The world’s most famous crooner played in jazz bands and movies about jazz

Bing Crosby on drums (Photo: Rex Hardy Jr./Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images Jan 01, 1937)

Everyone knows Bing Crosby (b. 1903 Tacoma, WA d. 1977 Spain) for his smooth voice singing White Christmas or comedy “Road” movies with Bob Hope.

Less well known is Bing Crosby started his career as a jazz drummer and singer.

In 1925 Bing Crosby dropped out of law school to tour as a singer and jazz drummer in a duo with pianist Al Rinkler. In 1927 while the two were touring the vaudeville circuit, they joined the Paul Whitman jazz orchestra.

Bing left Whitman soon when his star and personality clashed with the controlling Whitman.

In the popular movie High Society, Bing played a jazz singer backed by his friends such as jazz trumpet player and singer Louis “Satchmo”Armstrong.

The 1956 film was centered around a love mismatch with Bing and Grace Kelly in the setting of the Newport Jazz Festival in Newport Rhode Island.

While critics panned High Society as a weak remake of Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story, movie goers loved the music and light story about socialite Kelly and her ex-husband jazz singer Bing Crosby. I love the film for the music and fun performances from people like Frank Sinatra, playing himself like he did in Guys and Dolls.

High Society also has a musical and witty score by American composer Cole Porter with memorable songs like True Love sing by Bing and You’re Sensational by Frank Sinatra.

Trivia – it was Grace Kelly’s last film before marrying Prince Ranier of Monaco

The video clip is from the 1940 film Rhythm on the River, which featured Bing Crosby playing drums, the only clip I could find with Bing on the drums.

Bing Crosby hung out with jazz musicians for most of his career.  “I used to hang around The Dorseys and Bix (Beiderbecke) and Bunny Berigan and Glenn Miller and Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang – all the musicians I admired – and I was having a helluva good time. I really had no idea that I was learning anything. But I certainly was.” All About Jazz

Now You Has Jazz from High Society (Bing Crosby -vocals, Louis Armstrong – trumpet, vocals, Trummy Young – Trombone, Edmond Hall – Clarinet, Billy Kyle – Piano, Barrett Deems – Drums) from CBC Edsel Show.

The same song was performed in the movie.

Bing Crosby started as a singing drummer but his voice was obviously more important than his skills with the sticks.