Success as a solo singer Bing Crosby

crosby in 1932

on september 2, 1931, crosby made solo radio debut. before end of year, signed both brunswick records , cbs radio. doing weekly 15-minute radio broadcast, crosby became huge hit. songs out of , 1 more chance , @ command , found million dollar baby (in 5 , ten cent store) among best selling songs of 1931.

as 1930s unfolded, crosby became leading singer in america. ten of top 50 songs 1931 featured crosby, either solo or others. so-called battle of baritones singing star russ columbo proved short-lived, replaced slogan bing king . crosby played lead in series of sound-era musical comedy short films mack sennett, signed paramount , starred in first full-length feature, 1932 s big broadcast, first of 55 films in received top billing. appear in 79 pictures, , signed long-term deal jack kapp s new record company decca in late 1934.

his first commercial sponsor on radio cremo cigars , increasingly fame spread nationwide. after long run in new york, bing went hollywood film big broadcast , personal appearances, records, , radio work substantially increased impact. success of first full-length film brought him contract paramount , began regular pattern of making 3 films year. on radio, fronted own show woodbury soap 2 seasons , gradually live appearances dwindled. records produced hit after hit @ time when record sales in decline because of depression. critically acclaimed audio engineer steve hoffman once stated: way, bing saved record business in 1934 when agreed support decca founder jack kapp s crazy idea of lowering price of singles dollar 35 cents , getting royalty records sold instead of flat fee. bing s name , artistry saved recording industry. other artists signed decca after bing did. without him, jack kapp wouldn t have had chance in hell of making decca work , great depression have wiped out phonograph records good. social life hectic, first son gary born in 1933 twin boys following in 1934. 1936, d replaced former boss, paul whiteman, host of prestigious nbc radio program kraft music hall, weekly radio program remained next ten years. blue of night (meets gold of day), showcased 1 of then-trademark whistling interludes, became theme song , signature tune.

also in 1936, crosby exercised option paramount make film out-of-house. signed one-picture agreement columbia, crosby dreamt of having icon , friend louis armstrong, african-american, largely influenced singing style, in screen adaptation of peacock feather called pennies heaven. crosby talked harry cohn matter, disagreed saying: ... no reason entail expense of flying him in , having no desire negotiate armstrong s crude, mob-linked devoted manager, joe glaser. bing threatened walk out on film , refused discuss cohn. armstrong s musical scenes, along comical dialogue well, heightened career. bing had armstrong made high billing alongside white co-stars, 1 of first times ever black performer in wide-audience film. starred himself in many more films come , had large appreciation bing s unracist views, thanking him in later years.

crosby s much-imitated style helped take popular singing beyond kind of belting associated boisterous performers al jolson , billy murray, had been obliged reach seats in new york theaters without aid of microphone. henry pleasants noted in great american popular singers, new had entered american music, style might called singing in american conversational ease. new sound led popular epithet crooner .

during second world war, crosby made numerous live appearances before american troops fighting in european theater. learned how pronounce german written scripts , read propaganda broadcasts intended german forces. nickname der bingle common among crosby s german listeners , came used english-speaking fans. in poll of u.s. troops @ close of world war ii, crosby topped list person had done g.i. morale, ahead of president franklin delano roosevelt, general dwight eisenhower, , bob hope.

the june 18, 1945, issue of life magazine stated: america s number 1 star, bing crosby, has won more fans, made more money entertainer in history. today kind of national institution. state: in all, 60,000,000 crosby disks have been marketed since made first record in 1931. biggest best seller white christmas, 2,000,000 impressions of have been sold in u.s. , 250,000 in great britain. go on say: 9 out of ten singers , bandleaders listen crosby s broadcasts each thursday night , follow lead. day after sings song on air – song – 50,000 copies of sold throughout u.s. time , again crosby has taken new or unknown ballad, has given known in trade circles big goose , made hit single-handed , overnight. , precisely future holds crosby neither family nor friends can conjecture. has achieved greater popularity, made more money, attracted vaster audiences other entertainer in history. , star still in ascendant. contract decca runs until 1955. contract paramount runs until 1954. records made ten years ago selling better ever before. nation s appetite crosby s voice , personality appears insatiable. soldiers overseas , foreigners has become kind of symbol of america, of amiable, humorous citizen of free land. crosby, however, seldom bothers contemplate future. 1 thing, enjoys hearing himself sing, , if ever day should dawn when public wearies of him, complacently go right on singing – himself.