Bing Crosby (1903–1977) practically invented modern crooning, with a relaxed, intimate style that shaped popular singing for decades. His 1942 recording of White Christmas is the best-selling single of all time, and Merry Christmas (1945) is still the seasonal essential. Browse Bing Crosby vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Harry Lillis Crosby Jr. was born in Tacoma, Washington on May 3, 1903 and raised in Spokane. He began his career in the 1920s with the Rhythm Boys, transitioning to a solo career with Brunswick Records and then Decca, where his 1934 contract made him the first major star of the label. His film career paralleled his recording career, with the Road to... series with Bob Hope and films including Holiday Inn (1942) and White Christmas (1954) cementing his cultural position. He died of a heart attack on a Madrid golf course on October 14, 1977.
Bing Crosby's singing style - relaxed, intimate, technically refined - was made possible by the development of the modern microphone, and his recordings shaped the entire tradition of crooning and popular singing. His repertoire spanned popular standards, jazz, country, Hawaiian music, and Christmas music. His 1942 recording of Irving Berlin's White Christmas, from the film Holiday Inn, became the best-selling single in history.
Original Decca pressings of the Bing Crosby catalog are extensively collected. Multiple reissue programs, particularly of his Christmas material, have been mounted across decades, with many anniversary editions.
Listeners new to Bing Crosby's recorded work typically start with Merry Christmas (1945) for the Christmas catalog or compilations covering his Decca-era hits.
