I am having the same trouble you are. When I first started collecting Bing in the mid 1980s, every time I went to a flea market or thrift store, I would find a new Bing Crosby. Now I have almost every Bing record on CD, so I can't find much new! Ebay seems to still surprise me but it is few and far between!

I must say that, where I live, in a small town in northwest Tennessee, we don't even have a record store, so I usually shop online for CDs and vinyl (and also for books and other things). However, every time I go to a record store in Memphis, Nashville, or Lexington, KY, I do find Crosby CDs, usually the trite Christmas compilation, but sometimes other things, which I already have anyway. For instance, the last time I went to a record store (in Lexington), they had El Senor Bing on CD besides the typical Christmas collections, and I must admit I was quite surprised...

Not surprised when i looked in HMV last year there was hardly any Tony Bennett CDs in the store this was a few weeks after he passed away so there is unlikely to be any of Bing's except for Christmas CDs.

Same thing happened on thursday last week there was no Bing CDs available in HMV, however they did have CDs of Dame Vera Lynn.

This is going off at a bit of a tangent from the original subject of the thread, but I think it demonstrates how Bing has - sadly - slipped from public consciousness in the past few decades.

A couple of years ago I was fortunate enough to spend a few weeks working in Washington, DC. On my days off I invariably spent my time exploring the wonderful array of museums on offer. One of these was the National Portrait Gallery. Having spent a few hours exploring the museum, including the amazing 'Presidential Portraits' gallery, I stumbled across a mezzanine display billed as, 'Bravo! Showcasing individuals who have brought the performing arts to life...'

There were some wonderful portraits and displays dedicated to such American icons as Elvis, Leonard Bernstein, Paul Robeson, Maria Callas, Ethel Merman, Leontyne Price, John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn. I searched in vain, however, for a similar tribute to Bing.

The only reference I found to Mr Crosby was in the information attached to a rather bizarre unfinished bust of Bob Hope carved from a section of tree truck, in which Bing was described as having appeared alongside Hope in the successful series of 'Road' movies.

I did email the directors of the museum, asking why they had chosen to ignore the most successful and influential American entertainer of the first half of the twentieth century, but I never received any reply...



 

Last edited by jeremyrose (05/2/2025 7:50 pm)

Hi Carmela

It's several decades since I last visited Madame Tussaud's in London, but I would very much doubt if Bing is featured.

Here's a link to the rather bizarre carving of Bob Hope in the NPG in Washington. (In my original posting I said that it was unfinished, but looking at it again, I suspect it's exactly as the artist intended!)

https://images.app.goo.gl/pLz6WeDC4eC4xCeK7

Last edited by jeremyrose (06/2/2025 8:11 am)

First of all, I apologize for a few spelling mistakes, this computer is my brothers and it is suppose to correct spelling but it does the opposite. Lol! Thanks Jeremy and Pantelis! Jeremy, I am not crazy about The blockhead version of Bob Hope and Pantelis, I don' t like the Bing wax figure. But at least they included Bing at that wax museum. All you Bing men here have so much info, I learn more everyday. Thanks! Carmela

Not keen on wax figures they should be left to the likes of Lionel Atwill and Vibcent Price.