For what it's worth, here's mine. It's the same photograph used for the cover of the hardback edition of the first book I ever read of our favourite singer, "Bing - The Authorised Biography" by Charles Thompson (1976)..
It's my favourite photograph of Bing because of the smiling mellow mood of its subject.            

I also love how it's lit and costumed to allow Bing to blend so naturally within this traditional setting. It also helps with it being the cover of one of my favourite LPs of his. His calm, restful looks ensured  Bing remained such an attractive and appealing photographic subject well into his senior years.

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (15/8/2026 10:57 pm)

Ah! But I wasn't right in my spelling of Carole Lombard!
Carmela, I am ashamed.
And of course Bing looks in your photograph too young for the later years of World War II.
​Plus he's adorning his earlier, darker, wavier toupée here, isn't he? 

I've never heard that itchy skin practical joke story before - with the state of my own skin, it's just as well I wasn't on that set! I did read in Charles Thompson's biography of Bing that he was struck by an hysterical Carole, knocking off his afore mentioned toupée when he'd just previously had to slap her face in a scene for the film. Nobody knew she had a phobia for this. Whoops!

There's no business like show business! 

PS:
Imagine what could have happened to him if he'd risked some on-set slapping of Ethel in either version of  "Anything Goes"???? I don't think Bing would have survived long enough to play his next round of golf!
Apologies to any gargantuan Merman fans out there - I'm also a huge admirer but I must admit, she doesn't half frighten me to death! 
 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (16/8/2026 4:44 am)

Carmela. I couldn't fight my way out of a paper bag. At least I'll know where to run should I need fighting for.
I think having led a calm life is probably why I'm so drawn to my photographic choice of Bing in his antiquarian setting. About Ethel, yes that was a profoundly short marriage to Ernie Borgnine. I think I was leafing through his autobiography when I came upon a blank page which he attributed to this part of his life.
Yes, I've heard of Merman's fluid sexuality. Mind you, if it's the same book we've both read, the author seemed set on suggesting this also about Bob!! Clearly a likely confused line between the fiction and non-fiction shelves!  

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (16/8/2026 2:20 pm)

Carmela - do you know if your book you mentioned having about Bob is called "Bob Hope: The Road Well Travelled" by Lawrence J Quirk? 
 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (04/9/2026 5:32 pm)

There are two pictures of Bing in the '30s that I have always been a fan of.

That's a fine profile picture, John. I've tried to upload that book cover you've mentioned but it's not easy to do, is it? Still, it's a very imaginative image. 

Oh that's terrific, David! A lovely contrast in both era and mood from mine. Any idea when this was? 

Thank you, Aaron.
What a glorious photograph.
Perfectly composed and lit. 
The songwriter with the singer. 
On visiting Manhattan, twenty years after Berlin's death aged one hundred and one, I so wanted to visit his old home at Beekman Place. I swear, you could almost smell the money down there. However, others were more anxious to enter the Metropolitan Museum across the road and so I lost the opportunity. 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (09/9/2026 8:30 pm)

Yes, however most of that two week holiday with my late wife was very much in favour of my wishes and so I couldn't really have stamped my little feet, no matter how long I kept plaintively peering down the avenue.and beginning to walk down the road leading to it.
Some things had to fall by the wayside and I did behave that day. 

Yes, for reasons I'm sure you can appreciate, "When I Lost You" packs one hell of a punch with me, now. 

Thanks, Aaron. That's very much appreciated.
Funnily enough, although perhaps not as marked, I've always thought "When I Leave the World Behind" as the better song. It seems better constructed, more varied, less repetitive in both lyrics and melody and more open to the unexpected. Plus it's a hell of a valedictory for Bing.  

Aaron, how could we not count this as a favourite! It's a terrific picture by your father - my goodness me, there's real talent there!!! Imagine if your jokey friend knew a little more, he could have even more joshingly suggested "Pin the Toupée on Bing" - or was he being kind (unlike me)?
Did your father at the time know that Sinatra painted? 

I also have a copy of "The Complete Crosby", published as a follow up edition to Charles Thompson's "Bing" (1976) to cover his death.
I've asked around Bingland but to no avail - do you happen to know what became of Charles Thompson? 
Since his 1981 biography: "Bob Hope: Portrait of a Superstar", he seems to have disappeared without trace. The Lord Lucan of Crosbyana. 
 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (12/9/2026 3:47 pm)

Blonde56 wrote:

Wow! When I started this post I had no idea how many would respond and how interesting it would become. I love the choices and the great stories. Aaron, wow! Your father''s Bing drawing is Amazing! Do you still have it? Of course, my friends and I would have made it into a dirty version at a party. Use your imagination. Yes, we ladies are as bad as men. Lol!

Sadly, I don't have the original anymore. Dad threw it in the bin the day after the party. I probably wouldn't have it by now anyway being foam plastic. It was 34 years ago.