Songwriters Hall of Fame

The most popular entertainer of the 20th century’s first 50 years, Harry Lillis Crosby was born on May 3, 1903 in Tacoma, Washington. He was nicknamed "Bing" after a character named "Bingo" in a comic strip titled "Bingville Bugle."

In his early career, Crosby and singing partner Al Rinker were hired in 1926 by Paul Whiteman and his orchestra. With Harry Barrie, they became the Rhythm Boys and gained an increasing following. The trio split from Whiteman in 1930 and Bing sang briefly with Gus Arnheim’s band. It was his early 1931 smash hit with Arnheim, ‘I Surrender, Dear’, which earned Bing a CBS radio contract and launched an unsurpassed solo career.

Over the next three decades, the resonant Crosby baritone and breezy persona sold more than 300 million records and was featured in over 50 movies including 1944’s Going My Way for which he earned an Academy Award. His recording of Irving Berlin’s ‘White Christmas’ (from the film Holiday Inn) is the biggest selling record of all time with total sales of over 35 million copies.

With over 300 top twenty recordings from 1930 through 1954, Crosby was perhaps the most recognizable voice in American popular music from 1930 through 1960. Among his hits are the #1 recordings of ‘Out of Nowhere’ (1931), ‘Just One More Chance’ (1931), ‘At Your Command’ (1931), ‘Dinah’ (with the Mills Brothers, 1932), ‘Please’ (1932), ‘Brother Can You Spare a Dime?’ (1932), ‘You’re Getting to be a Habit With Me’ (1933), ‘Shadow Waltz’ (1933), ‘Little Dutch Mill’ (1934), ‘Love in Bloom’ (1934), ‘June in January’ (1934), ‘Soon’ (1935), ‘It’s Easy to Remember’ (1935), ‘Red Sails in the Sunset’ (1935), ‘Pennies from Heaven’ (1936), ‘Sweet Leilani’ (1937), ‘Too Marvelous for Words’ (1937), ‘The Moon Got in My Eyes’ (1937), ‘Remember Me’ (1937), ‘Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?)’ (1937), ‘I’ve Got a Pocketful of Dreams’ (1938), ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’ (with Connee Boswell, 1938), ‘You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby’ (1938), ‘Sierra Sue’ (1940), ‘Trade Winds’ (1940), ‘Only Forever’ (1940), ‘White Christmas’ (1942, 1945, 1946), ‘Moonlight Becomes You’ (1942), ‘Sunday, Monday, or Always’ (1943), ‘San Fernando Valley’ (1944), ‘I Love You’ (1944), ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’ (1944), ‘Swinging on a Star’ (1944), ‘It’s Been a Long, Long Time’ (1945), ‘I Can’t Begin to Tell You’ (1945), ‘Now Is the Hour’ (1948), ‘True Love’ (with Grace Kelly, #3 in 1956).

Crosby was nominated for 2 Academy Awards and won the Grammy’s Lifetime Achievement Award (1962) and the Cecil B. DeMille Award (1960).

While golfing in Spain on October 14, 1977, Bing Crosby collapsed and died of a heart attack.