24/6/2022 5:16 pm  #1


Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

This was an interesting bit of information when I looked up current news on Bing Crosby.

It pertains to the review of the new Elvis biopic movie from the New Yorker:


"Last year was not great for Elvis Presley. According to Forbes, which tallies up the take-home pay of the dead, he made a mere thirty million dollars in 2021—more than Arnold Palmer, it’s true, but less than Bing Crosby and Dr. Seuss. "

Just realized I posted in the wrong section....sorry about that.

 

Last edited by Benclink (24/6/2022 5:21 pm)

 

24/6/2022 5:55 pm  #2


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

No worries.
Do you have the link to the story, I'd love to read it.

 

24/6/2022 6:57 pm  #3


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

     Thread Starter
 

28/6/2022 5:01 pm  #4


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

Agree.

Last year the family sold a $50 Million chuck of the estate to promote his body of work to newer generations.

So I would hope we would see some type of new releases.

https://www.nydailynews.com/snyde/ny-bing-crosby-music-catalog-sold-primary-wave-50-million-dollars-20211011-o5dqzjqmovanhkxesbldcrt6ji-story.html

     Thread Starter
 

29/6/2022 2:49 am  #5


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

Benclink wrote:

Agree.

Last year the family sold a $50 Million chuck of the estate to promote his body of work to newer generations.

So I would hope we would see some type of new releases.

https://www.nydailynews.com/snyde/ny-bing-crosby-music-catalog-sold-primary-wave-50-million-dollars-20211011-o5dqzjqmovanhkxesbldcrt6ji-story.html

There's always hope!
 

 

02/7/2022 5:13 pm  #6


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

Since the Elvis movie came out 2 Elvis fans keep bothering me about Me about liking Bing Crosby. To Each His Own. I loved Bing since I was a little girl. I don't dislike Elvis but he is not my cup of tea. I love Bing's voice, Bing on radio, in the movies and yes, David the way he lights his match! I rather watch Bing light a match than Elvis girate!

 

03/7/2022 3:08 pm  #7


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

Archiefit, You are so funny! Love it! Not many people could light Bing's match. I wish I could have had the chance!

 

03/7/2022 10:42 pm  #8


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

I am being tortured every minute of the day by my brother and my neighbor since the Elvis biopic came out. Tonight I am going in my room and I am going to watch a marathon of Bing Crosby and James Cagney! And after that I will smoke a cigarette! (I don't smoke) but maybe Bing will come from the grave and light it for me!

 

03/7/2022 10:52 pm  #9


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

Being the gent he was, I think he would have found that an instinctive pleasure. 

 

03/7/2022 11:00 pm  #10


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

Hooray for Cagney, too!

Will "The Roaring Twenties", biopic "Yankee Doodle Dandy" or "White Heat" be among them, Blonde56?
Did Jim and Bing ever work together? I know they were jointly on a Hollywood Victory Caravan tour.
Unforgettable table top dance routine with Bing's road buddy Bob in another biopic, "The Seven Little Foys", where Cagney reprised his "Yankee Doodle .. " role of George M Cohan. 

 

04/7/2022 12:20 pm  #11


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

I am not a huge Elvis Presley fan but I appreciate the talent he had. Elvis was in a different genre than Bing and the others so it is not really realistic to compare in my opinion. It's like apples to oranges. 

 

04/7/2022 3:41 pm  #12


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

Yes, to be sure, Elvis certainly had a talent and was indeed of a different genre. Although as with you alI so far, I obviously far prefer Bing and could never describe myself as an Elvis fan. However, if I had to choose, I would perhaps favour Elvis' initial "late" Las Vegas, early 1970's concert era of the white jump suits, almost symphonic "big band" (heavy on the horns) arrangements, his wonderful humour with it all and appealing sense of irony.

However, I must confess to often enjoying the ultimate folly of comparing apples with oranges.  

With Bing and Elvis, we had the two most popular male solo singers of their respective day and although different in genre and style, interestedly, I still believe there's a lot to compare (but obviously not to identify as the same).

Despite their respective colossal worldwide fame, both conveyed an “Everyman” personality, demonstrating careful, self effacing, humble and widely loved public personas. They both managed to successfully transfer these into likeable, believable on screen acting/light comedy presences.  

Although one screamed sex appeal and the other (by his oft own admission), didn't - their own instantly identifiable singing styles were highly relatable and instantly accessible to millions. For the most part, they chose their material very wisely, suiting their styles and personas to a tee, rarely crossing over into each other's genres.

 However on the rare occasions they recorded or performed a same non self-identifying song, with at least one (“Hey Jude”), the results were perhaps (albeit in their differing ways), just as interesting. 

Plus of course the long talked about link to them both was erstwhile Ratpacker, Dean Martin, whose much documented Crosby influence then went on to see Dino himself being idolised and sometimes vocally pursued by Elvis (if anyone is in any doubt, just listen to Dean Martin's 1955 classic recording of “Memories Are Made of This”.

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (04/7/2022 8:15 pm)

 

04/7/2022 3:53 pm  #13


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

David, I have nothing against Elvis just his fans. I haven't met any Lady fans only men. And the men are annoying! Ian, I watched "The Irish In Us", "Torrid Zone" and " Rhythm on the River". Mr. Cagney was a New Yorker, I being from Brooklyn New York always felt he was our boy. Back when I was 17 (41 yrs. Ago!), I met Mr. Cagney at Yankees Stadium. My brother Michael had Season tickets. He saw Jim throw ball first day of World Series 1981.He then noticed Jim was sitting one section over from him. When he came home and told, I begged him to take me the next night.  I went with him, the game started but no sign of Jim. All of the sudden , I heard the crowd roar. My brother showed me where he was sitting, one section over with no one in between us! Jim waved at us, we waved back. The crowd sang "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and Jim started crying. He was in a wheel chair. Then my brother and I walked over to him, we said Hello he said Hello back. I only wish I would have said more to him. I froze, I was in such see if him. I don't remember the game only that the Yankees lost but it didn't matter. I got to meet James Cagney!!

 

04/7/2022 4:52 pm  #14


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

Ian Kerstein wrote:

Hooray for Cagney, too!

Will "The Roaring Twenties", biopic "Yankee Doodle Dandy" or "White Heat" be among them, Blonde56?
Did Jim and Bing ever work together? I know they were jointly on a Hollywood Victory Caravan tour.
Unforgettable table top dance routine with Bing's road buddy Bob in another biopic, "The Seven Little Foys", where Cagney reprised his "Yankee Doodle .. " role of George M Cohan. 

Cagney was a guest on Bing's KMH show on 25th February 1937. Other guests included 'regular' comic Bob Burns, Scottish operatic soprano Mary Garden and Hollywood gossip columnist Sidney Skolsky. Apparently, Bing, Cagney and Skolsky did a skit wherein Crosby and Cagney try to persuade Skolsky to reveal where and how he gets all the gossip he prints. Unfortunately, as far as I'm aware, nothing survives of this KMH show.

Last edited by jeremyrose (04/7/2022 4:53 pm)

 

07/7/2022 1:21 am  #15


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

Blonde56, I need to watch those Cagney films. Bing's "Rhythm on the River" I have seen a couple of times and I find it lovely picture. "Only Forever" is one of my favourite of Bing's movie songs and the rest of the cast are a perfectly cast delight, aren't they?

Meeting Mr Cagney!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good grief, I think I would have fainted. It sounded as you did well enough to keep yourself together at all. He was an incredible artiste and yet seemed so modest. This must have around the time of his comeback in the film "Ragtime"?  Thank you so much for realting such a special memory. Way to go, Blonde56!

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (07/7/2022 1:22 am)

 

07/7/2022 1:35 am  #16


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

jeremyrose wrote:

Ian Kerstein wrote:

Hooray for Cagney, too!

Will "The Roaring Twenties", biopic "Yankee Doodle Dandy" or "White Heat" be among them, Blonde56?
Did Jim and Bing ever work together? I know they were jointly on a Hollywood Victory Caravan tour.
Unforgettable table top dance routine with Bing's road buddy Bob in another biopic, "The Seven Little Foys", where Cagney reprised his "Yankee Doodle .. " role of George M Cohan. 

Cagney was a guest on Bing's KMH show on 25th February 1937. Other guests included 'regular' comic Bob Burns, Scottish operatic soprano Mary Garden and Hollywood gossip columnist Sidney Skolsky. Apparently, Bing, Cagney and Skolsky did a skit wherein Crosby and Cagney try to persuade Skolsky to reveal where and how he gets all the gossip he prints. Unfortunately, as far as I'm aware, nothing survives of this KMH show.

Jeremy as always, you are an archival wonder! Where would there be such another?
Thank you so much for the information. Sidney Skolsky I know of but the others (Cagney accepted), I know nothing!
 

 

07/7/2022 8:02 am  #17


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

Firstly, apologies to the moderators for veering off-topic in this thread. I should know better..!
Having said that...You're very kind, Ian, but the 'archival wonder' is the late Lionel Pairpoint, whose 'And Here's Bing..!' The Radio Directories' is an absolutely invaluable resource for anything pertaining to Bing's incredible radio career.

 

08/7/2022 12:26 am  #18


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

I wonder if these are the  blue(?), cloth jacketed, faded gold lettered series of books I saw in a second hand bookshop in Durham, twenty years ago? Been kicking myself ever since that I did not purchase those modestly priced volumes!

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (08/7/2022 12:43 am)

 

09/7/2022 10:44 am  #19


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

I never thought in a million years, I would be reading that Bing's annual posthumous earnings would have outstripped Elvis'! Even though as Benclink notes, this was due to 2021's single deal.

During my formative years of the 1970's, 1980's and beyond (particularly the fifteen years or so post 1977), as Bing's fame was rapidly fading, along with his personal reputation undertaking a double hammering from both his eldest son's 1983 book and a couple of years prior, the authors of 
“Bing Crosby: The Hollow Man”, there was in comparison, the strong march of the Presley estate.  

This included new and re-released recordings with a high radio presence, viewer-friendly timed television screenings and releases of his films, documentaries by the carload, a ton of published material of books and magazines, Graceland's opening to the public, huge and varied licenced product merchandising, fan-fairs and many live tribute shows. Whether or not apocryphal, it was often quoted that Elvis was worth and earning times-more many dead than alive.

However, I can't help feeling Mr Crosby's lifetime accomplishments stagger more in comparison.Not just in record sales but in his titanic, near century lasting and historical influence on both jazz 
and popular singing, a twentieth century recording phenomenon, Oscar winning actor, a years long top box office cinema draw, a colossal radio presence of over two decades, an only now revealed massive wartime contribution, an incredibly talented light comedian, such an intimate and friendly television presence (didn't you just want him as your best friend?), media pioneer (magnetic audio and video tape technology) and Mr Christmas!

Performer semi/ full biopics in the right hands can be terrific (with an ideal lead actor and decent production). I'm thinking of "The Jolson Story", "Funny Girl", "The Buddy Holly Story", “Chaplin”, "Walk the Line" (Johnny Cash), "Stan and Ollie" and "Judy" (Garland) which inevitably and to varying degrees tend, due to entertainment, plot and time constraints, sacrifice much. However, if the feeling and atmosphere round the artiste/s portrayed rings true, along with a convincing and entertaining summation of (or sometimes just a part) of their life and career, then I tend to come away a happy bunny. 

As a film maker, Baz Luhrmann rarely lights any of my fires and with the linked film review, kindly provided by 
Benclink (as indeed this whole, most welcome subject) suggesting too much breezy glitter and surface, I'll give his “Elvis” a cinematic pass.

 Coincidentally, I most recently discovered Bing himself planned to take the lead in a 1940's biopic of his very own, portraying US comedian Will Rogers. Sadly, it didn't seem to reach must past its development stage and filmed costume test fittings.

My closest friends still laugh (albeit with extreme affection) at my admiration of Bing from being a teenage school boy (in the early 1980's to the present day) but although I knew Elvis had huge appeal, there was something about Bing which I feel achieved a far higher artistry.  

Now we've had Elvis, let's have that Bing biopic, please! Any ideas for the leading part? Although anyone suggesting 
today's top box office draw, the not so Bing-style relaxed or modest behaving Tom Cruise, won't be receiving today's prize of an iced bun.  

Just to bring this full circle, I do though have fond memories as a pre-teen, watching the 1979 John Carpenter directed, Kurt Russell starring television biopic “Elvis”. The actor playing Vernon Presley (Elvis' father) was none other than 1960's “Bonanza” television stalwart and for our purposes here, the aptly named 
Bing Russell!   


 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (09/7/2022 5:36 pm)

 

09/7/2022 1:10 pm  #20


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

Personally comparing Bing and Elvis is like comparing Bing to modern rap music. They are in different genres of music. I am more apt to compare Bing to Frank Sinatra, Buddy Clark, Dick Haymes, and even modern singers like Michael Buble than to Elvis.

 

11/7/2022 1:24 am  #21


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

Sorry, David. Perhaps from my part of the discussion, I ought to have been clearer with Bing and Elvis. It was only from my intended folly of comparing apples with oranges. Stylistically and genre wise it cannot of course be done. However, with this accepted and neither of us particular fans of Presley, I'm sure we can both agree that both singers were the number one American-born, era and own genre defining international popular singers of their day.

It was just the consideration of their careers, encompassing their personalities, film presences and beloved humble, polite public personas, rather than their styles or genres which gave me more than pause for comparison.

Despite Presley's opposing music of electrically driven early Rock'n' Roll and then his near, later symphonic sounding arena arrangements, I think the passage of time has now revealed both Bing and Elvis' respective genres to be so far removed from the world of Rap and Hip-Hop - and the perhaps less than humbly mannered New York street credential, public personas of their performers.

Although it always amuses me to note that as with the far later rap, both the Jazz Age from where Bing emerged and Elvis' Rock'n'roll, were often both looked upon in their respective days as potentially dangerous, subversive and degenerate influences on the youth.The future Lord Reith when founding director general of the BBC, banned Jazz from the UK's broadcast airwaves of the 1920's and much of the 1930's, viewing as it as corrupting and "unchristian". How times have changed.

Yes, I certainly agree with your comparison of Bing and his half generational peer, Dick Haymes. I would also be inclined to directly compare Bing's younger style and tone with Russ Colombo and 1930's English crooner, Al Bowlly. An obvious later nod would be to UK  Bing singing soundalike and admirer, Michael Holliday and the even later, Val Doonican. He was another Bing fan and firm Saturday evening television and easy listening chart favourite with millions of Britons from the mid 1960's to the end of the 1980's.

I can't think of anyone around today with a vocal tone or style similar to Bing's. I've long felt Michael Bublé possesses more of a Bobby Darin sensibility and the oft mentioned Sinatra comparisons with Harry Connick Jr would perhaps be better directed towards the younger Mel Tormé.

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (11/7/2022 10:22 am)

 

11/7/2022 1:37 am  #22


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

Benclink, David and Ian, I must apologize for starting all this and changing the topic. Its just that my brother and neighbor were annoying me at the time. Thank God they calmed down a bit. Worst then females! Ian are you from Merry Old England?

 

11/7/2022 1:45 am  #23


Re: Elvis Made Less Income Than Bing in 2021

Don't apologise at all, Blonde56! We are all friends, here. It's a great subject and one I'm loving discussing. It's what this forum is all about - so although I regret your neighbour and brother annoying you, praise be to them for stimulating this little area of debate.
Oh dear, yes. I'm afraid I am from Merrie Olde England. Nottingham to be fairly precise - Robin Hood county.

Your wonderful posts on Cagney have already revealed your origins.

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (11/7/2022 7:29 pm)

 

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