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Essentials in
History
At 100 years, Bing lives on in Barbershop
A proud member of SPEBSQSA
Updated: 8/18/2003 4:13:00 PM
You don’t need to go to Spokane to memorialize Bing—we do it every time we barbershop one of his songs.
The world may remember Bing Crosby for his solo legacy, but the crooner’s influence on barbershop is likewise difficult to overstate. An amazing number of his 2,500 songs made their way into the barbershop repertoire, which is itself a fitting tribute to an entertainer who was a dyed-in-the-wool Barbershopper and an early member and leader of the Society.
His memory lives on in his hometown of Spokane, and the Spokane Chapter’s Pages of Harmony were singing along at a celebration of Bing’s life and music on the 100th anniversary of his birth. Gonzaga University, his alma mater, recently staged a three-day bash attended by Crosby fans from all over the world. Fan clubs from Great Britain and New Zealand were well-represented. Comedian Rich Little, Frank Sinatra Jr., The Big Bing Theory (Gonzaga’s student a cappella chorus), a group of Crosby’s friends and relations, and the chorus and quartets of the Pages of Harmony provided the entertainment throughout the weekend.
Bing’s widow, Kathryn Crosby, shared her memories of life with Bing. She told the Pages of Harmony that Bing was proud to have been a member of the SPEBSQSA board and that barbershop harmony was a joyful and regular part of their home life. Bing sang bass, and she sang lead in a barbershop quartet filled out with celebrity guests and members of the Crosby family.
Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby graduated from Gonzaga High School in 1920 and attended Gonzaga University until show business lured him away. To this day, however, his name is all over the Gonzaga University Campus. Look closely at the songs in your group’s repertoire and you’ll see that his name is all over Barbershop as well. Melodies he made famous enjoy continual refreshing throughout the world—and sung in barbershop style. Bing surely wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
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