so-and-so, though the only legends ever told about him never got outside a locker room. Nor are entertainment writers any less guilty of referring to some dim-witted blonde whose only talent was getting hit in the face with custard pies, as the legendary star of yesteryear, though the legends about her would curl your hair.

      Strictly speaking, legends are accounts of the saints and a legendary figure would be a saint. Bing Crosby was no saint, nor was he the subject of legends, in the sense of heroic tales. He just wanted to be known as a guy who could carry a tune. But Bing’s career, stretching back as it did, to the early days of radio and records, is probably the stuff of which legends will be told. His final show is on the air tonight. ‘Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas’, taped in England, five weeks before his death on a Spanish golf course, October 14th. For the last time he sings ‘White Christmas’.

      It’s a sleek little show on Channel 2 at 9 p.m., a polished Gary Smith/Dwight Hemion production, better than most variety specials   in that there’s a bit of a story line, a reason for being. Again, it has Bing’s widow, Kathryn Crosby and their children performing. Also aboard are some marvelous British performers - Twiggy, looking not at all twiggy but quite shapely, a singing a dancing delight. Ron Moody doing Dickens and a trio of Dickens’ villains, Quilp, Scrooge and his masterful Fagin and a superb impressionist, Stanley Baxter who plays Hudson, the butler of a British manor house and also Mrs. Bridges, the cook, Rose, the parlor maid and a ghost named Leslie Townes Hope in the best Hope impersonation I can recall. Twiggy not only sings with Bing and his children but plays the Artful Dodger, Tiny Tim and Little Nell to Moody’s villains in a rousing production number to the Newley/Bricusse song, ‘Where Would You Be Without Me’.

      There’s a strange jarring note in the midst of this Christmas pudding - David Bowie doing a David Bowie number called ‘Heroes’, all multiple images and jangling sound, as incongruous as a hangman’s noose dangling from a Christmas tree. I’m not knocking Bowie - he does a sweet duet of ‘Little Drummer Boy’ with Bing earlier but the number is ill-advised in this setting.

      The story line, if you care, takes Crosby and his family to England to spend Christmas with a distant relative, Sir Percival Crosby, who also turns out to be Ron Moody. The show is a bit stage-bound - I hoped for more actual British Christmas flavor - but perhaps for a 76 year-old crooner in his final bow that was asking too much. Kathryn Crosby introduces this final Crosby outing.

(Los Angeles Times, November 30, 1977)

 

If there was a dry eye in the house when Bing Crosby sang ‘White Christmas’ in this Yule special - his last - it would have had to be that of a hardhearted viewer. It is fortunate for posterity that Crosby’s final seasonal spec was his best one, and will undoubtedly have an annual reprise. Producers Gary Smith and Dwight Hemion and scripter Buz Kohan deserve full credit for providing a video send-off in which Crosby himself would have liked to be remembered.

      The special Crosby mixture of warmth and dignity was well served in the show. The storyline had to do with a trip to England with his wife, Kathryn and their three children, Harry, Mary Frances and Nathaniel. It was a premise that could have easily turned maudlin. But that is not the style of either Crosby or his wife, and the producers reflected the solid family relationship without getting sticky.

      Everyone in the show appeared to be having a good time. Ron Moody was all over the place in his quicksilver impressions of the fictive ‘Sir Percival Crosby’ and as a crusty Charles Dickens. This latter role led into a charming musical segment in which Moody and Twiggy joined in song and dance portrayals of Scrooge, Tiny Tim, Fagin, the Artful Dodger, Quilp and Little Nell - all Dickens creations. It was a stunning sequence set handsomely among the narrow streets of an old English village.

      Stanley Baxter also popped in and out with ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’ impressions of Sir Percival’s household - the butler, Hudson, house keeper, Mrs. Bridges and maid, Rose. The only odd choice on the show was that of English rock star David Bowie who, despite his reference to his wife and family, retains and courts an androgynous appearance that clashed with the traditional family tone of the show. Twiggy, looking like a little girl in grown-up clothes and eyeliner, was a perfect foil for Crosby and a charming partner for Ron Moody in the musical centerpiece.

      The program was a consummate tribute to a man of goodwill in a season of goodwill. The closing medley with Crosby, his family, the guest stars and the Trinity Boys Choir joining in ‘Jingle Bells’, ‘Winter Wonderland’ and ‘I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day’ was a segment to be remembered and treasured. Although a cavil may be cavalier, it might have been nice of CBS to schedule the show closer to Christmas and not on the last day of November, along with two other Yule specs.

(Variety, December 7, 1977)

 

‘Tis the season of specials, and CBS is especially busy this week. Among the mixed lot of offerings, tonight’s “The Ted Knight Musical Comedy Variety Special Special” attempts something a little different. Tomorrow’s “Bing Crosby’s White Christmas Special” sticks to the traditional inclusion of the entire Crosby family. Both fail.

      ...Mr. Crosby is in exceptionally fine voice. Bernadette Peters is fine within the limitations imposed on her. Isolating the key problem, however, tends to place the critic in the unenviable role of Scrooge for the holiday. It is nothing less than the Crosby family...To keep foisting them and Kathryn Crosby, Bing’s wife, on audiences year after year amounts to foolishness bordering on arrogance.

      As a singer, Mr. Crosby happens to be a personal favorite of mine. He still can put a lyric through the marvelous gyrations of inimitable crooning.

(John J. O’Connor, New York Times, November 30, 1977)

 

Having always been a huge fan, one of the highlights of my career was singing with Bing Crosby in his last Christmas special which was filmed in London. Although I have to admit I was extremely nervous - to sing with a legend is pretty scary and we sang live to a track. But on the day of filming Bing was so wonderful and supportive to me and when he started to sing it was so thrilling. I just really enjoyed the experience and thought how lucky I was to be working with him. The whole special - including David Bowie, Ron Moody and Stanley Baxter was a very happy experience and the Crosby family was great to work with. I was very sad when shortly after we finished filming Bing died, but very thankful I’d been privileged enough to have not only met the man, but also sung with him. It will always remain one of my magic memories.

(Twiggy, in a letter dated January 28, 2003 in connection with the celebrations of Bing’s centenary)

 

September 10, Saturday. Bing and Kathryn take Mary and Nathaniel to the airport, as they have to fly home for school commitments.

September 11, Sunday. Bing and Kathryn attend mass at Westminster Cathedral and then golf together at Sunningdale. Later, Bing is thought to have recorded the David Bowie segment of his Christmas show. They sing “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy” together.

 

This bizarre collaboration took place in London, where Crosby’s twenty-first (and, as it turned out, final) Christmas special was filmed that September. The two men, separated by forty-five years but both short-haired and wearing identical Yuletide blazers, looked distressingly alike. Not only that: Bowie’s mannered phrasing and husky, nicotine voice joined with the Groaner’s, still full-bodied and with all its natural insouciance, in an eerie match of laid-back vocal styles. Crosby, who paid Bowie the compliment of asking his home phone number, died less than a month later. The special was shown on schedule. A single of “Peace on Earth” backed by “Little Drummer Boy” released by RCA in November 1982 (by which time Bowie had left the label) was a Christmas hit five years after the event.

(From Bowie—Loving the Alien, page 174)

But the teenage children were starstruck by Bowie, who made quite an entrance. “The doors opened and David walked in with his wife,” Mary remembered. “They were both wearing full-length mink coats, they had matching full makeup and their hair was bright red. We were thinking, ‘Oh my God.’”

“It almost didn’t happen,” Nathaniel added. “I think the producers told him to take the lipstick off and take the earring out. It was just incredible to see the contrast.”

It wasn’t just the blue suit that nearly put the kibosh on the duet. Although Bowie explained in the song’s scripted preamble that Little Drummer Boy was the favourite of six-year-old Zowie (later Duncan) Bowie, the 30-year-old father despised it.

“David came in and said: ‘I hate this song. Is there something else I could sing?’” Fraser said. “We didn’t know quite what to do. When we told Bowie about the number, he said, ‘I won’t sing that song. And if I have to do that song, I can’t do the show.’”

Bowie was on the cusp of taking his full-length mink back out of the door when Kohan, Fraser and Larry Grossman, another of the show’s writers, hatched a plan. “We decided the best way to salvage the arrangement was to do a counter-melody that would fit in within the spaces, and maybe write a new bridge, and see if we could sell him on that. It all happened rather rapidly: I would say within an hour we had written it and were able to present it to him again.”

Crosby and Bowie rehearsed for less than an hour before “Little Drummer Boy” was recorded. “They sat at the piano and David was a little nervous,” Mary remembered. “Dad realised that David was this amazing musician, and David realised that Dad was an amazing musician. You could see them both collectively relax, and then magic was made.” 

After the recording, Crosby would call Bowie a “clean-cut kid and a real fine asset to the show”. “He sings well,” he added, “has a great voice, and reads lines well”. Nearly 50 years later, the duet remains a slice of yearning beauty, Bowie’s hopes for “peace on Earth” gently keening against Bing’s bassline.
(Alice Vincent, writing in The Daily Telegraph on Christmas Eve, 2018)

 September 12, Monday. (10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.) Starts to record his last album Seasons with Pete Moore and his Orchestra at CBS Studios, Whitfield Street, London, for Polydor. Ken Barnes directs the proceedings. Later, Bing and Kathryn give a press conference at the London Palladium to publicize their forthcoming tour. Bing agrees to appear in the Royal Variety Performance on November 12.

 

..Then immediately, Bing was ready and soon that fabulous and familiar voice was coming loud, resonant and clear thro’ the magnificent l2-speaker system singing the lovely verse of “September Song”. There were smiles of delight all round at the lovely sound we were hearing. The Old Master in fact did a couple of ‘takes’ and Ken asked Bing to come into the box and listen to the playback of the song he had just recorded. Bing too liked what he heard and asked Ken if he was satisfied? Ken was immediately agreeable - so Bing got up saying “Right, next one…”

In no time at all, “June in January” was completed and again Bing came back to listen to his effort in the control-room; he sat next to me and it was most exciting to be with him listening to his new recording. It was time for coffee then, apparently, and we carried on with the most enjoyable chatting…. Bing then returned to the studio proper and proceeded to record “Autumn in New York”. This lovely song was also taped in no time at all - and I must confess I found myself most moved after hearing the brilliant sound of the strings, then the whole orchestra, in a magnificent arrangement. What a beautiful sound, I thought - and what a joy to be alive and hear such sounds.    

The final song on this first session was Charles Aznavour’s “Yesterday, When I Was Young”. Bing, I understand, was given a cassette recording of this song to· play over before he came to the studio - but he didn’t do so. The orchestra, therefore, played the tune and Bing sang it twice. He got it beautifully too - except for the final eight bars.

He sang this eight bars about five times in all but he and Pete Moore were not satisfied so as it was on studio closing time, Bing remarked he would finish it off on Wednesday.

“If we can’t do it then we’ll fly Johnny Mathis in to do it!” Meaning the eight bars of course.

Ken then gave the “okay to go” sign to the musicians who lost no time in disappearing - all forty-four of them. Bing sat down with us and proceeded to eat some biscuits while pouring coffee from his flask, remarking that he was due at the Palladium in the afternoon for a press conference. So, we gave him some help in putting on his dicky-bow tie!

(Leslie Gaylor, writing in BING magazine, November, 1977 [#48])

 

September 13, Tuesday. (10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.)

 

…The first song to be recorded on this second session was “On the Very First Day of the Year”. A couple of takes were done and Ken Barnes was amused at Bing saying “What a Year” at the end. This is a nice little song, Bing said, who wrote it? Pete Moore and I did, replied Ken. There were 21 musicians on this session and it was easy to tell that things were going to go well again. Next Bing sang “Sleigh Ride”, “In the Good Old Summertime” and “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over” in that order, again a couple of takes of each plus short excerpts of song. After the first two songs were recorded and Bing had heard the playbacks, we had a coffee break for 10 minutes again. Bing was rather keen to get the last two songs recorded satisfactorily as he had said he had some German TV people to meet at 1 P.M. The studio manager Dave Carey had the orchestra playing over several times parts of the arrangement of “In the Good Old Summertime”. “Come on Peter, Come on Peter, let’s get going,” Bing said in a little hurried kind of voice. It was obvious he wanted to finish on time in order to meet the German Television people. Well, the session ended fine again and I said to Ken I don’t think he’s in quite as good form as yesterday (Monday) to which Ken seemed to agree or else it may have been the song content.

Anyhow he was still in good form and we were very pleased about it all.
(Leslie Gaylor, writing in BINGANG magazine, September, 1978)

 

September 14, Wednesday. (10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.) Completes the recording of the Seasons album with Pete Moore and his Orchestra at CBS Studios, Whitfield Street, London. Members of the International Crosby Circle are present. At the end of the session, Bing records five poems, which are to be issued to the various Crosby fan clubs, but this does not take place. The Seasons album enters the UK album charts in December 1977 and peaks at No. 25 during its six weeks in the chart. In the afternoons, Bing and Kathryn rehearse for their new stage show.

 

…So to Wednesday, September 14. On the way to the studios Ken (Barnes) ruminated: “I think I’ll ask Bing to do ‘Seasons’ for me again.” There was, as you may recall, a good recording of this song already in hand, made in Los Angeles last autumn but we felt we had a better sound around the voice in the London studio.

On Bing’s entry on this third day, therefore, Ken said to Bing: “Are you in a charitable mood this morning Bing?” And after the feelings were explained to him he readily agreed to make a re-recording. He added, however, that he had been to a late-night party the night before and his voice wasn’t in very good shape! Bing went to the coffee urn, merely for one of those plastic cups, poured some milk from the bottle and proceeded to gargle with sips of highly milky coffee and sing a few “warming-up” notes. All most intriguing!

“The bass notes are good Bing,” said Ken, “but the upper register is a bit shaky.” But it was said in good fun.

This session had 18 musicians, so we seemed to be decreasing as the days went by but, of course, all had been worked out as to what was required in the orchestra department. Bing proceeded to put ‘April Showers’ “in the can” - and told us he intended to end with a little whistle. On another take he didn’t whistle - but Steve Taylor, the engineer, remarked that Bing could he heard rattling coins in his pocket! High fidelity, forsooth. So, Bing had to record this song again but before doing so he took his cash out of his pockets.

Next came ‘Summer Wind’ which was all too soon (for me) completed - and away went the musicians.

It was then that Bing entered a small recording booth and the ending of the orchestral track of ‘Yesterday, When I Was Young’ was played for him - the one he couldn’t get just right on the Monday session. Bing then sang this “eight” perfectly and Ken declared it “Fine!” But, Bing insisted on doing another. And that sounded just as good.

Ken then reminded Bing that he had agreed to do ‘Seasons’ again.

“I’ll do it,” said Bing, “but they sound all the same to me.”

So back to the booth he went, asking for the orchestral track to be played…“Right,” he said, “you’ve got one take.”  And that was indeed all that was needed. Tremendous to be such a close witness to Bing’s incredible artistry.

Around this time, Noel Mould, our member from Northern Ireland arrived in the studio. Noel had made arrangements with Bing and Ken for Bing to record some poems for charitable purposes. This Bing proceeded to do, and what another delight to hear Bing’s beautiful speaking voice going thro’ these poems.

(Leslie Gaylor, writing in BING magazine, November, 1977 [#48])

 

…On the completion of Seasons, Bing boomed thro’ the speakers: “Let’s do the poetry…” so I quickly joined him in the “box” and we went over the selected poems so that Bing could make his choice. We were in business, as they say!

The first to be recorded was a lovely piece called “Around the Corner”, quite short but poignant. As so many others have been, I was amazed that with no rehearsal worth talking about Bing read as if he knew it all his life. Next came a piece by Longfellow called “The Singers”; then Bing went on to do “If” by Rudyard Kipling; “Lucy Gray” by Wordsworth and lastly “The Slave’s Dream” by Longfellow. A couple of slips occurred on this and they will need careful editing to correct - we had run out of studio time by then and there was no chance of recording it again.

Still, Bing had done it. Done me proud and I was to say the least, tremendously grateful that he had taken the time to help a nobody like me.
(Noel Mould, writing in BING magazine, March 1978, [#49])

 

"SEASONS" (Polydor). If it were merely that this is the last recording Bing Crosby ever made, it would be more than enough reason to run and buy it. But it also happens to be a marvelous representation of the later Crosby years…

(Variety, December 28, 1977)

 

Bing Crosby—Seasons—Polydor

This album is billed as the last commercial recording by the beloved crooner, who died one month after recording these tracks. This is a concept album in that it contains 12 songs which either deal with a specific time of the year or more generally on the passing of time. Excellent mix of rousing sing-along numbers like “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over” and “Sleigh Ride” (which feature some high-stepping female background singers) with more sophisticated, elusive melodies like “Autumn in New York.” Best cuts: “On the Very First Week of the Year,” “In the Good Old Summertime,” “Sleigh Ride,” “Yesterday When I Was Young.” Dealers: Display prominently.

(Billboard, December 17, 1977)

 

September 15, Thursday. (Starting at 9:02 a.m.) Bing and Kathryn appear on Pete Murray’s Open House BBC Radio 2 program in London.

September 21, Wednesday. In the Palladium bar, Bing is interviewed for the BBC2 television program ‘Tonight’ by Vincent Hanna. The fee of £40 is eventually paid to Bing’s executor.

September 22, Thursday. Bing arranges for another check for $100 to be sent to British fan Leslie Gaylor annotated "publicity". The British tour of Bing’s new stage show opens at the Guild Hall, Preston, England. Rosemary Clooney, Kathryn Crosby, Joe Bushkin, and Ted Rogers are in support while Gordon Rose leads the orchestra. Bing and Kathryn stay overnight at the Midland Hotel, Manchester.

 

Bing’s in town, but no autographs

The legendary Bing Crosby arrived in Preston to prepare for his sell-out concert at the Guild Hall. The 73-year-old Old Groaner disappointed fans at Preston Station when he refused to sign autographs. But his beautiful wife Kathy explained when the super star gave autographs it usually triggered off a riot.

“He would be terribly upset if anyone was hurt,” she said.

Bing, his wife, and 19-year-old son Harry were late when their London train the Clansman developed an engine fault. But there was still quite a reception party of fans and pressmen for the man who has sold more than 300 million records. Bing was not very talkative with newsmen but said he kept on singing in concerts because he was an entertainer who loved show business. His previous appearance in the North West was during the Second World War when he entertained American servicemen based in the region.

There had been fears that the Preston concert - one of two provincial appearances - would have to be cancelled because of Bing’s health.
(Lancaster Guardian)

The great Bing Crosby showed today’s pop idols the international star way to treat the paying fans last night. Bing opened his British tour before an audience of 2,100 packed into the Guild Hall at Preston.

He knew they had paid between £4.50 and £7.50 to see him, and there was none of the usual nonsense of them having to wait through everybody else’s act to see the night’s big name. For the multi-millionaire singer was the first turn on.

Bing might have excused himself. He is 73 and in the afternoon he supervised a four-hour rehearsal. But straight away he did a 15 minute spot loosening up his larynx with jokes and songs including the one he first sang in public at a church hall 60 years ago. Then he swapped gags with co-star Rosemary Clooney, his wife, Kathryn, and their guitar playing son, Harry Crosby III. He was back singing ‘Gone Fishin’ with comedian Ted Rogers and then to duet with Harry and later Rosemary. And he returned to sing a Noel Coward medley with Rosemary and Kathryn.  

That was only the first half. In the second he again “worked the show” compering, duetting with Kathryn and then rolling back the years in his 35 minute final spot.

And nearly three hours after he began, he finished to a standing ovation. Nobody could say he hadn’t given value for money. This was the first time Bing had sung in the North since a wartime troops’ concert at Burtonwood, Lancashire.

 (Kenneth Tossell, Daily Mirror, September 23, 1977)

 

September 23, Friday. Thought to have played golf at Mere Golf Club, Knutsford, and to have visited Chester and Belle Vue Zoo. At night, starting at 8:00 p.m., he performs at the Kings Hall, Belle Vue, Manchester.

 

An audience of 3,000 at the Kings Hall, Belle Vue, gave him a rapturous reception. They found the Crosby magic as strong as ever despite the passing of the years. . . .The longer Bing was on stage the stronger his voice seemed to grow. He was heard at his best, not with the big band sound, whose brassy arrangements tended to drown his words, but with a superb jazz quartet led by ex-Tommy Dorsey piano man Joe Bushkin in whose company Bing wallowed in the nostalgia of such well known oldies as “Swinging on a Star,” “Dear Hearts and Gentle People,” “True Love,” “Don’t Fence Me In,” and of course, “White Christmas,” which brought the biggest ovation.

(Manchester Evening News, September 24, 1977)

 

…However, the second half was the real thrill. When we had just Bing and the Joe Bushkin Quartet. This was just tremendous! Better even than I recall it at the Palladium. He seemed to put a few more songs into the medley (or maybe it just seemed that way), his voice has never been better and the final version of “Ol’ Man River” had so much drive it nearly broke the place up. In addition there was some magnificent ad-libbing from Bing - Joe missed out “Them There Eyes” during the medley and caught Bing on the wrong foot, whereupon Bing stopped singing, told Joe he had missed the song and when Joe was disbelieving, Bing called him from the piano to look at the prompt sheet. Joe then covered his eyes in mock horror and staggered back to the piano, (an old and broken man!) where he just trilled into “Just One More Chance” - the next song, and Bing sang:

“Just one more chance (and, pointing an accusatory finger at Joe)

And that is all I’m going to give you…”

This caused Joe to collapse over the keys and the rest of the quartet burst into laughter. A great moment.  Bing went thro’ a most gruelling 2 ½ to 3 hours, rarely off stage in rather shabby surroundings - certainly ones of some discomfort - and finished with his marathon medley, with all the vivacity, subtlety and mellowness it demanded and finished looking a dam’ sight fresher than we in the audience! The only sign of age - or weakness - I noted was a little unsteadiness (or maybe it was carefulness) in walking away behind the stage. What a man!

 (Peter Diffley, writing in BING magazine, November 1977 [#48])

 

‘And I must say this: with the music I love playing, I’ll do it for nothing or get paid. With Bing I’m getting paid and I really enjoy being with the guy. It’s a kick, and everything has been first class.’        

Bushkin, as I have tried to imply, feels an almost unlimited admiration for Crosby, whose skill and professionalism and sheer enthusiasm for music he finds stimulating and endearing. Bing, I noted on the last Palladium visit, occasionally looked surprised or amused at what Bushkin (or maybe Johnny Smith) was playing during the medley.

      ‘Well, yeah, right. We used to change it every show, and we threw him a couple of times. But he loved it. He said: “Throw some curves.” He’s like Babe Ruth, man; he loves a fast ball or a curve or something unexpected. Bing is absolutely one of the guys in the band, like any guy doing a solo. He’s no different than Bunny Berigan was playing solo trumpet. Consequently I enjoy every minute of it, and I’m sure he does. He’ll go anywhere in the world with this quartet. In fact, what’s come up is to just go out with the quartet. It’s such an easy thing. We can travel in two cars; all we need is a van for the amplifier and the drum set. And Bing would love to be in the same automobile as the quartet, so we could be talking about jazz musicians and old times. When I did that Christmas show with him and Fred Astaire, that was the Bing Crosby Projects, his company, that’s paying for it. Yet he was hanging up shooting in order to ask me about the guys. He asked me about Bobby Hackett, when I saw him last, and so forth, and we talked about all the cats he knew. That’s his thing, you know. He reminisced a lot about Jack Teagarden, of course, and Condon. He loved Eddie Condon.’

      I said Bing had always been a singer who appreciated superior jazzmen, players such as Louis Armstrong, Eddie Lang, Joe Sullivan, and the Dorseys, and loved working with groups like Bob Crosby’s Bob Cats. Joe put it to me that Bing just preferred good musicians, a preference which should not surprise us.

      ‘He always asked for us on the record dates when we were session men, and that’s natural, isn’t it? I mean, if you have a choice of hanging out with Broadway Rose or Sophia Loren I think you’re going to take Sophia.

(Joe Bushkin section in the book Talking Jazz, p215)

 

September 26–October 8, Monday–Saturday. Bing Crosby and Friends show at the London Palladium.

 

The standing ovation given Crosby at the end of the opening night Sept. 26 of his two-week season was repeated at the final curtain of each subsequent performance.  

With the consummate artistry and apparently effortless professionalism culled from more than 50 years as a recording. stage and film star, Crosby just did not put a foot wrong in an act which virtually lasted three hours - he was first onstage, last off and missed little of the intervening action.

But it was not a matter of hogging the limelight. Crosby linked a show which featured Rosemary Clooney. his wife Cathy, his son Harry, local comedian Ted Rogers and the outstanding Joe Bushkin Quartet, the latter providing backup for a half hour medley of snippets from Crosby’s massive song repertoire. Of the support, Clooney gave exceptional value and should surely be more in evidence in top international cabaret halls. Crosby and Clooney both vocally hopped the decades by showing ability to evince the nostalgic past then cope with contemporary lyrics from writers of the Carole King and Neil Sedaka school.

On all counts. Crosby scored maximum points: sheer stamina, personably, self-effacing recall of a magnificent career contribution to show business, and on vocal ability to switch from moonlight-and-roses love songs to intuitive phrasing that swung all the way. Inevitably it added up to capacity business every night.
(Peter Jones, Billboard magazine)

Undoubtedly, highlight of this two and a half hour show, in for two weeks at this vaud flagship, is a stint when Bing Crosby and the Joe Bushkin Quartet glide smoothly through a medley of chestnuts including “White Christmas” and an upbeat arrangement of “Ol’ Man River.” Crooner always looked relaxed and confident, whether gagging with the capacity audience, duetting with his wife, Kathryn, or son, Harry, or singing along with Rosemary Clooney. Latter was also in fine form during a solo spot when she warbled past pops such as “Come On-a My House” and “Tea for Two.” Audience was predominantly middle-aged to elderly and much of Crosby’s show was designed to take advantage of the singer’s tremendous nostalgia appeal. Harry Crosby showed a certain instrumental accomplishment on both the acoustic guitar and piano and comedian Ted Rogers provided his own brand of amusing if sometimes scathing, topical jokes.

(Variety, October 5, 1977)

 

Bing Crosby is 73 now but his voice is remarkably fine: not so good on the high notes but quite capable of throwing off a vintage phrase low down. He is also an unflappable comedian, even though most of the jokes are another year older.

(Financial Times)

 

PALLADIUM PLEASURES

One of the few indigenous pleasures left in London is star night at the Palladium. With Bing Crosby the current incumbent, it’s a positive constellation spotlighting three lesser stars, Ted Rogers, Rosemary Clooney and Joe Bushkin, revolving round the celestial... super-luminary. Bing makes an almost diffident entrance to ring up the curtain, but his authority and machismo reach out into the audience without him uttering a word and they in turn engulf the singer in a loving ambience which is almost palpable. Introducing the acts, joining in duets with Miss Clooney or Rogers or vocalising with the Bushkin Quartet, Bing’s apparent artlessness that conceals high art welds the diversely gifted artists on his programme into such a happy amalgam that he compresses the enormous theatre with its thousands of patrons into the orbit of a family circle. Bing’s offering is much the same as last year’s. Some pleasant foolery with lovely wife Kathryn, a spot for highly talented guitarist son Harry (the younger kids seem to be left at home) and his own 45-minute finale encompassing close on half a century of hits sung in that inimitably-paced mellow baritone that started off as a lyric tenor.

Again Bing has called on London’s favourite cockney comedian Ted Rogers to supply the big laughs and Ted grasps the opportunity with both brassy tonsils. With quips as up-to-the-minute as the stop-press news, Rogers aims his shafts with the expertise of an arquebusier yet doesn’t mortally offend the customers. He’s a re-incarnation of Sam Weller, with wit. A treasure.

Rosemary Clooney’s charm grows with maturity — the figure may be matronly but the voice is still the lush plummy instrument of the come-on-a-my-house-girl while Joe Bushkin and his Quartet play Jazz to delight the aficionado, brisk precise, sparkling like champagne, utterly without sentiment or sediment.
(The Stage, September 29, 1977)

FIRST MONDAY. Completely full house - spoke to couple from Paris who could not get in last year - standing ovation when Bing came on - seemed not in full control - he missed line about “gear and hair” - went straight into medley at the end without solo songs and back-drop curtain and finished quickly - seemed tired and not master of the situation. Standing ovation at the end.

(Pat Forster, reproducing her contemporaneous notes from each show in BING magazine, September 1987)

 

September 27, Tuesday. Bing gives another performance at the Palladium.

 

TUESDAY Completely full house - all boxes and standing room. Ticket touts out in force. Standing ovation when Bing came on - 6 VIPs in front of me - one said how moving it had been - Bing in splendid form - got all lines right about “gear and hair” correct - gave whispered instructions to Kathy to relay to conductor - danced around much more tonight - seemed in absolutely top form - lost the words of ‘It’s Been a Long, Long Time’ but got back there to much laughter from audience - tremendous standing ovation at the end.

(Pat Forster)

 

September 28, Wednesday. Bing is interviewed in his dressing room at the Palladium (during the show) by Frank Bough of the BBC. The interview is shown on the BBC1 program Nationwide on September 29.

 

Nationwide once asked me to go to the Palladium to interview Bing Crosby. He was making one of his infrequent visits to London, where, as an old man now, he packed that huge theatre every night for a week.

      I had met the maestro before. He’d been delightfully accommodating, talking to me and the viewers on Grandstand in the intervals between our various events. On and off for a couple of hours he had talked about anything and everything: Grace Kelly, Sinatra, Hope, and his love of sport, particularly golf. An extraordinary thing happened, too. He loved horse racing and took particular interest in the meeting we were covering that day. As we came to our second race, there in the list of runners was a horse called Uncle Bing. It was pure coincidence, but if there was ever a good reason for a bet that was it. ‘Is there someone here who can put me a few pound notes on that one?’ he asked. Amongst the studio team on Grandstand there is no shortage of people who like a flutter. In fact every Saturday afternoon a little sweepstake is organized, known as The Swindle. Our out-of-vision readers Len Martin and Tim Gudgin, are very much in charge, with the help, of course, of our racing sub-editors. Len Martin came over to the desk, and Bing gave him a five pound note. ‘On the nose, please. That’s most kind of you.’ Uncle Bing romped home. The Old Groaner was delighted. Len Martin came over with his winnings and asked Bing if he’d sign the five pound note. Len had stood the bet out of his own pocket, and I know that Bing Crosby’s own note, signed by the maestro himself, is one of Len’s prized possessions. He’ll need to be on very hard times indeed before that one will be used to pay the rent!

      In preparation for my Palladium interview with Bing, due on the Wednesday, I decided I’d go and see the show earlier in the week to get something of the atmosphere of his performance. So on the Monday I went along after my Nationwide programme and joined a full house, buzzing with anticipation. All of them were Crosby fans, on his side before he even appeared. When he did it was totally without fuss - there was no fanfare or big build-up. He just stepped neatly from the wings, a dapper, slim figure; only his face gave away his age, the skin like stretched parchment. ‘Good evening’, he said. The Palladium roof lifted several inches. I grew up with Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Crosby, and that soft, gentle voice, filled the big theatre, as familiar as an old friend. He had obviously tailored his vocal ambitions to suit his ageing vocal cords, so nothing he attempted was beyond his range. He was good, very good. High Society, Blue of the Night, even White Christmas, the old favourites washed over the audience and they adored it. As a finale, he performed a selection of phrases and choruses from fifty-eight songs - a feat of memory and professional stagecraft that couldn’t be faulted. Encores and fervent applause marked the end of a remarkable event.

      On Wednesday, interview night, I took Nest along with me. I had such a tremendous feeling of occasion that I wanted her to share it too. This time, of course, I went backstage, where I reintroduced myself to him in his dressing-room. ‘Hey’ he said, his memory working well. ‘How’s that Uncle Bing? What a horse that was!’

      He agreed to do the interview in his dressing-room during a fifteen-minute slot occupied by Ted Rogers, the comedian with him on the show. That in itself was a compliment. I know that if I am involved in a programme, such is the concentration needed that I would find it impossible to break off halfway through and accommodate somebody else as he was doing. I asked if we could stand in the wings to see his entrance. “Sure, sure’ he said. Nest and I went down to the stage level, and stood in the wings, glueing ourselves to the wall to keep out of the way and avoid distracting him.

      It is fascinating to see how people gear themselves up to a public performance. Before a programme I have an irritating habit, irritating to others that is, of pacing around, being unbearably jovial and rather noisy. That is how I get myself warmed up, how I work myself up to the pitch where 1 know all my faculties are working properly. It drives Bob Wellings mad. His method is quite the opposite; he gets quieter and quieter. ‘Noisy bugger’ he’ll mutter from across the studio, as I’m going through my routine. I have got into the habit of warning him now: Time to be noisy. Bob - sorry.’ (Grunts from Mr. W.)

      Well, it was immensely reassuring to discover that even a distinguished international star like Crosby, legend that he was, still had to work himself up to a performance, yet he appeared, as he always did, totally relaxed on stage. As Nest and I watched, he paced around nervously, never still, going through his scales. ‘Ba ba ba-ba ba-ba - ba-ba baa.’ The old vocal cords were protesting somewhat, but Bing reminded them that once more it was time for a Crosby performance. It was a beautiful few moments, just him, Nest, and me. The stage manager appeared - ‘Stand by, Bing’ - the tabs opened, a quick shrug of the shoulders, and from the wings I then witnessed the same blindingly effective appearance on stage that only the much-loved greats of show business can achieve, exactly the same performance that I’d seen from the stalls three days earlier. The Palladium roof lifted once again.

      At the interval, we were waiting for him in his dressing-room. He gave me a crisp, considerate, and charming fifteen-minute interview, and then slipped out again for his next spot. What a performer.

      Four days later on a golf course he collapsed and died of a heart attack. Mine was the last television interview he ever gave.

(Frank Bough, writing in his book Cue Frank!, pages 139-141)

 

WEDNESDAY Frank Bough televised walking down to his seat in the stalls - another standing ovation when Bing came on - completely full house again - ticket touts again out in force - Bing muffed his lines in ‘Pennies from Heaven’ - and he and Joe Bushkin convulsed with laughter. Bing said the cornet playing had put him off - tremendous reception by the audience to this by-play - Bing was still smiling to himself in the next song - ‘Sweet Leilani’.

(Pat Forster)

 

September 29, Thursday. Bing writes to entertainment journalist Jack O’Brian in New York regarding an article O’Brian had written about the early-crooner syndrome. Later there is another Palladium performance.

 

…I listened to a couple of old McCormack records the other days and was impressed anew at his marvelous artistry and the scope of his talent. My dad had all his records and everybody elses, too.

The concerts are going well here. I’m convinced I’m the outstanding beneficiary of the nostalgia trend now current. Of course, the British always are loyal to anyone they’ve ever liked. They never forget you and they want you to know it.

I did a concert in Oslo, Norway – those are nice folks up there in a prosperous and well-managed country, and it’s quite beautiful, too. And great salmon fishing.

Another 10 shows here at the Palladium and then home for some TV. Be sure and catch our Christmas show this year - a fellow named Stanley Baxter, a very gifted performer, Ron Moody, Twiggy, David Bowie. Baxter does Hope as a Court Jester of the 17th century. Priceless characterization.

Thanks, Jack, - stay well, Yours, Bing

 

THURSDAY Standing ovation when Bing came on - fluffed first opening note - not so agile - seemed to be in much pain, did not joke or dance about - came to an abrupt stop in early part of last medley, forgetting the next song and was not near enough the piano to read his list - started wrong song later and sang “I’m in the wrong key” and said to us “I forget things at my age; you spend all day trying to remember and all night going to the bathroom.” Standing ovation but Bing was obviously in pain and sat on his stool in medley several times. Announced that programmes left at box-office with name and address would be signed.

(Pat Forster)

 

September 30, Friday. Bing at the Palladium again.

 

FRIDAY. A wonderful night - completely full house, audience ‘buzzing’ with life before curtain went up - tremendous reception when Bing came on, cheering and clapping and programme-waving - he was back on form again - more agile and happy tonight - did not ‘fluff’ once - only sat on stool once in medley while singing ‘White Christmas’ - ovation at the end tremendous, everyone standing and cheering - he took many solo curtain-calls with people calling out “Well done, Bing” and waving to him - the noise was terrific - I spoke to a nice American couple who had been last year and envied me coming every night - Bing congratulated us on singing part of ‘Blue Skies’ and said we should come to Brighton with him.

(Pat Forster)

 

October 1, Saturday. Bing speaks on the telephone with John Bassett of the International Crosby Circle regarding the arrangements for his annual message to the Circle before going on to the Palladium.

 

 SATURDAY. Another completely full house - Bing seemed very tired and was not getting his notes clear sometimes - he did not make his usual welcome speech at beginning - he did not leave the stage when Harry sang solo but sat on stool besides piano, waved up to the spotlight man to move off him so he sat in darkness hut I could see his foot beating time still - started wrong note in medley - recovered himself but did not joke or ad-lib - sat on stool more during the medley - standing ovation at the end hut Bing looked very tired and cut short the curtain-calls.

(Pat Forster)

 

October 2, Sunday. Thought to have celebrated mass at the Roman Catholic Cathedral at Westminster.

October 3, Monday. Starts his second week at the Palladium.

 

SECOND MONDAY. House full again to capacity - I sat next to Vera Lynn and her husband, saw Roland Culver in the audience - saw Kathy drive in by herself at stage-door - doorman told us Bing and Harry had arrived earlier for a rehearsal - Bing back on form again - a drunk interrupted him at the end of ‘There’s Nothing That I Haven’t Sung About’ asking him to sing it again - Bing laughed and said he could not remember all that a second time while the drunk was man-handled out by attendants. Bing stayed on stage again while Harry sang solo, saying he would stay as it was a furlong and a half to the wings - in the medley he got the words mixed up in ‘San Fernando Valley’ and sang “come back again tomorrow night and I’ll get them right.” A bouquet was thrown onto the stage at the end of Rosemary Clooney’s songs - Bing brought her back on stage, picked it up and pretended to keep it with a grin then presented it to her with a courtly bow, but bending obviously pained him - then after Kathy had sang with him and she had just left, another bouquet was thrown up onto the stage - Bing walked back right across the stage to pick it up with the words “This is for you.” Tremendous standing ovation at the end - several solo curtain calls.

(Pat Forster)

 

October 4, Tuesday. Bing had specially recorded “Now You Has Jazz” and “Sail Away from Norway” with the Joe Bushkin Quartet on the Palladium stage in previous days and the songs are mastered with backing from Jack Parnell and his Orchestra at Olympic Studios, London. These are his last commercial recordings. Goes on to perform at the London Palladium at night.

 

TUESDAY. A wonderful, magic evening - house full to capacity and buzzing with excitement - ticket touts out in force - I heard tickets being sold at £25 - £50 a time - Bing in most lively form yet - laughing and doing dance steps, looking so happy while singing - tremendous ovation after each song especially during the medley - he sat on stage again while Harry sang solo saying again it was a furlong to get to the wings - he made Kathy laugh heartily at one aside while they were singing together - in tremendous voice in ‘Sweet Leilani’ - he sounded as in 1937! He did not forget any lines - tremendous standing ovation at the end and took six solo curtain calls, doing little dance steps, including his ‘”Egyptian” one - did his tippity-toe walk every time he went off during the whole evening - has been in obviously very fine condition, both physically and in voice - the applause at the end of ‘White Christmas’ was so great he had to laugh.

(Pat Forster)

 

October 5, Wednesday. Bing writes to his friend Herb Rotchford in Spokane.

 

Dear Herb,

No. I didn’t have to have the operation. The medics are very reluctant to go into the back surgically, and they didn’t deem it necessary. Not unless a sudden and drastic change occurs. At the moment I seem to be progressing well, if somewhat slowly, doing some concerts and TV here in Europe. Chud Wendle was at the show last nite. Play golf, but badly, of course. Very limited back-swing. But I love these golf courses and lots of good guys to play with. Be home in late October.

Love to all, Bing

 

Later, there is another performance at the Palladium.

 

WEDNESDAY. Another packed house. Harry got a big reception for his solo and Bing said he must have a clique of fans out there - Bing in fine form - very fit doing dance steps and beautiful hand movements - held Kathy’s hand tightly in duet. Tremendous standing ovation again at the end - he seemed very happy and free from pain all the evening.

(Pat Forster)

 

Starting at 10 p.m., Bing is heard being interviewed on the Downbeat program on Downtown Radio in Northern Ireland.

October 6, Thursday. Bing sees a neurologist about his continuing back pains. Records his last message to the International Crosby Circle in his London flat in the presence of fan club members John Bassett and Wally Oldfield. Bing and Kathryn have to vacate their flat and they move to one nearby before their Palladium appearance that night.

 

I’ve told you all about the Christmas show, and we’re going home now. I may stop over in Spain for a little shooting and then go home to do a show to be produced by the same people, Hemion and Smith, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Kraft Cheese Corporation in their participation of radio and television. They’re going to use all the people that are around now and that were around then, and I’m to be compere for that thing.

We had planned a trip to Japan but it just seemed too much to do, and too tight - I have to get back here on the 21st (Nov) for the Queen’s Jubilee, which I may tell you is going to be a massive production, Lord Grade was over here for tea the other day and he told me the cast he has. I don’t know how he’s going to get them all on the stage, or get the show over before dawn…because every important person, practically, that I’ve ever heard of is in the show. Bob Hope is going to be the compere but I don’t think he’ll stay on his feet that long. I’ll probably have to help him out. It’s going to be a big show; they’re going to raise an awful lot of money and from the show they will tape a television show which will be seen all over England, the United States and, in fact, internationally. So that brings you fairly well up to date on my activities.

I’ve been playing a little golf in spite of the accident. Just hitting the ball easy, going out to Sunningdale and Wentworth and Mill Hill, and other courses that are close to the city. I have to walk three or four miles a day, that’s part of the therapy, and it’s a lot less boring if you can roll a ball along the ground while you’re walking, So that’s why I play golf…

This afternoon I found myself afflicted with a head cold. I have to do the show tonight so I don’t know how that’s going to come out. I’ll probably sing ‘Asleep on the Deep’!...
(Extract from Bing’s message to the International Crosby Circle).

 

THURSDAY. Another wonderful, magical evening - ticket touts out in force asking to buy spare tickets as cars drove up - another full house buzzing with life and excitement - Bing got a tremendous ovation when he came on - he seemed very happy and lively. Kathryn was so convulsed with laughter once at something he said that he said to her “be careful, you’ll fall apart soon!” He joked with Harry and us, and danced about a lot - he had a handkerchief out a lot while he was sitting listening to Harry and he sounded sometimes as if he had a cold, especially on the low notes. When Kathy came on for ‘True Love’ she brought him a steaming cup and saucer - he looked surprised but put it down on the stool and went on singing - at the finish of the song he asked her “What’s that?” Kathy said “A cup of tea.”  “Tea!” Bing said, “What the hell do I want a cup of tea for? That won’t help me, I need something stronger!” Kathy laughed, shrugged her shoulders at us and took the cup and saucer off stage. Bing said to us “She brings me tea!” He called after her “Bring it back with something in it!” He then hesitated as to which song came next and Joe Bushkin said ‘South of the Border’ - Bing held up his list and said “I lost my place on this piece of paper - everyone laughed and clapped - while he was singing ‘Pennies from Heaven’ Kathryn came back with the cup and saucer - Bing took it, smelled it, and handed it back to her. She shrugged her shoulders and took it away again. Bing called after her something about it smelling of aniseed - Joe offered him a pill from a small box, laughing. I think Bing really has a head-cold but he carried on with the medley and joked with Kathy when she came back for ‘In a Little Spanish Town’ (no cup this time!). A tremendous ovation at the end, with everyone standing and cheering, and the rest of the cast were leaving him and smiling at him also. He did his “Egyptian” walk and asked us to applaud the band as “the best in London.” ‘Mr.’ Vera Lynn sat next to me on his own tonight.

(Pat Forster)

 

October 7, Friday. Bing has Princess Margaret and her entourage in his audience at the Palladium.

 

FRIDAY. Another wonderful, magical, evening. One ticket tout spoke to me and said I had been every night and that I “must love Bing”. Another full house buzzing with excitement - John Conteh, the boxer, sat in front of me and Princess Margaret and her entourage were about four rows behind me. Some opera ‘buffs’ were sitting behind me and said they had seats for Glyndebourne that night but turned them down so they could see Bing Crosby as it was a “once in a lifetime chance.” Tremendous ovation when Bing came on - audience very receptive - he was in good form, dancing and smiling happily - he looked radiant at the reception he got - the only ‘fluff of the evening was in ‘Mad Dogs and Englishmen’ when he forgot the words. He tried to ad-lib but then stopped and said we deserved to have it correct, so he would start again. The conductor did not hear him say this and went on playing so Kathryn went up to Gordon Rose and got him to stop playing and start again - Bing got it right this time - and got a tremendous cheer and acclaim, more than on those evenings when he had got it right first time!

      Bing again sat on his stool during Harry’s solo, but asked Harry if he minded him staying? Harry said “It’s your stage - you can do what you like - you have top-billing Dad!” The songs in the medley got a tremendous reception, especially ‘Basin St. Blues’ and ‘White Christmas’, the ovations for them were terrific - he had to wait several minutes to continue - usual standing ovation at the end when he came on alone - he was in fine form and did all his famous mannerisms - “tightrope walk” to the front of the stage, then his “Egyptian” walk going off stage - the audience was one of the most warm and receptive towards him of the whole tour - they obviously loved and admired him and I am sure he “got the message” - kept thanking us and blowing kisses. After the Noel Coward medley, while taking the interval curtain he had looked rueful and almost woe-begone. I think he thought he had let us down by fluffing a spot song, not just a medley one, but the reception he got at the end must have cheered him. There has been no sign that he was in pain all this second week - most of the people around me that I spoke to either could not get tickets last year or have come again this year.

(Pat Forster)

 

October 8, Saturday. Interviewed in his dressing room at the London Palladium for the American television program 60 Minutes regarding a singer named Jack Harris who cannot obtain work because he sounds too much like Bing (see November 25, 1975). An out-of-court settlement is eventually reached in August, 1978. Completes his London Palladium season.

 

SATURDAY: THE LAST NIGHT: No words can adequately describe this wonderful evening - audience full to capacity and many celebrities - Bernard Braden, Barbara Kelly, Henry Cooper I noticed - the ovation Bing got when he came on was thunderous and overwhelming - people shouting ‘Good old Bing’ and waving programmes - no ‘fluffs’ tonight - he was in superb form, laughing and dancing, and obviously enjoying himself and free from pain - rapturous applause at the end of each song, and especially the first half. A great welcome when he was seen on stage at the beginning of the second half - applause was again rapturous for each song - during the medley they cheered to the echo especially ‘Basin St. Blues’ and ‘Million Dollar Baby’ - he could not continue for some while after these. After ‘White Christmas’ the cheering went on for some minutes - at the end of the medley the audience just went mad, an ovation of nearly five minutes - he could not speak - they just would not stop cheering - in the end he sang a few more bars of ‘Ol’ Man River’ just to get them quiet. Bing then thanked everyone for being such marvellous audiences for the two weeks and said how much he had enjoyed being here - he loved us, London, and the Palladium - then the standing ovation was unbelievable; flowers were thrown down from the boxes - people had run down the aisles and were packed round the stage when he came on for solo curtain-calls - everyone just went wild - I have never seen or heard anything like it in a theatre before.

      Comments I heard as we finally left were:

      A young boy attendant at the entrance was telling people it was the best show ever put on at the Palladium.

      A group of men - one said to the others he could hardly speak the show had been so overwhelmingly magnificent and emotional.   Another said Bing could sing any type of song; there was only one Bing - there will never be the like of him again - never anyone to beat him...…

(Pat Forster, reproducing her contemporaneous notes from each show in BING magazine, September 1987)

 

We had the radio on when the announcer cut in to say there had been an accident at the Ambassador. Bing Crosby had fallen on the stage. Bing had been rehearsing the close of the medley, saying good night at the apron of the stage. Then he’d turned to walk off; he didn’t see that the center part of the stage had been lowered. He just stepped out of the light into the dark.

He spent weeks in the hospital, because he’d fallen twenty feet and ruptured discs. I don’t know the full extent of the damage because he wouldn’t talk about it. He had a hard time walking, and when we got to England that fall to play the Palladium again, he had to sit on a chair back-stage between numbers.

But he’d been bound and determined to make the date. Having discovered the joy of being on the road, he didn’t want to pass up any chance. This man who had sold an unbelievable 400 million records was just learning to have a rapport with the people who bought those records, and he was relishing it.

It was a terrific show, an all-family show - I considered myself family - except for a British comic, Ken (sic) Rogers, who was hilarious. Bing’s only daughter, Mary Frances, did a solo dance. Kathryn sang. Harry played the guitar. I thought Nathaniel was getting short shrift, so I said to Bing, “Let me teach him ‘How About You?’ I did it with the Hi-Lo’s.” Bing was so much more relaxed with his second family than with his first, it was as though he had turned into another person. He made an announcement: “Miss Clooney is taking her life in her hands - her career in her hands - because she’s going to do a duet with my youngest son, Nathaniel.” As I came onstage, Nathaniel said to me, “Are you sure you want to go through with this?” I said yes. Then Nathaniel waved his father away. “Step aside!” he said grandly.

The evening was memorable, the music excellent. Bing and I did our own duet, “On a Slow Boat to China,” with its difficult melody and countermelody, and it came off beautifully. Toward the end of the show, for his medley, Bing pared the band down to a small jazz combo, a fine bunch of guys; I got along especially well with the drummer, Jake Hanna. The audience gave Bing a standing ovation. I timed it: three minutes, and that’s a long time. Bing didn’t seem to know what to do. He’d always had a hard time acknowledging his feelings, even with family and friends. Now thousands of strangers were cheering him so enthusiastically that he had to respond somehow. He held out his arms in a tentative way, then drew them together as though he were folding them, enclosing the audience in his embrace. I saw him mouth the words: 1 love you.

It was a stunning moment. I applauded, too, with tears in my eyes, happy for him, hoping that from now on he could be more open with people, more accepting of them, and of himself.

We didn’t talk about it as we went down in the elevator; it was too fragile to talk about. I was heading for my dressing room to change. He never changed at the theater because there’d be such a mass of people waiting backstage; he’d just run for the car. “I guess I won’t see you for a while,” I said.

“No, you won’t,” he said. “I’m going to Spain for some serious golf. When I’m home, we’ll go to dinner and I’ll pay!” He gave me a quick kiss and got off the elevator. . . Bing died on October 14, 1977, the day I arrived home.

(Rosemary Clooney, writing in her book Girl Singer, pages 256-258)

                                         

October 10, Monday. Bing and Kathryn lunch at Wheeler’s fish restaurant in Brighton and visit the Royal Pavilion. Bing’s stage show has its final performance at the Conference Centre in Brighton, and during the interval, Bing poses for pictures backstage with Gracie Fields.

 

BING CROSBY breezed into Brighton yesterday.

But if you were not among the thousands who packed into the Brighton Centre for his one-night show, your chances of spotting the Old Groaner were slim.

He arrived late yesterday afternoon and went straight up to the centre’s executive suite - and stayed there, resting until the start of the show.

“He was quite shattered after his tour of the North and two weeks at the London Palladium,” said tour organizer Mr. Harry McBride.

But there were no signs of exhaustion during the three-hour concert; he was on stage throughout the second half.

Effortlessly and easily he crooned his way through song after song, from the modern “The Way We Were” back to “True Love,” “Blue Skies,” and even a rather premature ‘White Christmas.” And it ended with a standing ovation.

During the 20-minute interval Bing posed for pictures backstage with another veteran, Gracie Fields, who is in this country doing television work and had come to Brighton especially for the show.

‘We’re old friends,” said Gracie. “We used to appear as guests in each other’s radio shows years and years ago.”

Bing also found time to meet the Mayor of Brighton, Coun. Mrs. Hilary Somerville, and other civic representatives.

Last word from Coun. Alfred Feld, chairman of Brighton Amenities Committee. He said the Centre, described by Bing during his show as “this beautiful auditorium,” had now proved it could provide top-class entertainment.

“The show was a sell-out,” he said. “It broke all records and should bring a handsome profit.”

 (The Brighton Argus, October 11, 1977)

 

The highlight of a wonderful show for me occurred early on in the show - and I feel sure most of the audience were unaware of the “mishap”. It happened when Bing was singing the now legendary “There’s Nothing I Haven’t Sung About”. He got to:
The old Ox Road,
The old Mill Stream,
Pennies from Heaven,
and Darn that Dream…

but somehow sang:

The old Mill Stream,
The old Ox Road…

Crikey! How’s he going to get out of that I thought, the last line won’t rhyme!  But on he went:

Pennies from Heaven,
and Cowboy Joe…

The master of the ad-lib remained quite imperturbable and was out of a tight spot without most people even knowing he had done it. He had about two seconds to think up the new title - and to discard the “Ragtime”. Bordering on genius!

The show ended as all his shows ended; with the whole cast receiving a standing ovation from this massive audience. A particularly nice gesture was made by Kathryn who kissed each of the others - Ted Rogers, Harry and Joe Bushkin as well as Rosemary. All had supported Bing so ably during a historic tour.
(John Bignell, writing in BING magazine, November 1977 [#48])

 

October 11, Tuesday. His London flat in Davies Street, Mayfair, has been burglarized while he was in Brighton.

 

Bing Crosby may be gone, but his antique gold snuffbox, 18th century gold cigarette case and cherished Russian icons have come back into wife Kathy’s life. Only three days before the crooner died in 1977, the antiques, worth about 50,000 dollars, were stolen from his London flat. Their loss was to become particularly keen – because they were the last gifts Bing ever gave Kathy. Now her heart is soaring. Police have found the goods and arrested a suspect.

(New York Post, March 7, 1980)

 

(10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.) After dealing with the police, Bing records eight songs with Gordon Rose and his Orchestra for a radio program at BBC Studios, Maida Vale, and is interviewed by Alan Dell to provide links between the songs. These are his last recordings. He is paid £150 plus repeat fees of £75. The program is broadcast on December 27 on BBC Radio2.

 

Bing’s last recording sessions were for the BBC at Maida Vale on the Tuesday before his death. During the course of singing eight numbers with Gordon Rose and his orchestra, I chatted to him about general aspects of his career, but particularly about the songs that he was singing. He was doing numbers like Feels Good Feels Right, Summer Wind, Nevertheless (I’m in Love with You), As Time Goes By and Once in a While.

As a person, Bing Crosby was so gentle—he was always relaxed and charming, and during the BBC session there was never a moment when things became fraught. He was co-operation itself. He did the session dressed very casually and wearing that white floppy hat; afterwards he came into the box to listen to the playback. Crosby really was in marvellous voice, and we did everything in one take, He simply ran down a song once during rehearsal, and then performed it before the mikes without any hitch. Like all the great performers, Bing seemed to sound even better with age. I don’t think that the BBC could have asked for a better session—although it was to be his last ever performance, he just sounded so marvellous.
(Alan Dell, as quoted in Woman’s Realm magazine after Bing’s death).

 

It is with some sadness I record that one of the high spots of my professional life should find me at the end of a long and illustrious list of Musical Directors beginning with Paul Whiteman. Whilst I never could remember a time when there was no Bing, the first time I actually met him was at the preliminary rehearsal for the three provincial dates, London Palladium fortnight and the BBC Broadcast, all of which I was contracted to do with my Orchestra, and which constituted his last professional appearances.

An early reserve quickly gave way to a warmth which was always evident in the voice and film performances which I knew so well, and on learning of my interests (I played jazz guitar and trumpet) he delighted in telling me outrageous stories of the great musicians with whom he has been associated. Every evening I would hear of the unpublished exploits of such jazz greats as Louis Armstrong, Eddie Lang, Joe Venuti, Bix Beiderbecke, Frankie Trumbauer, the Teagarden Brothers [sic] etc. etc., and these stories, together with Bing’s humorous turn of phrase, were unforgettable.

Of Bing Crosby the artiste and of this magnificent voice, surely everything has been said, but I would like to add a small personal observation; I consider myself the most privileged of men to have worked with the greatest entertainer of this century, and am very proud that this all too short season is represented for posterity in this Album.

(Gordon Rose, writing on the cover of Bing - The Final Chapter an LP album issued by the BBC in 1980)

 

When Gordon Rose phoned to say Bing and Rosemary Clooney would like to do a broadcast for BBC Radio, I doubted it could be arranged in the little time available, but with everyone ‘pulling out all the stops’ I was soon able to visit Bing at the London Palladium to discuss the music and all was arranged.

Was it really true? Was this man with the magical voice, the most famous ever, turning up at our Maida Vale Studios ‘with the fellas’? But true it was, and he came and sang and talked to Alan Dell and charmed everyone with his warmth and friendliness and above all his trust in all of us — strangers to him — to record what turned out to be his ultimate performance.

When I listen to these songs I shall always remember him perched on a stool in his floppy hat and looking frail — but still giving with the old magic. I just could believe the lyric of the last song. Once In a While, was a message to us all — “Hoping You’ll Think of Me Once In a While” — I’ll never forget.

(Lawrie Monk, Producer BBC Radio 2, writing on the cover of Bing - The Final Chapter an LP album issued by the BBC in 1980)

 

In the afternoon, there is a photo session for the Seasons LP at the studio of Gered Mankowitz. Bing also meets Decca recording producer Geoff Milne to discuss sessions for a planned album of Noel Coward songs. That night, Bing remains in the flat autographing Palladium programs for fans whilst Kathryn takes a party of twenty to Chow’s Chinese Restaurant for dinner.

 

In his four decades of shooting the stars, from Keith Richards to Catatonia, Gered Mankowitz has come across some shocking behaviour. The Rolling Stones’s Brian Jones was “difficult and dark” and spent shoots “messing things up, alienated from the rest of the band”. Oasis were “horrid, really rude and aggressive and intimidating”. But the worst, the baddest of them all, the one person Mankowitz never cared if he ever met again, was about as far from the sullen young men with guitars as you can possibly get: Bing Crosby. The old reprobate crooner was “the worst, most miserable subject I had ever photographed”, says Mankowitz. Pop. Another showbiz myth explodes. . .  Mankowitz has an easy-going, generous manner which extends to his subjects. He has few really bad things to say about even the worst of them - Oasis and Crosby, for instance. Years after his shoot with Crosby, in which the singer refused to wear any of the four outfits chosen from specially selected outfitters, and would only pose for one shot, Mankowitz found out that morning the singer had been the victim of a robbery at the Dorchester. “The poor old sod,” says Mankowitz, who forgave him instantly.

(Contained in an article in The Scotsman by Karen McVeigh, November 13, 2001)

 

People really are funny. Whatever Mankowitz’s credentials as a photographer, he makes a lousy reporter. I was with Bing at that session and here are the pure unvarnished facts.

After finishing the SEASONS album in Mid September, 1977, Bing was a very busy man but when the record company asked him to pose for a shot for the cover, he agreed to do so when he could fit it in. The afternoon of October 11th was agreed. He then played two weeks at the London Palladium, did numerous interviews and did his last concert in Brighton on October 10. All of this with severe back pains. He came back to London late on the night of the 10th (probably in the small hours of the morning) to find that his apartment had been broken into and many valuable items stolen. On the morning of the 11th, he did a three-hour session at BBC’s Maida Vale Studios with Rosemary Clooney and the BBC Radio Orchestra where he recorded eight songs and did a half-hour interview with Alan Dell. After this, I picked him up with a limousine to take him to have the photo taken. He looked at his watch and said “This won’t take long, will it?” I said it would probably take no more than an hour to an hour and a half. He said “OK, let’s go. But I must be at the Dorchester at three.”

In the car with us was a representative of the record company who gave the driver directions to the studio which, I believe, was in Parson’s Green. I knew this was in South West London and I expressed a little concern that it might take a while to get there. I was assured that it would take no more than 20 minutes. The traffic was quite heavy and Bing looked at his watch “How far away is this studio?” he asked. “This looks like we’re halfway to Heathrow.” The record company guy said it wouldn’t be long. Bing shrugged and said “OK, carry on.”

When we got to the studio, Mankowitz was clearly impressed that Bing Crosby had come to his studio and he immediately greeted him in an animated, sycophantic way. Bing nodded and shook his hand and simply said “Can we get on with this. I’m late for an appointment.” And that’s when Mankowitz outlined his plans. Because the album was called “Seasons,” he planned to shoot Bing against four different backgrounds in four different changes of clothes. Bing simply said. “No. I agreed to pose for a cover shot but not a whole production number.” This must have dismayed Mankowitz who was obviously looking forward to doing an extended ambitious shooting session involving all sorts of lighting set-ups and front-projection techniques. I clearly remember Bing saying. “I’m sorry if you’ve gone to all this trouble. Nobody told me anything about this and I just don’t have the time.”

All of what Bing said was true. Not only did they not tell Bing about all these ambitious plans for the cover, they didn’t tell me either. Mankowitz is wrong when he says Bing posed for just one shot. He struck at least six or seven poses, thanked everyone and then said to me “Come on, I’ve got to get to the Dorchester.” Although, we got back to the Dorchester about ten minutes past three, Bing shook my hand warmly as he stepped out the car and said “Goodbye, Ken. Don’t forget to send me those lead sheets. I’m going to Spain for a few days to play a little golf. I’ll see you guys in California in about ten days..er..two weeks.” I said “OK, I’ll be in touch.” And that was the last time I saw him. Three days later, he was dead.

Now, there is an interesting postscript to this story. About twelve years ago, someone asked me if I could trace the photos from the last photo session and I eventually found Mankowitz’s phone number and spoke to him. He said “Oh, Crosby. That man was totally charmless and very unprofessional.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “You’re kidding,” I said. “I was there when you took those photos. He was not at all unprofessional. He agreed to pose for a cover shot and that’s exactly what he did. Moreover, did you know that he had an important appointment at three o’clock that day and that the night before he had been robbed.” All Mankowitz said to me was “Oh!” But now, seeing Mankowitz’s comments after all this time, I realise that he must have been bad-mouthing Bing for years. I suppose if Bing had had the time to get into all those different clothes and had bowed to his every wish, Mankowitz would have been telling everyone what a nice guy he was. As it turned out, I think he was sore that he had spent out so much money on clothes and props only to see it all go to waste. That wasn’t Bing’s concern. Most photographers, I am sure, would have considered themselves lucky to have been given the job whatever the circumstances.”

And that, I swear, is the complete truth of the situation. Bing was tired and in pain certainly, but he was not discourteous to Mankowitz or to anyone else in that studio. My view of Mr. Crosby is based on having worked with him on six albums, two TV shows and several radio interviews over a three year period - involving many, many long hours in his company. I can say that, on all occasions, he was a delight to work with, always professional and frequently very humorous and considerate to his fellow workers. Even when he was in great physical pain from his back injury. Mankowitz’s opinion, on the other hand, is based on a meeting that lasted little more than 30 or 40 minutes at the most. I can appreciate that he was upset having gone to so much trouble with sets and costumes - but Bing had NOT been informed of these elaborate plans beforehand and he had his own agenda which, unfortunately, just happened to clash with the needs of a temperamental photographer.

(Ken Barnes, responding to the story in The Scotsman, as quoted on the Bing Crosby Internet Museum site, November 15, 2001)

 

October 12, Wednesday. Kathryn flies back to the U.S.A. Harry stays on in London to study music and drama. Bing plays eleven holes at a golf course in Cranbrook, Kent with his friend Bill Tillman. The course had been advertised for sale and Bing was considering buying it. Later he returns to his flat, where he is interviewed by journalist Peter Green at 5:20 p.m. Meanwhile First Lady Rosalynn Carter writes to Bing asking him to sing at a White House reception on December 17.

 

In your tribute to Bing Crosby (the Arts, Last week) Michael Parkinson spoke of Bing’s increasing love for Britain. As an American who lives here and has been with Bing a lot during his visits of the past years, I can vouch for this.

Bing fully intended to spend an increasing amount of his time in England and Scotland. On his last full day in England I drove him to Kent to pick up an English friend, Bill Tillman, and to play a small golf course that had been advertised for sale. Bing’s idea, if he liked it, was to buy it and improve it and spend some time living in the house that went with it.

He told me he wanted to create a good course open to everyone and easy enough to give pleasure to high handicappers, the vast majority of golfers. He was critical of the increasing length of modern courses and felt their difficulty turned the ordinary man away from the game.

Next morning, on his way to, his flight in Spain, where he died the following day, he phoned me to remind me that I was to keep looking for a two-bedroom flat he might buy or rent un-furnished in London “not in a fashionable district, but it must be quiet! If you can find something, I can look at it when I come back for the Jubilee Show (Lord Grade’s) next month; and can start spending more time over here from next year.” He added that his wife Kathryn shared this wish. “She blows hot and cold but she really loves London and goes, goes, goes from morning to night seeing everything.”
(James Nolan, in a letter to The Sunday Times)

 

October 13, Thursday. Leaves London early and flies to Spain for golf and hunting. Has a round of ninety-two at La Moraleja Golf Club in Madrid. Paired with Spanish golf champion Manuel Pinero against Cesar de Zulueta, President of La Moraleja, and local golf pro Valentin Barrios, Bing and his partner lose but a return match is fixed for the next day. Elsewhere, Lord Lew Grade announces the planned film production of Road to the Fountain of Youth with a July 1978 starting date. Mel Shavelson has written a screen outline dated January 31,1977 but he had not yet written the screenplay.

October 14, Friday. Attends mass and communion with Cesar de Zulueta. Has lunch consisting of a cup of chicken broth; a ham, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, plus a glass of water in the clubhouse at La Moraleja Golf Club, Madrid, before playing another eighteen holes of golf with Manuel Pinero, Valentin Barrios, and Cesar de Zulueta. (6:30 p.m.) Bing Crosby falls unconscious from a massive heart attack after completing the eighteenth hole for a round of eighty-five. He is dead on arrival at Madrid’s Hospital de la Cruz Roja. The death certificate says “cardiac insufficiency due to coronariopathies and valvular sclerosis.” At the family’s request, the body is embalmed at the Forensic Medical Institute in Madrid. The news of Bing's death is flashed around the world and even the BBC1 channel in the UK interrupted its normal programming at around 8:45 p.m. to make an urgent announcement, something usually only reserved for the  death of British royalty. A crowd of 56,000 observes a moment of silence at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles before the start of the third World Series game. Bob Hope in New York cancels a benefit appearance in Morristown, NJ that night, saying, "I just can't get funny tonight" and flies home to Los Angeles.

 

“He played very well and I know he enjoyed it very much. He told us he was feeling much better after his fall in California a few months earlier, and better still for being out on this beautiful golf course. He told me about some of his golf games as we played, about games with great pros like Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Gene Littler, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. He told a lot of little stories about each of them. Jack Nicklaus was his favorite, and I remember him telling me they planned a father and son match between them in a few weeks. Mr. Crosby said he was glad to have known all these great golfers. He was in good spirits; we joked about his white sun hat and old red cardigan. He was very relaxed, even at the second to last hole, when the score was even and he hit one into the sand trap. But he never lost his cool, still humming and whistling at the last hole. I remember he scored an 85, he and Manuel won by one stroke because of Bing’s handicap, which was a 13, I believe. Bing collected his ten dollar prize before we headed back to the clubhouse. I remember too that he had a new Ben Hogan set of golf clubs for the round, but still used this old, ancient Hogan putter, which must’ve been his favorite.

There were some construction workers building a new house just off from the ninth hole. The workers recognized Bing, and motioned for him to come over to them. Bing was very happy to be recognized, and walked over to the men, who asked him for a song. The last song Bing Crosby sang, which I vividly remember, was “Strangers in the Night.”

He was driven up the hill in a golf cart and only had a short distance to walk on flat, level ground. I was walking right along side of him, the last person to speak to him. He was very happy about winning the match. At the time, the pathway was a red-colored gravel, but it has since been paved over so the golf carts can drive on it easier. It still follows the same path we took that day.

It has been widely quoted that Bing’s last words were ‘that was a great game of golf, fellas’ or something to that effect. Well, he did say that in the golf cart heading up the hill, but afterwards, while walking towards the clubhouse entrance just seconds before his collapse, he spoke his true last words to me. He turned to me and said ‘Let’s go have a Coca-Cola.’ The next minute (around 6:30 pm), he lay face down on the red-brick path, landing on my foot when he fell. We turned him over, he was very pale, and had a large red bruise on his forehead where he hit the ground. He died at my feet—I knew he was dead right away, he died instantly.

We carried him into the clubhouse and summoned the house Doctor (Dr. Laiseca). We called for an ambulance, just to make it look like he died en route to the hospital and not at the golf course. We all knew he was gone before the ambulance ever arrived. Dr. Laiseca showed me how to massage his heart, while he prepared an adrenalin injection, which was injected directly to his heart. I massaged his heart for over half an hour, but nothing could be done. He was dead-on-arrival at the hospital. I could not believe it; I never would’ve imagined he would have a heart attack—he showed no signs of being tired or in pain or anything. All at once, he dropped dead. I’ll never forget it.”

(Valentin Barrios, speaking on November 3, 2000, recalling Bing’s final round of golf)

 

October 15, Saturday. Harry L. Crosby III arrives in Madrid to claim his father's body and is met by Cesar de Zulueta and US consular officials. Spanish medical authorities perform an autopsy and confirm that Bing died of a massive heart attack.  Newspapers everywhere carry a headline about Bing's death and special TV and radio tributes abound.

October 16, Sunday. A special mass is said for Bing at Westminster Cathedral, London. 2,000 people attend

LONDON (AP) - Mourners stood in the aisles of London’s Westminster Cathedral Sunday for a mass said in memory of the late Bing Crosby, “a gentle soul who gave such pleasure with unaffected modesty to so many.”

Those were the words of Canon Oliver Kelly, who told the congregation, estimated at 2,000 persons: “I’m sure you felt, as I did, that when the news of his death spread across the world there was a pause, there was a moment of silence, of regret that a special voice had been stilled.”

Kelly recalled that Crosby, a Roman Catholic, loved Westminster Cathedral and attended Mass there two weeks ago.

(The Independent, October 17, 1977)

HILLSBOROUGH (AP) - With two of her children at her side, Kathryn Crosby went to early mass at Our Lady of Angels Church Sunday as a special prayer was said in honor of the humble man loved by millions who was a regular parishioner here.

The Rev. Gerald Barron, pastor of the church offered the prayer and tribute to Bing Crosby, the smooth-voiced crooner whose death has saddened friends and fans the world over.

Barron said that he hoped to emphasize that “above all things he was a Christian man who never lost sight of God even though he was among the stars.”

… Barron said Mrs Crosby sat calmly through the 7:00 a.m. services Sunday, the early mass that had been Crosby’s favorite.

At their mother’s side, were Nathaniel, 15, and Mary Frances, 17. Also in the family party were Mrs. Crosby’s aunt, Mrs. Leonard Meyer, and Crosby’s business manager, Basil Grillo.

Mrs. Crosby, wife of the famed singer for nearly 20 years, “seemed very composed-yet you could see the grief in her eyes. The two children had tears in their eyes,” Barron said.

When the short mass ended, the tiny crowd of 150 left the church and some walked over to give condolences when they recognized the Crosby family.

Harry Crosby, 19, the eldest son of Crosby’s second marriage in 1957 to Kathryn Grant, was in Madrid awaiting completion of arrangements to fly his father’s body to Los Angeles today.

(The Independent, October 17, 1977)

October 17, Monday. Harry Crosby accompanies Bing's body on a commercial flight to New York. Bing is then flown on to Los Angeles. Several family friends are on the flight as is Alan Fisher, the the family's former butler. Bing's golf clubs are also on the plane. The body is placed at the Cunningham and O’Connor Funeral Home in Los Angeles. A private wake is held at a Los Angeles hotel.  At St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York, 3,000 attend a lunch-time mass led by Cardinal Cooke and hear a homily by Bishop Theodore McCarrick.

 

There is always a touch of sadness in the leaving of a friend, but this sense of absence becomes all the more poignant when the friend’s departure has the finality of death and when his own life was so vital and so magnetic that it reached into the lives of millions.

And so today we mourn the end of the earthly presence of our friend Bing Crosby. In a career that stretched a half-century he carved out a special place in the hearts of Americans. He has left us so much to remember – his engaging smile and the warmth of his personality, the amiable nonchalance of his style as an entertainer, his success as a flawless interpreter of America’s mood in song. These are the things so many of us will remember. They made Harry Lillis Crosby an unforgettable figure in the history of American entertainment.

But they do not tell us the whole story. They do not explain the wonderful outpouring of affection and respect which has covered America and other parts of the world during the last few days since his death. The explanation of that phenomena goes deeper.

Bing Crosby was not just a good entertainer. He was a good man.

He was a family man who devoted himself first and foremost to his responsibilities, as a husband and father; he was a generous man who knew that God gives both talent, and it’s rewards to be shared with others and to be used in proper stewardship for the good of many; he was a deeply Christian gentleman who never apologised for his convictions or for his morality.

At a moment of history when the anti-hero is still exalted by the pens of authors and script-writers, when the immorality of the characters in a scenario are, alas, all too often emulated in the lives of the actors who portray them, when it is in to be out of touch with the basic moral values, there must be millions of men and women in the families of America of every creed and race and color who look at the life of a man like Bing Crosby and say “Thanks be to God”.

I think this is why so many are saddened by his death and why he will be remembered with such affection.

Those of us who in the mystery of God’s Providence have received the gift of faith believe that every life is a journey to God. We believe that at the end of that road, The Almighty Father waits for us. In His loving mercy, He longs to embrace us all in an eternity of happiness and peace. But in His unerring justice, He cannot reward us if we come to Him laden with a life of selfishness and full of evils done to our fellowmen.

Bing Crosby travelled the road of life for seventy-three years. We rejoice now because we know that he is not found empty-handed at the journey’s end, but that be brings along with him the good deeds and the kindnesses that filled his life. And so today, as we send our prayers to Heaven on his behalf, we can thank God for the witness of his charity and his faith.

To his wife and children and to his lifelong friends, through this Mass of the Resurrection, the Cardinal and the Church of New York offer sympathy and affection. The death of’ a good man is always a moment of sadness, but we believe that it ushers in an eternity of joy.

The bells of St. Mary’s should ring no dirges now. Our friend, Father O’Malley, has gone home to God.
(Bishop Theodore McCarrick’s homily at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York, October 17, 1977)

 

October 18, Tuesday. (6:00–6:40 a.m.) A private funeral service is held for Bing at a tiny rectory chapel adjacent to St. Paul The Apostle Church in Westwood. The ceremony is conducted by Father Ellwood Kieser. Mary Frances leads the mourners in a reading of the twenty-third Psalm. Although not strictly in accordance with Bing’s will, there are thirty-six people present (including all of his children) and the only stars allowed to attend are Bob Hope, Rosemary Clooney, and Phil Harris. Bing’s friend “Buster” Collier is there also. The cortege then drives six miles to Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Culver City where Bing’s casket is lowered into a grave beside those of Dixie Lee and his parents.

His simple gravestone perpetuates the incorrect date of his birth as it reads:

 

Beloved By All

Harry Lillis

Bing Crosby

1904–1977

 

LOS ANGELES. Bing Crosby’s relatives and close friends gathered in the predawn chill today for final services in the manner he wanted - simple and private.

About 35 persons crowded into the tiny chapel of St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church in Westwood, where the singer worshiped when he lived in nearby Holmby Hills. Crosby’s body lay in an open oak casket which was adorned by a single spray of red roses.

Mourners heard the Rev. Ellwood Kieser intone the ancient ritual.

Maury Foladare, Crosby’s publicist for 31 years, said “the 6 a.m. Mass was chosen because the mortician agreed that the body was properly embalmed in Spain for immediate burial. The early hour eliminated what Crosby did not want - a clamorous Hollywood funeral. There were no fans on the quiet side street south of the UCLA campus.

Kathryn Grant Crosby entered the chapel briskly, 20 minutes before the rites, followed by her children - Harry, 19, Nathaniel, 15, and Mary Frances, 17. The widow’s face was steeled against sorrow.

Before the Mass of the Resurrection was said, an organ softly played melodies associated with Crosby’s 50-year career, including: “The Bells of St. Mary’s,” “Galway Bay,” “Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral, That’s an Irish Lullaby,” “Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams” and “Wait Til the Sun Shines Nellie," which he often sang in duet with his wife.

Father Kieser told mourners that Bing could laugh because he knew how to cry, and “he knew how to cry because he believed so fully in the Lord.”

After the Mass, Mrs. Crosby left the chapel, followed in single file by Crosby’s seven children. Other mourners followed and a motorcade proceeded to the gravesite in Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City.

Mourners included a few of Crosby’s companions from show business – Bob Hope and his wife, Dolores; Rosemary Clooney, who sang with Bing in his final concerts, and her son by Jose Ferrer, Miguel; comedian Phil Harris, and Bing’s singer-brother, Bob Crosby. The rest were Crosby’s business associates, fishing companions and personal friends, including his secretary, Nancy Briggs; attorney Richard Bergen; producer Basil Grillo; former actor Buster Collier, and butler Alan Fisher. Crosby’s sister, Mary Rose Pool, and Mrs. Crosby’s sister, Frances Meyer, also were present. Crosby’s six sons, including Gary, Dennis, Phillip, and Lindsay, acted as pallbearers. Burial was near Crosby’s parents and first wife, Dixie Lee, who died of cancer in 1952.

(Associated Press, October 18, 1977)

Hundreds of Spokane residents today by their presence paid tribute to a local legend, attending a memorial service at St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church in honor of Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby.

Before the ceremony, some who had come to honor Gonzaga University's “most acclaimed alumnus” strolled past Crosby's childhood home, E508 Sharp. Only five blocks away at the University administration building, a group of Crosby’s classmates, honorary pallbearers, gathered and marched the short distance to the church.

Inside the church where Crosby took communion and sang in the choir decades ago, the Very Rev. Bernard J. Coughlin, S.J., Gonzaga’s president, began the litany of the legend.

“There has been so much said about Bing Crosby in so many languages around the world,” Father Coughlin began, “about not only his voice, manner and personality, trademarks of that which was good and lovable.

“I think most that speaks best of the man, for all his talent and fame, is that he never lost the simplicity and modesty of the little boy who grew up in this neighbourhood and served mass here.

“Bing Crosby was Gonzaga’s most-acclaimed alumnus and the world’s most-loved star,” Father Coughlin said in a soft voice, “but for all that, he never lost sight of that which was most important in his life, his Christian faith and the importance of God in his life.”

(Hugh Davis, Spokane Daily Chronicle, October 18, 1977)

*************

 

I can’t think of a better way for a golfer who sings for a living to finish the round.

(Kathryn Crosby)

 

For all the roads, he travelled in his memorable career, Bing Crosby remained a gentleman, proof that a great talent can be a good man despite the pressures of show business. He lived a life his fans around the world felt was typically American: successful yet modest, casual but elegant. He revolutionized popular music, sang the biggest hit of all time, yet was a man who would be at ease in any American home.

(President Jimmy Carter)

 

Bing’s death is almost more than I can take. He was the father of my career, the idol of my youth and a dear friend of my maturity. His passing leaves a gaping hole in our music and in the lives of everybody who ever loved him. And that’s just about everybody. Thank God we have his films and his records providing us with his warmth and talent forever.

(Frank Sinatra)

The whole world loved Bing Crosby with a devotion that not only crossed international boundaries, but erased them. He was proof positive that you can replace a military uniform with a pork pie hat, an Hawaiian shirt and a pipe.

(Bob Hope)

 

Bing had tremendous charm and magnetism. Everyone felt comfortable with him and when he was performing the audience felt they were in safe hands. He was one of those artists that no matter how hard he worked at performing he never let it show.

(Princess Grace of Monaco)

 

I’m lucky that there was a Bing Crosby. If it hadn’t been for Bing I’d probably still be cutting hair.

(Perry Como)

 

He sang a fair song, in tune most of the time. He could read lines pretty good and had a good sense of comedy timing. Fair vocabulary and not a bad fellow all round.

(Bing Crosby, in response to a request from Barbara Walters to give a capsule description of himself. Part of an interview shown on ABC-TV on May 31, 1977)

 

 

Chapter 11

    ___________________________________

 

    Epilogue

 

     The news of Bing’s death literally made front-page headlines all over the world. It was as though people had lost a dear friend. Special church services were held in several cities, tributes were rushed out by television and radio stations and by newspapers. There was a dramatic increase in Bing’s record sales with “White Christmas” reaching number five in the British charts and Bing’s albums selling very well internationally. His films were shown on television and various radio series about him were repeated. But time passes. . . .

In 1981 came the book Bing Crosby–The Hollow Man by Donald Shepherd and Robert F. Slatzer. Shepherd was a ghostwriter of stars’ autobiographies and Slatzer, who once claimed to be secretly wed to Marilyn Monroe, wrote the book The Life and Curious Death of Marilyn Monroe. The Hollow Man book was reasonably well researched in some areas but it cleverly and negatively slanted certain facts of Bing’s life in order to achieve sales. To the general public, who had an image of Bing as the easygoing extrovert he portrayed in his films, it was a shock to realize that he was not quite like that all the time.

To compound the damage to Bing’s image, there came, in 1983, Gary Crosby’s book Going My Own Way in which Gary admitted all of his own faults but also managed to paint a picture of Bing as a cruel and unloving father. When interviewed some years later over a nine-hour span by the author Gary Giddins, Gary Crosby could not recall many of the incidents he had described in his book! The harm to Bing’s reputation was immense with tabloid newspapers running extracts from both books. Bing’s sons Dennis and Lindsay, both of whom had depression problems, later committed suicide within two years of each other and again the media had a field day blaming Bing for his sons’ misery. Gary Crosby died of cancer in 1995 and only Phillip remains of Bing’s first family.

Interestingly, Phillip will not hear a bad word spoken about his father. At a dinner party in May 1999, Phillip (then age sixty-four) spoke to the author frankly and openly about his dad. He told me that his father gave them a lot of time and Phillip cited Bing teaching them to fish, hunt, and golf as examples. Phillip said that his father never lied and he spelled out the rules he wished observed in a clear fashion. The boys always knew what was expected of them. Phillip admitted that he and his brothers were a little wild and that if they transgressed, they were punished, usually by having privileges withdrawn and sometimes with the corporal punishment which was the norm for the day. The impression was gained that Phillip’s mother was a stricter disciplinarian than his father. Phillip is adamant that Bing was a good parent and he says that the problems he and his brothers encountered were down to their own stupidity and wild living. Subsequently, Phillip gave an interview to the Globe magazine expressing the same sentiments and part of this is reproduced below, together with comments from some of Bing’s other children, beginning with Gary.

 

He made millions of people happy through his talent. He contributed God knows how many dollars to dozens of good causes. He played hundreds of benefits, giving away for free what he could have been selling for a bundle. . . . The old man believed what he believed, and he thought he was doing right. He wasn’t any tougher than a lot of fathers of his generation. And a lot of kids can handle that kind of upbringing without any difficulty. It was too bad that my brothers and I didn’t buy it and turn out the way he wanted. That would have made it very comfortable for everyone. But whatever the reasons, we didn’t. Linny and the twins clammed up like a shell. I bulled my neck and fought him tooth and nail all the way down the line. To my own destruction. The discipline just didn’t work with us.

(Gary Crosby, Going My Own Way, page 293)

 

My dad was not the monster my lying brother said he was, He was strict, but my father never beat us black and blue and my brother Gary was a vicious, no-good liar for saying so. I have nothing but fond memories of dad, going to studios with him, family vacations at our cabin in Idaho, boating and fishing with him. . . He [Gary] knew it [the book Going My Own Way] would generate a lot of publicity and that was the only way he could get his ugly, no-talent face on television and in the newspapers. He wrote it out of greed. He wanted to make money and knew that humiliating our father and blackening his name was the only way he could do it. My dad took care of us from a very early age with a trust fund. But we blew it all. To my dying day, I’ll hate Gary for dragging Dad’s name through the mud. My dad was my hero. I loved him very much. And he loved all of us too, including Gary. He was a great father.

(Phillip Crosby as quoted in The Globe, 1999, interviewed by Neil Blincow)

     

I grieved for him when he died and I still miss him now. I had such a special, such a very close relationship with him . . . It was unique. It’s something that can’t be taken away.

(Harry L. Crosby Jr. as quoted by Barry Norman in his book, The Film Greats, page 227.)

 

We understood much more about each other than ever one of us let on. There was an awful lot of love there, but it was so unspoken. He’d been raised in a large family of staunch Irish Catholics. In contrast to mother—who is a soft, warm, affectionate southern lady—he was very uncomfortable in expressing his feelings. He’d use sarcasm or criticism to slip in a compliment upsidedown. Or we’d hear his praise from other people. If I kissed him goodnight, he’d pull away. If I hugged him too long, he’d squirm. It was fun playing against his resistance, because I knew he secretly loved the tenderness he found so hard to express.

(Mary Frances Crosby, as quoted in an article “My Father, Bing Crosby” by Sheila Weller in McCall’s magazine, July 1980)

 

All of the negative publicity has twisted the truth about Bing himself. New writers have repeated the distortions of the Hollow Man and Going My Own Way so that they have become accepted as facts. As will have become obvious to the reader who has ploughed their way through this book, Bing was not a man who could easily show his emotions and as his fame increased, he retreated behind a virtual wall of reserve. It was his way of coping with the pressure but at times, he inadvertently created an air of aloofness or coldness. Kathryn Crosby’s book My Life with Bing was published in 1983 and showed Bing to be very much a normal human being, suffering the “ups and downs” that we all have. In later years, he could be painfully withdrawn at times and was prone to mood swings. To the public, he had his “Bing Crosby” image but in real life, he was Harry Crosby, an ordinary man with good and bad points. He was not a saint nor was he the sinner as portrayed since his death. This book has attempted to outline the facts of his life as they occurred so that the reader can draw his or her own conclusions.

Since his death, many other people have expressed their thoughts about Bing, the man, and here are just a few extracts.

 

It was impossible for anyone who met Bing Crosby not to be impressed by him. Most people loved him and admired him as a performer and as a person. Certain people, it must be admitted, disliked him intensely for a variety of reasons—none of which were ever apparent to me . . . Certainly, he had a tendency to be enigmatic. But he was never boorish or unkind to anyone. Also I can honestly say that I have never seen a star who was more considerate to his fans than Bing was.

(Ken Barnes, The Crosby Years, page 60)

     

There was a kind of marvelous thing I saw in his face when he took a bow at the end of a show: his attitude toward the audience and their outpouring of love for him. It was a kind of adulation he received from fans all over the world, which he had never been overtly responsive to. Bing had a tremendous personal dignity and reserve that were not easy to penetrate. I think people finally touched him in a way, perhaps, he had not been touched before . . . I believe it was the next to the last night at the Palladium [October 1977]. I saw him as he moved away from the microphone, opened his arms up to the audience, and said, “I love you.” Then he put his arms around himself in a big bear hug—to demonstrate to them just how much love he had for them. I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears. Bing had never been that demonstrative with an audience in his life.

(Rosemary Clooney, This for Remembrance, pages 242-243)

 

Mr. Crosby could have been put in a field alone with a gallon of water (purified!), a can opener and two cans of corned beef, and he would have survived. He truly needed no one. Of course, we cosseted him totally, though he was quite unaware of this. Our whole lives quietly revolved around his axis. He knew everyone and everyone called him. He was available to all, but seldom rang anyone. His friends, I must say, were—almost to a man—tycoons of industry. In my humble and probably quite inaccurate opinion, he did not feel acting was an honorable profession—singing, either. He truly admired men with brains who had made it to the top.

(Alan Fisher, Bing’s butler, as quoted in BINGANG, Winter 1996-97, page 21)

     

Crosby was far more complicated. He was fundamentally a rather private person, and liked to spend quite a bit of time by himself, reading (something he did extensively), looking into his various interests, or simply thinking. This led some people to refer to him as a loner—a tag he resented, and with good reason, for, while there was a streak of shyness in him, he was at times the soul of gregariousness. As long as a person was bright or amusing or congenial, it mattered little to Crosby how wealthy or socially prominent he might be, and his friends included studio technicians, musicians, chauffeurs, horse trainers, and proprietors of bowling alleys.

      He had few truly intimate friends. One person he saw a good deal of was Basil Grillo, who over the last thirty years has served as the operating head of Bing Crosby Enterprises. Most people agree that probably the three men who knew him best were George Coleman, a wealthy oilman; Vic Bergeron, who started the Trader Vic restaurants; and Phil Harris, the orchestra leader, whom he met back in 1925. Besides being comfortable companions, these men were in a position to lead flexible existences—to get packed and go fishing, golfing, or whatever at short notice. This was something that Crosby appreciated.

      When there was work to be done, he was the complete professional—always prepared, always punctual—but during his free time he liked to do what he wanted to do when he wanted to do it. If a friend phoned Crosby at seven in the morning and suggested something that appealed to him, he was one of those men who would be ready to be picked up in fifteen minutes.

(Herbert Warren Wind, writing in The New Yorker, May 8, 1978)

 

I can’t think of another man of anything like his fame who was so unrattled by it and so genuinely, modest. The accursed foible of show business people is prima donna-ism: the massive ego; the implication that the whole world is revolving around them and their new picture, their new plans, which they pretend to find delightful but embarrassing. Not Bing. He was in this more mature than any other actor or actress, author or politician I have known in coming to sensible terms with a great fame. His mail must have been staggering, with its appeals for favors and money from every charity and every crackpot in the world. He never mentioned it. He was polite to every nice fan, and every child, and every moron who hailed him. All his later concerts and pro-amateur golf tournaments passed on the receipts to a raft of favorite charities.

      When he died there was a spate of film clips and replayed old interviews and the like. The most revealing of these was one done shortly before he died by the news interviewer Barbara Walters, who does have a knack for asking the childlike questions we’d all like to ask but don’t dare. She asked him to sum himself up, and he allowed that he had an easy temperament, a way with a song, a fair vocabulary, on the whole a contented life. And she said: “Are you telling us that’s all there is—a nice agreeable shell of a man?” Bing appeared not to be floored. After the slightest pause for deep reflection, he said: “Sure that’s about it. I have no deep thoughts, no profound philosophy. That’s right. I guess that’s what I am.”

It was so startling, so honest, and probably so true that it explained why he’d been able, through hard times, to stay on an even keel. Perhaps he was one of those people who, though not at all selfish, are deeply self-centered: what they call “a very private person.” Because he could not identify deeply with other people’s troubles, he was able to appear and to be everybody’s easygoing buddy and forget death and disaster in a recording date or a round of golf. He was the least exhibitionist celebrity I have ever known. And because death is so dramatic, so showy, some of us cannot believe he won’t show up in the locker room tomorrow and say: “Well, skipper, how’s tricks?”

(Alistair Cooke, from his book The Americans: Fifty Letters from America on Our Life and Times)

 

Every one of the very, very few people who knew the late Bing Crosby well also knew him to possess certain characteristics. He was secretive—he was extremely generous with money—he was extremely religious—he was strict with his family—and he was easily embarrassed.

      Bing Crosby was an unassuming man and a master of the understatement, and many people found him cold but I found him to be a faithful, devoted friend who was always there, particularly when the chips were down. I worked for him for thirty-eight years and I loved and adored him those years and I will miss him very much for the remaining years that I walk the face of this earth.

(James Van Heusen, writing in Bing Crosby, A Lifetime of Music)

 

But we must not let the debate about Bing as a person deflect us from Bing’s huge professional impact and there has been no shortage of expert assessments of this, with Gary Giddins’ book Bing Crosby: A Pocketful of Dreams, The Early Years, 1903–1940 having the biggest impact in recent times:

 

Bing was a remarkably autobiographical performer. Yet while the public thought it knew him intimately, his intimates concede that Crosby was, in many respects, unknowable. They would often remark on his intelligence, humor, and generosity, and then marvel at his contradictions: the melting warmth and chilly reserve, the conservatism and liberality, the piety and recklessness. Bing liked people who made him laugh (he expressed bewilderment that anyone might think him, as many did, a loner) but avoided public displays of affection and introspection. After he lost the soulmate of his early years, guitarist Eddie Lang, he could no more have bared his soul to another man than submit to psychoanalysis. Iron-willed and self-made, insouciant and obstinate, gregarious and remote, he was thoroughly enigmatic, yet hardly unknowable—no man with a legacy as large as Crosby’s could be that. Neither saint nor monster, Crosby survives his debunkers along with his hagiographers because the facts are so much more impressive than the prejudices and myths on either side. Bing Crosby was, after all, a poor boy from a Catholic working-class district in turn-of-the-century Spokane who caught the attention of the world and made it better. “Call me lucky,” he said. But it was never just luck or even talent. It was also the determination and brains of an alert young man who came along when American entertainment was at a crossroads. He showed it which road to take.

(Gary Giddins, Bing Crosby: A Pocketful of Dreams, The Early Years, 1903—1940)

 

Crosby, the musical innovator, was a kind of genius and I believe that the more the history of popular music in the twentieth century is explored, the greater his contribution will be seen to be. He was small, on the whole he was affable, he wore a toupee, his ears stuck out, he won the love of many, and the dislike of a few, in some cases an important few. But he bestrode the contemporary scene like a Colossus and, by God, he could carry a tune.

(Barry Norman, The Film Greats, page 228.)       

  

Crosby was the first singer to truly glorify and exalt the American popular melody, and his deep, perfectly in-tune resonance gave American music the wherewithal at last to compete with (and in my ears at least to surpass) opera and the European art-song tradition. . .

       . . But more than melodic and rhythmic ingeniousness, there’s a sense of just plain rightness to everything he does, from the way he states the lyric and tune, and makes you feel the meaning of each inside, without being maudlin or hammy, to the amazing architectural skill he displays in the way he organizes an improvisation.
(Will Friedwald, Jazz Singing)

 

No other popular American singer achieved such peaks of success over so many decades, nor had such wide-ranging influence in setting standards that hold with classic pop today, as did Bing Crosby. His supremacy has been a given for so long now (despite Bing’s own casual “I don’t take myself seriously and you shouldn’t either” attitude during his lifetime) that no one is really surprised when reminded of the following statistics: that as a recording artist, Crosby still holds the record for total sales of nonrock recordings by any individual singer. That one of those recordings, “White Christmas” (1942), has sold more copies than any other song—ever. That more songs introduced by him ended up in the Top Ten of the Hit Parade and other best-seller charts than those of any other single singer. That as a radio star his shows placed among the nation’s Top Ten in the ratings for eighteen consecutive years. That as a movie star he long ranked among the top box-office money-makers and was the first popular singer to win an Academy Award (for Going My Way, 1944). There’s lots more of course—but the point is that Crosby’s record is not just impressive but also monumentally unequaled.

(Roy Hemming and David Hajdu, Discovering Great Singers of Classic Pop, page 44)

 

Statistics do indeed highlight Bing’s overall achievements and it was interesting to find that a recent survey of the top movie box office stars of the twentieth century, based on estimated ticket sales over the years, which was published on the Internet by tlavideo.com, showed the following:

 

     Star                                         estimated ticket sales

1.  Clark Gable                                        1,168,300,000

2.  John Wayne                                       1,114,000,000

3.  Bing Crosby                                       1,077,900,000

4.  James Stewart                                     981,900,000

5.  Cary Grant                                          942,500,000

6.  Spencer Tracy                                    937,200,000

7.   Gary Cooper                                     878,600,000

8.   Mickey Rooney                                 867,900,000

9.   Harrison Ford                                    852,700,000

10. Gregory Peck                                    728,000,000                             

Cinema admissions were, of course, much higher in the years before television, which perhaps helps to explain why so few of today’s stars are in the top ten. Clark Gable’s top position must owe much to the incredible success of Gone with the Wind and John Wayne’s prolific and long career deservedly puts him in second position. It is a real tribute to Bing’s popularity over many years to see him so well placed above those who are more often perceived as the legendary Hollywood greats. However, as Gary Giddins reminds us:

 

But career statistics tell only a part of the story. No other pop icon has ever been so thoroughly, lovingly liked—liked and trusted. Bing’s naturalness made him credible to all, regardless of region, religion, race or gender. He was our most brilliant chameleon, mirroring successive eras—through Prohibition, depression, war, anxiety and affluence—without being dramatic about it. He was discreet and steady. He was family.

(Gary Giddins, Bing Crosby: A Pocketful of Dreams, The Early Years, 1903—1940)

    

Ignoring the mild controversy about Bing’s real personality, the unassailable fact is that his voice and his film image brought warmth and reassurance to people the world over for many decades. He was an ordinary man with an exceptional talent, who became a legend in his own lifetime. Even now, the playing of a Bing Crosby record will bring happiness to many, and the pleasure that he brought to so many during his lifetime can never be calculated. The name—Bing Crosby —must never be forgotten as long as singers continue to sing. This diary of an incredible life is dedicated to one of the most popular and durable entertainers of the twentieth century, who wished for only a simple epitaph.

 

“I’d like to be remembered as a guy who could carry a tune.”

(Bing Crosby, 1972, when interviewed by John Salisbury for his radio series “The Crosby Years”)

 

© Malcolm Macfarlane, 2001