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Larry Crosby

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Larry Crosby
Larry Crosby in 1923
Born
Laurence Earl Crosby

(1895-01-03)January 3, 1895
Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
DiedFebruary 7, 1975(1975-02-07) (aged 80)
Century City, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Manager, philanthropist, businessman, inventor, author, Army Officer
Known for
Spouse(s)Elaine Catherine Couper
(m. 1926; died 1973)
Children
  • Jack Crosby (1927-2015)
  • Molly Crosby (1933-1953)
RelativesBing Crosby (brother)
Bob Crosby (brother)
Harry Crosby (nephew)
Gary Crosby (nephew)
Dennis Crosby (nephew)
Lindsay Crosby (nephew)
Nathaniel Crosby (nephew)
Phillip Crosby (nephew)
Mary Crosby (niece)
Chris Crosby (nephew)

Laurence Earl Crosby (January 3, 1895 – February 7, 1975) was the longtime publicity director of his younger brother, Bing Crosby, a manager, a philanthropist, an inventor, and an author. He was the eldest of Bing's six siblings.[1]

Bing and Larry's mom: Katie (Catherine "Kate Crosby")... "not only baked a wonderful pie, but sang like a bird, and it was common gossip when she was out rowing on the lake, that either Katie Harrigan or an angel is out there singing." Larry Crosby [2]

I don't think anything has been a struggle for Bing. Everything comes easy, but he's not a detail man. Here at the office he thinks we can do everything in one day, when actually it takes weeks. He wants it right now! He's a pretty good boss, but I think he listens to too many people." Larry Crosby [3]

Crosby family

The seven Crosby children were the four elder brothers Larry, Everett (1896–1966), Ted (1900–1973), and Bing (1903–1977), two sisters Catherine (1905–1974) and Mary Rose (1907–1990), and the youngest sibling, brother Bob (1913–1993). His parents were English-American bookkeeper Harry Lillis Crosby Sr. (1871–1950) and Irish-American Catherine Helen "Kate" Harrigan (1873–1964), daughter of a builder from County Cork, Ireland. Larry Crosby served in the United States Army during World War I. Larry Crosby attended an officers’ training camp at the Presidio, San Francisco. After the training trains new troops at Camp Funston at Fort Riley, Manhattan, Kansas. Larry Crosby married Elaine Catherine Couper on May 4, 1926, in Wallace, Idaho.[4] Ted and Larry Crosby wrote the 205 page book Bing, about their brother Bing Crosby, released in 1937. In 1946, Larry updated the book to 239 page and was released as The Story of Bing Crosby, Larry had the foreword done by Bob Hope for the new book. Larry Crosby's son, John, married Beatrice Turner Crosby on January 19, 1947. Larry Crosby has a daughter named, Molly Manning Crosby (1933-1953). On August 25, 1953, Larry Crosby's daughter, Molly Crosby, died at St. John's Hospital at age 19, from complications of a throat infection. Larry's son, Jack Crosby (1927-2015), was the art director on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital for 17 years. Jack also worked on Seven Keys Show, hosted by Jack Narz. After working for ABC, Jack was the art direction teacher at Loyola Marymount University and Pepperdine University. Larry Crosby's wife, Elaine died on January 28, 1973, at St. John's Hospital. Larry died of cancer in the Century City area of Los Angeles on February 7, 1975, at the age of 80. Larry Crosby is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California.[5] Larry Crosby published the book Crosby Genealogy about the Crosby family tree. Originally published privately, but now public.[6] Along with being the manager of Bing, Larry was the manager of the Music Maids a vocal group started in 1939 by Trudy Erwin and Dottie Mesmer. Bing and the Music Maids recorded songs in 1939 to 1947. Music Maids were some in of Bing's shows like: Broadway Melody of 1940, Hit Parade of 1943, Hoosier Holiday (1943), Girl Crazy (1943), Yolanda and the Thief (1945), and Riff Raff (1947).[7]

The Crosby Foundation

Bing Crosby golfing in 1975, Larry Crosby managed the events

Larry Crosby was president of The Crosby Foundation established 1902.[8] Bing Crosby, through Larry Crosby, the president of The Crosby Foundation, shared his wealth. Bing also used his stardom and popularity to help friends, acquaintances and strangers. He helped others both publicly and privately.[9][10]

Crosby managed the annual Bing Crosby National Pro-Amateur (also called the charity golf Crosby Clambake started in 1937; today known as the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am) at Pebble Beach, California, near Monterey. Starting in 1971, he was also the director of "Prisoners in Exchange for American Construction Enterprise (PEACE)", a group seeking better treatment of prisoners of war taken during the Vietnam War.[11][12]

In 1937 Bing founded the Crosby Clambake golf tournament in California. The Crosby Clambake paired Hollywood stars with pro golfers. The event grew and provided donations to number of charities associated with golf and education. The CROSBY National Celebrity Golf Tournament was the United States longest running charity golf tournament. Bing died in 1977, but the tournament had continued in his honor by his wife Kathryn Crosby. In is 1986 the tournament moved from California to the Bermuda Run's, Bermuda Run Country Club near Winston-Salem, North Carolina.[13][14]

Bing did not want to record the song “Silent Night, as he did not want money from a sacred song. So, Larry arranged for all the royalties from the recording to be given to charity. Bing used Larry's name in the 1938 film The Star Maker, about a songwriter called Larry Earl.

Larry Crosby and Bing founded the nonprofit organization Dixie Lee Crosby Memorial Foundation, which aids cancer research on December 27, 1952. Dixie Lee was the first wife of Bing; she died of cancer on November 1, 1952, at age 42.[15][16]

Gonzaga University opened a new library, the Crosby Library, now the Crosby Center, on November 3, 1957. Bing attended Gonzaga as a pre-law student. Larry, as Bing's business manager, set up a Bing memorabilia display at the library.[17]

Larry and Bing help fund and development of the 2-inch Quadruplex videotape by Ampex

Bing Crosby Enterprises

Further information: Bing Crosby Enterprises

Larry Crosby was president of Bing Crosby Enterprises (BCE). Bing and Larry invested in: Auroratone films, window-sash holders, automatic coffee dispensers, Minute Maid frozen orange juice, and the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball club, Del Mar Turf Club, Del Mar Racetrack, US Army Signal Corpsman Jack Mullin’s experimental magnetic audiotape (used on his show), 2-inch Quadruplex videotape, real estate, mines, oil wells, cattle ranches and many other investments.[18] Bing Crosby also invested by buying Television stations.[19][20]

Bing Crosby Enterprises and Larry's office was in a three-story building at 9028 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, the office was built in 1936 as Bing's headquarters. Larry's office was on the second floor. California Historical Resources Commission voted to nominate the Bing Crosby Building for the listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.[21] BCE Electronic Division grew and moved to 9030 Sunset Boulevard. The office at 9030 Sunset Boulevard later also became the sales office for Ampex and 3M magnetic tape products (video and audio) in 1949. In 1948 Bing Crosby Enterprises was awarded the distributorship right for Ampex recorders and the 3M tape west of the Mississippi River. Bing and Larry set up a recording studio in Bing's ranch house in Elko, Nevada.[22] Ampex and Bing Crosby Enterprises worked together on the first video tape recorder. Bing used two Magnetophon to audio record the Crosby Show working with Jack Mullin as Chief Engineer. 3M had a new product black oxide plastic-backed magnetic tape that gave good recordings. The first radio show to broadcast from magnetic tape on 1 October 1947. BCE Electronic Division also was the first to do tape editing.[23] On 11 November 1951 Ampex and Bing Crosby Enterprises demonstrated the first playback from the prototype BCE Mark I recorder at 360 ips. BCE Mark I used the deck of an Ampex 200, a portable magnetic tape recorder and had a bandwidth of about 1 MHz (SDTV has about 4.5 MHz). Bing had used the Ampex 200 to make high quality recordings of his shows.[24] BCE Mark II recorder had 12 tracks recorded on the 1 inch tape, with 10 of the tracks for the video, still with the modified Ampex 200 deck. Bing Crosby Enterprises recorders were used in not just for sound and video, but to record telemetry data also. The Mark II produced a better picture but was still a prototype. Color video capable, BCE Mark III VTR was demonstrated in June 1955 used 100 ips on half-inch tape using longitudinal recording. CBS ordered three BCE Mark III VTRs in 1955. Ampex came up with a moving head on 2 inch tape that was of better quality in 1956. CBS canceled the BCE order and ordered Ampex VTRs. Bing also order the new Ampex VR-1000 VTR for Bing's his Spokane, Washington TV station, KXLY-TV. The BCE Mark III recorders were converted to wide-band instrumentation recorders.[25][26][27]

  • Larry was the head of The Crosby Research Foundation which encouraged inventors. During World War II the US Government worked with the foundation to develop products and ideas for the war effort.[28] Bing Crosby's Research Foundation hosted Inventor's New Product Shows, to help inventor showcase inventions.[29]

Larry help start and supported the International Club Crosby. International Club Crosby was started in 1936 and is the world's longest-running fan club. International Club Crosby is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running fan club.[30]

See also

References

  1. ^ Bangor Daily News, p. 24, "Larry Crosby, brother of Bing Crosby, dies of cancer", Feb 13, 1975
  2. ^ [1]Crosby Genealogy by Larry Crosby
  3. ^ Bing: The Authorised Biography, by Charles Thompson, page 100
  4. ^ Idaho, Marriages, 1878-1898; 1903-1942
  5. ^ Literary Licensing, LLC, United States, Bing, by Ted and Larry Crosby, ISBN 9781494050726
  6. ^ [Crosby Genealogy, by Larry Crosby]fcrosby.com
  7. ^ Music Maidsdiscogs.com
  8. ^ The Billboard, page 41, 2-25-1950
  9. ^ Bing's Charity and "Take Care of" ListPBS
  10. ^ Bing's Charity and "Take Care of" Listwgbh.org
  11. ^ Crosby, Ted; Crosby, Larry (2005) [1937], Bing, Whitefish, Montana: Kessinger, ISBN 1417985739
  12. ^ NY Times, LARRY CROSBY DEAD; SINGER'S BROTHER, 80, February 13, 1975, Page 28
  13. ^ Crosby Scholarscrosbyscholars.org
  14. ^ Monterey Peninsula Foundation montereypeninsulafoundation.org
  15. ^ Bing 1952bingmagazine.co.uk
  16. ^ Dixie Lee Crosby memorial foundation, Ada Evening News Newspaper, Dec. 28 1952, Page 6
  17. ^ Crosby Librarygonzaga.edu
  18. ^ Shoshana Klebanoff, "Crosby, Bing" American National Biography (2000).
  19. ^ INCITE JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDIA, ISSUE #4: EXHIBITION GUIDE, FALL 2013, by Brett Kashmere and Walter Forsberg, Layout and Design by Jasen Lexwalterforsberg.com
  20. ^ First-Hand:Bing Crosby and the Recording Revolution, by Robert R. Phillipsethw.org
  21. ^ Videotape Recording Invented at the Bing Crosby Building on the Sunset Strip, by Jon Ponderwesthollywoodhistory.org
  22. ^ bingcrosby.com
  23. ^ theaudiophileman.comtheaudiophileman.com
  24. ^ Bing Crosby and Magnetic Recordingethw.org
  25. ^ Bing_Crosby_and_the_Recording_Revolution First-Hand:Bing Crosby and the Recording Revolution,by: Robert R. Phillips, Life Member ethw.org
  26. ^ Crosby Eyes TV Tower on Mount, December 17, 1952, Spokane Daily Chronicle
  27. ^ Crosby Plans to Come to City, December 16, 1952, The Spokesman-Review
  28. ^ Musical Miracles To Aid Returning War Veterans Get Back to Normal; Bing Crosby Foundation Comes Here, Desert Sun, Volume XIX, Number 30, 22 February 1946
  29. ^ Bing Crosby's Research Foundation hosted Inventor's New Product Show youtube.com
  30. ^ Bing Magazinebingmagazine.co.uk]
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