His last TV appearance was in Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas (1977) (TV) which was taped in London and broadcast, after his death, in the USA on 30 November 1977, and in the United Kingdom on 24 December 1977. This show has also been made available on commercial video. It is memorable for Crosby and David Bowie singing a duet.
His mother was of Irish and Finnish descent, while his father's family was English.
His son Gary accused him of domestic violence.
In 1948 a poll declared Crosby the most admired man in the world, ahead of President Harry S. Truman, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Jackie Robinson and Pope Pius XII.
In 1960 he received a platinum record as First Citizen of the Record Industry for having sold 200 million discs, a number that doubled by 1980.
In 1962 Crosby was the first recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 1969, it was reported that he was worth an estimated $75 million.
In a great many of his films, he played lighthearted comedy and musical roles as a singer or songwriter. His usual casual approach belied the fact that Crosby was a fine dramatic actor, as witnessed by his portrayals in Little Boy Lost (1953), The Country Girl (1954), Man on Fire (1957), and his last major film Stagecoach (1966). He also starred in the television movie Dr. Cook's Garden (1971) (TV) and won much critical acclaim for his performance.
In March 1977, after videotaping a concert for CBS to commemorate his 50th anniversary in show business, Crosby backed off the stage into an orchestra pit, rupturing a disc in his back that required a month of hospitalization.
In March of 1950, he had his appendix removed.
In the autumn of 1974, having recovered from major lung surgery, Crosby performed a series of concerts at the London Palladium. This was the first time he had sung before a live audience since World War II. He repeated this engagement in 1975, 1976 and 1977. He also began recording new albums at a faster rate than he had since the early 1950s.
Inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame in 2007.
Inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1998.
Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1978.
Interred at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California, USA, in the Grotto section, L119, #1.
Introduced three Oscar-winning songs: "White Christmas" from Holiday Inn (1942) (Music and Lyrics: Irving Berlin); "Swinging on a Star" from Going My Way (1944) (Music: James Van Heusen . Lyrics: Johnny Burke) and "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" from Here Comes the Groom (1951) (Music: Hoagy Carmichael . Lyrics: Johnny Mercer).
Is one of only five actors/actresses to have a #1 single and an Oscar for best actor/actress. The others are Barbra Streisand, 'Frank Sinatra', Cher and Jamie Foxx.
Is portrayed by Alex Fallis in Dash and Lilly (1999) (TV).
Left a clause in his will stating that his sons could not collect their inheritance money until they were 65. They had already been amply taken care of by a trust fund set up by their mother, Dixie Lee, which is truth was totally funded by Bing. All four sons continued to collect monies from that fund until their deaths.
Named eldest son Gary Crosby after his close friend Gary Cooper.