Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian and actor. Meanwhile, in the library, Bing is surprised to encounter the house's former owner, Charles Dickens, played by Ron Moody. He was of English and Irish descent. It was released in 1982 as a single 45-rpm record and reached No.3 in the UK singles charts. He eschewed a weekly variety series while singers such as Perry Como and later, Andy Williams, embraced such exposure enthusiastically with considerable benefits accruing to their record sales and to their long-term images.[3]. He was a leader in record sales, radio ratings, and motion picture grosses from 1930 to 1954. The coverage of his annual golf tournament gave him regular exposure as did his appearances on The American Sportsman program. Crosby was especially closely associated with ABC's variety show The Hollywood Palace. Bing Crosby's White Christmas (1976) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Bing and his second family welcomes guests as they celebrate the holiday. White Christmas - Bing Crosby Version. His voice is still heard everyday around the world. 3:11; Bing Crosby - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. [5], Crosby’s main television appearances as host, "The Chronological Bing Crosby on Television", Bing Crosby Sings with Al Jolson, Bob Hope, Dick Haymes and the Andrews Sisters, Bing Crosby Sings with Judy Garland, Mary Martin, Johnny Mercer, Bing Crosby Sings with Lionel Hampton, Eddie Heywood, Louis Jordan, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Bing Crosby Sings Songs by George Gershwin, A Christmas Sing with Bing Around the World, Songs I Wish I Had Sung the First Time Around, Songs Bing Crosby recorded multiple times, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Bing_Crosby_TV_appearances&oldid=961858185, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. [5], Hudson, the butler; Mrs. Bridges, the cook; and Rose, the maid, The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd, "Bing and Bowie: An Odd Story of Holiday Harmony", "The Story Behind Bowie and Bing's Offbeat Christmas Classic [Video]", "Bing Crosby, David Bowie 'The Little Drummer Boy / Peace on Earth' -- New Vinyl", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bing_Crosby%27s_Merrie_Olde_Christmas&oldid=1010596573, Pages using infobox television with editor parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, "Crosby Ancestry Song" – Bing Crosby and family, "Where Would You Be Without Me?" Song information for White Christmas - Bing Crosby on AllMusic An added highlight is a performance by a British boys choir. The special was taped September 11, 1977, at Elstree Studios in London, England. Bing Crosby is surprised to receive a letter from a long-lost relative, Sir Percival Crosby, inviting the family to spend Christmas in England. This is a listing of the most important television appearances by the entertainer Bing Crosby. [1] It was on this special that Crosby recorded a duet of "The Little Drummer Boy" and "Peace on Earth" with rock star David Bowie. Just watched it on gettv and it was one of the old-fashioned variety Christmas shows staring Bing Crosby, his family, Robert Goulet, Mary Costa and the Mitchell Boys Choir. The family ghost, a court jester named Leslie who resembles an old pal of Bing's, stops by to crack a few jokes, and the Trinity Boys Choir soon arrives to join the family and guests on a medley featuring "Jingle Bells", "Sleigh Ride", "Winter Wonderland", "Jingle Bell Rock", "Silver Bells", "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" and "Carol of the Bells". [1] He had been concerned about over-exposure saying, "I do think this: anybody who goes into TV should be sparing in how much work he does. They are soon joined by Twiggy, who comments on Dickens' wide array of memorable characters and several of Dickens' heroes and villains including Ebenezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim (from A Christmas Carol), Fagin and The Artful Dodger (from Oliver Twist), Nell Trent and Daniel Quilp (from The Old Curiosity Shop), then the trio sing "What Would You Be Without Me?" A major star for half a century, Bing Crosby enjoyed unprecedented success as a singer and actor, selling half a billion records in his lifetime. Bing Crosby, Actor: White Christmas. Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas is a posthumous 1977 Christmas television special starring Bing Crosby and his family with special guests Twiggy, David Bowie, Ron Moody, Stanley Baxter and Trinity Boys Choir. Movie Music [Universal] Crosby and Bowie met for the first time on the morning of the taping on September 11, 1977, at Elstree Studios; they rehearsed for an hour and recorded the song in just three takes. He recorded an estimated 17,000 songs, most for Decca records, who luck it was to hold his recording contract from 1934 -55. Afterward, Sir Percy (also played by Moody) finally arrives home and performs a rendition of "Side by Side by Side" with Bing and Kathryn. Bob Hope, Rosemary Clooney, Pearl Bailey, Thames TV, London program - interviewed by Llew Gardiner, Kathryn Crosby - Interviewed by Stanley Siegel, This page was last edited on 10 June 2020, at 19:44. The special concludes with Bing alone in the living room wishing the audience "hope and optimism" for the new year followed by the swan song performance of "White Christmas", his signature tune and the biggest hit of his career. Directed by Marty Pasetta. Bing Crosby's third Christmas album from 1955, originally bearing the same name as his 1945 release Merry Christmas, although the title was later changed to White Christmas. The Music Business Organisation / Nordisk Special Marketing: 3:04 : Various Artists . Somewhat reluctantly in 1954, Bing Crosby had started making television appearances, which were usually filmed in advance. Crosby Special: Bing Crosby: Primary Artist : 2014 : Classic Crooners [Sony] Primary Artist : 2014 : Christmas Greats: Bing, Frank & Nat: Nat King Cole / Bing Crosby / Frank Sinatra: Primary Artist : 2014 With Robert Goulet, Mitchell Singing Boys, Mary Costa, Bing Crosby. View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1967 Vinyl release of "I Wish You A Merry Christmas" on Discogs. He mesmerised the audience with his trademark warm bass-baritone voice. "[2], In 1954, Crosby's radio show had reduced in status from a major weekly program to a daily fifteen-minute show, but after the success of the film High Society and hit records such as “True Love” and “Around the World,” he was tempted to become more heavily involved in television. In the United States and Canada, "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" has since become a yearly staple on radio stations during the Christmas season. The track was eventually released as an official single in three different formats: The single proved to be one of Bowie's fastest-selling singles, having sold 250,000 copies within its first month and being certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry one month after its release. He sings well, has a great voice and reads lines well". He made over seventy feature films and recorded more than 1,600 songs. Song information for White Christmas - Bing Crosby on AllMusic. The single has total estimated sales of 445,424 in the UK, giving Bowie one of his most successful singles. Bing introduces David Bowie's music video to his current single "Heroes" from his album of the same name. Bing Crosby was, and still is, one of America's most popular singers. With Bing Crosby, Kathryn Grant, Harry Crosby, Mary Crosby. Buz Kohan, Writer: The Carol Burnett Show. Crosby studied law at Gonzaga University in Spokane but was more interested in playing the drums and singing with a local band. Two of the biggest musical celebrities of the 20th century come together with Christmas songs old and new in this classic holiday special from 1957, filmed in colour. The Crosby Estate was made available for this year's event through the courtesy of Kathryn Crosby, who has lived in the home since 1965, when she and Bing moved in with their family. His thriving music career included notable albums like ‘Merry Christmas’ (1945) and ‘Bing Sings’ (1977); and radio shows like ‘Kraft Music Hal’ (1935–1946). Within an hour, the composer/lyricists Buz Kohan, Larry Grossman and Ian Fraser quickly came up with lyrics to "Peace on Earth" as a counterpart to Crosby and "The Little Drummer Boy". Bing, his wife Kathryn and their three children – Harry, Mary and Nathaniel – fly off to Britain, reviewing their family history in song and hoping that the invitation is not a case of "mistaken identity". Originally, the song selected for them to sing as a duet was "The Little Drummer Boy" but Bowie did not feel comfortable with the song and felt that his voice did not adapt well to it. Twiggy and Mary search the house's attic and find some Crosby family artifacts, and Bing and Twiggy sing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". The special was introduced by his widow Kathryn Crosby and was broadcast in the United States on CBS on November 30, 1977, and in the United Kingdom on ITV on December 24, 1977. Disc 1 contains Bing's first special, a half-hour show that aired on CBS on January 3, 1954. At the end of the century, TV Guide listed the Crosby–Bowie duet as one of the 25 most memorable musical moments of 20th-century television. They’d weary of my mannerisms, my voice, my face. [4] It has since become a staple of holiday radio, and the final popular hit of Crosby's career. And they’d drop the flap on me at home, too. Bing Crosby: The Voice of Christmas (Christmas collection) – 1999 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Bing Crosby-2006 The Definitive Collection – 2011 Christmas (Christmas collection) – 2017 The Bible Story of Christmas narrated by Bing Crosby (re-issued by WLP) Vinyl LP and CD – 2019 Bing at Christmas: 9 (UK) Singles Pre-Decca era. Buz Kohan was born on August 9, 1933 in New York City, New York, USA as Alan W. Kohan. – Bing Crosby, Twiggy, and Ron Moody, This page was last edited on 6 March 2021, at 08:39. Kathryn chats with Mrs. Bridges in the kitchen as the children continue looking for written proof of their relation to Sir Percy. Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas would turn out to be the second posthumous music special CBS would air in 1977, airing a month after Elvis Presley's last television appearance, Elvis in Concert. The first multimedia star, Crosby was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bob Hope, Rosemary Clooney. As Frank Sinatra casually trims his Christmas tree on a very hip, fashionable bachelor apartment stage set, his good friend Bing Crosby drops by, bearing an armful of gifts. The special was released on DVD as part of the 2-disc compilation Bing Crosby: The Television Specials – Volume 2: The Christmas Specials on November 9, 2010. The Bing Crosby White Christmas Special (1976) Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas (1977) with David Bowie , Twiggy , and Ron Moody The Christmas Years (1978) tribute program If a new motion picture of mine were released each week for fifty-two weeks—or even for thirty-nine weeks—I soon wouldn’t have many friends coming to the theaters to see me. A few days after the taping, Crosby praised Bowie as a "clean-cut kid and a real fine asset to the show. Bing Crosby was born Harry Lillis Crosby, Jr. in Tacoma, Washington, the fourth of seven children of Catherine Helen "Kate" (Harrigan) and Harry Lowe Crosby, a brewery bookkeeper. It includes a duet by the unusual pairing of Crosby and Bowie on "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy". The big breakthrough came in 1957 with the live, award-winning “Edsel Show.” Afterwards, he settled into a routine of making at least two television specials each year, but he never really attempted to dominate the sector as he had other media. He was the show's first and most frequent guest host, and appeared annually on its Christmas edition with his wife Kathryn and his younger children. 3:04; God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Bing Crosby [1] Singer, actor Comic Strip Spawned Nickname [2] Overnight Success [3] Rhythm Boys Tackled Recording and Film [4] Radio Cemented Career [5] Made “Road” Pictures With Hope [6] Rock and Roll Proved No Competition [7] Selected discography [8] Sources [9] Bing Crosby … Sir Percy's neighbor, David Bowie, stops by to play the piano, and Bing and Bowie chat about their musical tastes before singing a duet of "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy". Like the Christmas set, this two-DVD collection features four of Bing's TV specials - two per disc - with bonus material on each DVD. [1], The recording of "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" by Crosby and Bowie is the special's musical highlight and has become a Christmas classic in the United States and United Kingdom and has been referred to by The Washington Post as "one of the most successful duets in Christmas music history".[2][3]. Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas is a posthumous 1977 Christmas television special starring Bing Crosby and his family with special guests Twiggy, David Bowie, Ron Moody, Stanley Baxter and Trinity Boys Choir. Bing Crosby’s Christmas Show for the Bell System Family Theatre: Melba … American singing legend and actor Bing Crosby was the best-selling recording artist of the 20th century. It includes a duet by the unusual pairing of Crosby and Bowie on "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy". At Sir Percy's grand home, they meet Hudson, the butler; Mrs. Bridges, the cook; and Rose, the maid – all of whom are portrayed by Stanley Baxter. There are, however, several variations with different titles and alternating artwork. He is a writer and producer, known for The Carol Burnett Show (1967), Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever (1983) and Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration (1989). His relaxed, crooning style dominated the swing er.. His relaxed, crooning style dominated the swing er.. He did try his hand with a weekly sit-com series in 1964-65 but this was not renewed after the first season. This release contains the 1947 re-recording of 'White Christmas', as the master of the 1942 original was worn out. A very refreshing taste of Christmas that really displayed the magic and goodwill that Christmas is all about. (from The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd). 2:19; Adeste Fideles. … Crosby's last TV appearance was a Christmas special filmed in London in September 1977 and aired just weeks after his death. 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