Chris Peacock Guest
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Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2004 2:04 pm Post subject: Bing - Man of the Media |
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I've read with interest the different messages of support for Bing Crosby.
While there are other great stars who made their own impact on 20th century entertainment, Bing was the only one who made an equal impact across all media - radio, records, cinema and TV. Sinatra, probably the greatest interpreter of the popular lyric, came closest - but he was not a great TV attraction despite the popularity of his films. He did made his mark as an actor with an Oscar. Presley was big on records and had a film career that spanned some 30 films - but none were taken seriously
( and certainly neither he nor his films made any impression in the Academy Awards ), Judy Garland was big in pictures but not quite so big on records and TV, Doris Day was as big in pictures as she was on records - but she never found a sustaining career on TV. Perry Como and Andy Williams were both on TV as on records. But only Bing succeeded on all levels. He was also the first popular singer to win an Academy Award as an actor - leading the way for others like Sinatra and Barbra Streisand.
To top it off, he had more chart entries in the USA than any other single performer and had the biggest selling record of all time in "White Christmas." ( forget Elton John, Bing's record is still the biggest seller)
What is all this leading up to ? Well, we badly need more Bing on DVD. |
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