Bing Crosby was born Harry Lillis Crosby in Tacoma, Washington
on May 3, 1903. After moving to Spokane he was inspired to concentrate
on a singing career after meeting Al Jolson. While attending Gonzaga
University to become a lawyer, he begin singing with a local band. Without
doubt, he would become the most popular media star of the first half
of the 20th century with numerous hit recordings.

Bing lives on with his “White Christmas” continuing as an annual holiday
hit besides being the all time best selling recording for most of the 20th
century. Bing landed more records on the Hit Parade than anyone in
history, 368. Elvis only had 149. Bing had more No. 1 hits than
anyone, 38. The Beatles had 24. Bing ranked as the No. 1
movie box office draw five consecutive years, 1944-1948. He was
nominated for a Best Actor Oscar three times, and won it once for
“Going My Way.” He was one of the nation’s biggest radio stars
from 1931 to 1954, and produced 3,400 of his own programs.

Selling more than 300 million records, it should come as no
surprise that some of the most recognizable songs of the 20th
century were associated with Bing. Here are just a few: “Stardust,”
“Red Sails in the Sunset”, “Pennies from Heaven”, “I’m an
Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande)”, “You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby”,
“Pistol Packin’ Mama”, “Swingin’ On a Star”, “Whiffenpoof Song”,
“Galway Bay”, “San Antonio Rose”, “McNamara’s Band”, “Blue Hawaii”,
“Alexander’s Ragtime Band”, “Sail Along, Silv’ry Moon”,
“Little Drummer Boy,” “True Love”, his top five hit with
Grace Kelly in 1956, and “Around the World” in 1957.

Bing made 60 movies, not counting cameos and shorts.
The best, by critical and popular consensus, was “Going My Way,”
the 1944 story of a down-to-earth young priest. It won the Oscar
for Best Picture and Bing won the Oscar for Best Actor. It was also,
at the time, the highest-grossing film in Paramount Pictures history.
Bing received another Oscar nomination for the sequel, “The Bells
of St. Mary’s.” However, some prefer his dark portrayal of an alcoholic
singer in 1954’s “The Country Girl,” with Grace Kelly. He was again
nominated for an Oscar. However, Bing is remembered mostly
for his seven “Road” movies with Bob Hope between 1940 and 1962.
The best? Probably 1942’s “Road to Morocco” and 1947’s “Road to Rio.”

Bing’s last words: “That was a great game of golf, fellas,”
spoken just before Bing crumpled to the ground
with a heart attack, near the 18th green of a golf course in
Madrid, Spain on Oct. 14, 1977. He was 74 years of age.

In 2007 Bing Crosby was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.