Early life

Harry Lillis Crosby was born in Tacoma, Washington on May 2, 1903 in a house that his father built (1112 North J Street, Tacoma, Washington). His family later moved to Spokane, Washington in 1906 to find work. He was the fourth of seven children: five boys, Larry (1895–1975), Everett (1896–1966), Ted (1900–1973), Harry 'Bing' (1903–1977) and Bob (1913–1993); and two girls, Catherine (1905–1988) and Mary Rose (1907–1990). His parents were English-American Harry Lowe Crosby (1871–1950), a bookkeeper and Irish-American Catherine Harrigan (1873–1964), (affectionately known as Kate), the daughter of a builder from County Mayo in Ireland. His paternal ancestors Thomas Prence and Patience Brewster were born in England and immigrated to the U.S. in the 17th century; Brewster's family came over on the Mayflower.

In 1910, Crosby was forever renamed. The six-year-old Harry Lillis discovered a full page feature in the Sunday edition of Spokesman-Review, The Bingville Bugle. The Bugle, written by humorist Newton Newkirk, was a parody of a hillbilly newsletter complete with gossipy tidbits, minstrel quips, creative spelling and mock ads. A neighbor, 15-year-old Valentine Hobart, shared Crosby's enthusiasm for The Bugle, and noting Crosby's laugh, took a liking to him and called him Bingo from Bingville. The last vowel was dropped and the name shortened to Bing, which stuck.

In 1917, Crosby took a summer job as property boy at Spokane's Auditorium where he witnessed some of the finest acts of the day, including a blackface performer named Al Jolson who held Crosby spellbound with his ad-libbing and spoofs of Hawaiian songs that brought down the house. Crosby would later say that, To me, he was the greatest entertainer who ever lived.

In the fall of 1920, Bing enrolled in the Jesuit-run Gonzaga College in Spokane, Washington with the intent to become a lawyer. He maintained a B+ average. While in Gonzaga, he sent away for a set of mail order drums. After much practice he soon became good enough and was invited to join a local band which was made up of mostly local high school kids called the Musicaladers, managed by one Al Rinker. He made so much money doing this he decided to drop out of school during his final year to pursue a career in show business.