[Dixielandjazz] Harry Crosby interviewed

[Robert Ringwald]

Harry Crosby interviewed

Hear Bing Crosby at His Best
by Nick Thomas
San Francisco Chronicle, December 26, 2010

The Bing Crosby estate has released a wad of new material from the crooner. Several
CDs, a DVD collection of television specials, and even a 7-inch record for vinyl
lovers have all been dug out of the Crosby vault in Northern California, where Crosby
lived and, of course, founded the now-titled AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Crosby's
career as a singer, actor, business entrepreneur and sportsman spanned more than
a half century. He died in 1977 from a stroke on a golf course near Madrid. Despite
a car accident last month that seriously injured Crosby's second wife, Kathryn Crosby,
77, and killed her husband, Maurice William Sullivan, their son Harry Crosby took
time out to remember his father and recalls one family TV special featuring his mother,
siblings Mary and Nathaniel, and special guest David Bowie. The interview has been
edited for length and clarity.
Q: Is there really a Crosby vault?
A: It was the basement of the family home in Hillsborough, where I grew up. My father
saved a huge amount of his old radio shows, songs and television footage -- some
of which hasn't been seen or heard for decades. Robert Bader, from Bing Crosby Enterprises,
has the daunting task of cataloging it all and transferring it to digital form for
preservation. So we'll be releasing more material over time.
Q: Did your dad spend much time at the Hillsborough home?
A: He spent a lot of time at home with us. He was on the road less in the '60s, when
I grew up, than he had been in previous decades. He loved golf, so we spent a lot
of time at the local golf clubs. I was a big Giants fan, and Dad was part owner of
the Pittsburgh Pirates, so we were always at games together. When the Pirates were
playing, someone would come over to me and give me a mitt and ball, which was cool.
But I was more impressed watching the two Willies -- McCovey and Mays.
Q: In the '60s and '70s, the family produced Christmas specials each year. Was that
fun or did your parents drag you into it?
A: I loved it. Every September we got to get out of school for several weeks to do
the shows and even traveled to England to record some of them. But apart from that,
we really had more of a normal childhood than you would think. I took the bus to
school, had my own friends, and we tried to be like the other kids. Of course, I
realized my father was a popular entertainer, but I really just thought of him as
my dad, friend and companion.
Q: What was Christmas like in the Crosby household?
A: You'd be surprised. He would actually startle our neighbors by taking the family
out caroling. People would open their front doors and there would be Bing Crosby
and family serenading them with Christmas carols. Many were friends, but he would
also wander down the road, pick out a house and say, "Let's bang on that door." What
a Christmas surprise it was for some families. But apart from that, we had a very
traditional Christmas. We went to church in the morning, came back for lunch, opened
gifts, and leading up to it there was a lot of singing. My mother made sure that
we also wrote thank-you notes to the people who sent us gifts.
Q: The DVD collection features Bing's final TV appearance in the 1977 "Bing Crosby's
Merrie Olde Christmas," where he sings the "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" duet
with David Bowie. Do you remember that show?
A: Like it was yesterday. The most creative aspect of that show was to mix David
Bowie's modern style with my father's traditional music. Despite their age difference,
Dad and David hit it off immediately. "Little Drummer Boy" is a timeless Christmas
ballad, and for two singers with such different musical styles to blend so well --
so simply and purely -- was a testament to both their talents. They rehearsed the
number once and recorded it. The arrangement was terrific, and it has been a popular
YouTube clip for ages. David was a wonderful guy. Dad wasn't intimately familiar
with his music, but he followed all styles of music and had enormous respect for
David. It was a shock to all of us when Dad died suddenly, just a few weeks after
recording the Christmas show.
_________________
A Crosby Sampler
Bing Crosby Collection (DVD): Six rare Crosby films from Universal: "College Humor,"
"We're Not Dressing," "Here Is My Heart," "Mississippi," "Sing You Sinners" and "Welcome
Stranger."
Bing Crosby: The Television Specials -- Volume Two (DVD): Showcases Bing's holiday
shows, including the memorable duet with David Bowie.
Bing Sings the Great American Songbook (CD): Retail debut of the 20-track CD collection
of Crosby standards, previously available only as part of a public broadcasting pledge
drive.
Bing Crosby: The Crosby Christmas Sessions (CD): 19-track collection featuring 10
previously unreleased Yuletide recordings. Song highlights include rare versions
of "White Christmas."
Vinyl: 7-inch single of Bing Crosby/David Bowie "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy"
duet.
For more information, go to
www.bingcrosby.com
 and
www.ccmusic.com


--Bob Ringwald
www.ringwald.com
Fulton Street Jazz Band
530/ 642-9551 Office
916/ 806-9551 Cell
Amateur (Ham) Radio K6YBV

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