About the Collection

The Bing Crosby Collection at the Center for American Music is the largely collection of Crosby material held outside of the family. It consists of recordings from the 1920s until his death in 1977,  the collection contains more than 3000 LPs and CDs, an almost complete collection of Bing’s film and television appearances; and books about Crosby and American popular music in the 20th century. Additionally there is memorabilia, newsclippings, and newsletters generated by the various Bing Crosby fan clubs in the U.S. and abroad.

This collection allows students and researchers to learn more about the development of the American variety show,  how Blackface minstrelsy persisted in performance in the first half of the 20th century, historical changes in orchestral music and performance techniques, Bing’s relationship with notable figures in American music history, including Louis Armstrong, Paul Whiteman, Jerome Kern and Irving Berlin, and the innovations in recording technology in 20th century America. In addition to documenting Bing’s life and career, there are also extensive materials related to Glenn Miller and his Orchestra, old time radio shows, the development of jazz, and other Crooner contemporaries of Crosby’s.

The collection is currently being inventoried. Once that process is complete, a finding aid will be made available via this website.