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Bing Crosby

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Bing Crosby was an American singer and actor, one of the first stars to be big on record, radio and film at the same time. He was born in 1903 in Tacoma, in the state of Washington, and grew up in Spokane. At home the phonograph was often on loud and his mother sang. As a boy he preferred to whistle and hum rather than sing. His nickname Bing came from a comic strip in the local newspaper. In 1923 he became the drummer in a band of schoolboys, and afterwards he performed in theatres.

Music and breakthrough

Crosby's career began at the time when microphones and recording technology were improving. As a result he no longer had to shout to be heard above an orchestra. He sang softly and relaxed, close to the microphone, as if he were addressing the listener personally. That intimate way of singing, called crooning, became a model for Frank Sinatra, Perry Como and later also Elvis Presley and John Lennon. He recorded more than 1,600 songs and appeared in over seventy films. In the film Holiday Inn (1942) he sang White Christmas by Irving Berlin. Ever since, his voice has belonged to Christmas.

Influence

Crosby also changed the music industry. After seeing a German tape recorder he invested in the company Ampex, and he was the first to pre-record his radio shows on magnetic tape. In this way recordings could be cut and redone, which became the standard. During the Second World War he was seen as the man who did the most for the morale of the soldiers. He died in 1977.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to White Christmas. Notice the form of the song: can you hear where the first part keeps returning and where the bridge, the middle section with a different melody, begins? Notice, too, how calmly and closely Crosby sings.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Mentioned in other articles

See also

Categories: ArtistsTin Pan Alley