Phillip Crosby
Encyclopedia
Phillip Lang Crosby was an American
actor
and singer, who began his career singing alongside his brothers and his father, Bing Crosby
. He was the twin brother of Dennis Crosby
.
and was educated at Bellarmine College Preparatory
in San Jose
. He and Dennis were two of Bing Crosby
's four sons from his first marriage to the singer Dixie Lee
.
, who performed during the 1950s and 1960s. They appeared in nightclubs and on The Ed Sullivan Show
on American television.
He was married four times to:
was hastened by acute alcoholism
. Philip's twin Dennis
and his younger brother Lindsay
committed suicide
with shotguns, in their 50s. Gary died from lung cancer
in August 1995, aged 62. Phillip died on January 13, 2004, in Woodland Hills, California from a heart attack
, aged 69.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and singer, who began his career singing alongside his brothers and his father, Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
. He was the twin brother of Dennis Crosby
Dennis Crosby
Dennis Michael Crosby was an occasional American actor, the son of singer and actor Bing Crosby, and twin brother of Phillip Crosby. He was the father of actress Denise Crosby.-Life and career:...
.
Early life
He was born in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and was educated at Bellarmine College Preparatory
Bellarmine College Preparatory
Bellarmine College Preparatory is an all-male, private secondary school located in San Jose, California, USA. Founded in 1851, it is the oldest secondary school in California....
in San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. He and Dennis were two of Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
's four sons from his first marriage to the singer Dixie Lee
Dixie Lee
Dixie Lee was an American actress, dancer, and singer.Born Wilma Wyatt, she adopted the professional name "Dixie Carroll" as a singer and showgirl. Winfield Sheehan of the Fox film studio changed the name to Dixie Lee, to avoid confusion with actresses Nancy Carroll and Sue Carol...
.
Singing career
Phillip and his brothers formed a harmony singing group, The Crosby BoysThe Crosby Boys
The Crosby Boys were an American harmony singing group who were popular in nightclubs and on television during the 1950s and 1960s. They made a notable television appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show"....
, who performed during the 1950s and 1960s. They appeared in nightclubs and on The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
on American television.
Family relations
- Brother of Dennis (twin)Dennis CrosbyDennis Michael Crosby was an occasional American actor, the son of singer and actor Bing Crosby, and twin brother of Phillip Crosby. He was the father of actress Denise Crosby.-Life and career:...
, Gary and Lindsay CrosbyLindsay CrosbyLindsay Harry Crosby was an American actor and singer.-Early life:Lindsay Crosby, son of Bing Crosby and Dixie Lee, was born in California and named for his father's closest friend and Thoroughbred horse racing partner, Lindsay Howard. He was educated with his three brothers at Bellarmine College...
. - Half-sibling of Harry CrosbyHarry Crosby (actor)Harry Lillis Crosby III is an American actor, singer and investment banker.Crosby was born in Hollywood, California, at Queen of Angels Hospital. He is the fifth son of actor and singer Bing Crosby, the eldest from Bing's second marriage to Kathryn Crosby...
, Nathaniel CrosbyNathaniel CrosbyNathaniel Patrick Crosby is an American golfer.Crosby was born at Hillsborough, California. He is the seventh child of the actor and singer Bing Crosby and the youngest of his three children from his second marriage to the actress Kathryn Grant.Crosby performed with his father, mother, brother...
and Mary CrosbyMary CrosbyMary Frances Crosby is an American actress. She is most often credited as simply Mary Crosby for her performances.-Early life:...
. - Nephew of the bandleaderBandleaderA bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
Bob CrosbyBob CrosbyGeorge Robert "Bob" Crosby was an American dixieland bandleader and vocalist, best known for his group the Bob-Cats.-Family:...
. - Cousin of Cathy Crosby and Chris CrosbyChris CrosbyChristopher Charles Crosby is the co-founder of Keenspot along with Darren Bleuel and Nathan Stone. He draws and writes the webcomic Superosity and writes for Sore Thumbs, which Owen Gieni illustrates. He currently resides in Cresbard, SD.-Superosity:Superosity is a daily comic strip by Crosby...
. - Uncle of Denise CrosbyDenise CrosbyDenise Michelle Crosby is an American actress best known for portraying Security Chief Tasha Yar on Star Trek: The Next Generation...
, L.Chip Crosby Jr.
He was married four times to:
- Sandra Jo Drummond, a Vegas showgirl (1958–1963); two children, daughter Dixie Lee Crosby and son Brian Patrick Crosby (deceased).
- Mary Joyce Gabbard, a Vegas showgirl (1964–1966); two children, daughter Mary Elizabeth Crosby and son Bing Crosby.
- Georgi Edwards, a Vegas showgirl (1967–1969)
- Peggy J. Compton (1972–1975); one son Phillip L. Crosby Jr., (a crooner in a musical quartet, which revitalises some of Bing'sBing CrosbyHarry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
old songs).
Tragedy
Despite a promising start to life, the brothers were overwhelmed by their emotional problems, which resulted in heavy drinking. Their mother's premature death from ovarian cancerOvarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancerous growth arising from the ovary. Symptoms are frequently very subtle early on and may include: bloating, pelvic pain, difficulty eating and frequent urination, and are easily confused with other illnesses....
was hastened by acute alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
. Philip's twin Dennis
Dennis Crosby
Dennis Michael Crosby was an occasional American actor, the son of singer and actor Bing Crosby, and twin brother of Phillip Crosby. He was the father of actress Denise Crosby.-Life and career:...
and his younger brother Lindsay
Lindsay Crosby
Lindsay Harry Crosby was an American actor and singer.-Early life:Lindsay Crosby, son of Bing Crosby and Dixie Lee, was born in California and named for his father's closest friend and Thoroughbred horse racing partner, Lindsay Howard. He was educated with his three brothers at Bellarmine College...
committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
with shotguns, in their 50s. Gary died from lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
in August 1995, aged 62. Phillip died on January 13, 2004, in Woodland Hills, California from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
, aged 69.
Film credits
- Out of This World (1945)...Himself
- Duffy's TavernDuffy's TavernDuffy's Tavern was a popular American radio situation comedy which ran for a decade on several networks , concluding with the December 28, 1951 broadcast....
(1945)...Himself - Screen Snapshots Series 25, No. 10: Famous Fathers and Sons (1946)
- Sergeants 3 (1962)...Cpl. Ellis
- Robin and the Seven Hoods (1963)...Robbo's hood
- None But the BraveNone But the BraveNone But the Brave, also known as in Japan, is a 1965 war film starring Frank Sinatra, Clint Walker, Tatsuya Mihashi, Tommy Sands and Brad Dexter. This is the only film directed by Frank Sinatra, and the first Japanese-American co-production, produced by Sinatra for Warner Bros...
(1965) (as Phil Crosby)...Pvt. Magee...aka Yusha nomi (JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
)
Television credits
- "The Phil Silvers ShowThe Phil Silvers ShowThe Phil Silvers Show is a comedy television series which ran on CBS from 1955 to 1959 for 142 episodes, plus a 1959 special. The series starred Phil Silvers as Master Sergeant Ernest G...
"...playing "Himself" in "Bilko Presents Bing Crosby" (episode # 2.18) (1957) - "Toast of the Town"...playing "Singer" (as "The Crosby Brothers") (episode # 14.4) (1960)
- "What's My Line?What's My Line?What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasked celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations....
"...playing "Mystery Guests" (as "The Crosby Brothers") (1961) - "Toast of the Town"...playing "Himself" (as "The Crosby Brothers") (episode # 14.30) (1961)
- "Toast of the Town"...playing "Himself" (as "The Crosby Brothers") (episode # 14.32) (1961)
- "Toast of the Town"...playing "Singer" (as "The Crosby Brothers") (episode # 15.2) (1961)
- "Toast of the Town"...playing "Himself" (as "The Crosby Brothers") (episode # 15.24) (1962)
- "Ben CaseyBen CaseyBen Casey is an American medical drama series which ran on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, *, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaffe intoned, "Man, woman, birth, death, infinity." Neurosurgeon Joseph...
"....(as Phil Crosby) in episode "A Thousand Words are Mute" (episode # 4.8) (1964) - "The Hollywood PalaceThe Hollywood PalaceThe Hollywood Palace is an hour-long American television variety show that was broadcast weekly on ABC from January 4, 1964 to February 7, 1970. It began as a mid-season replacement for the short-lived Jerry Lewis Show, another variety show which had lasted only three months...
"...playing "Himself - Singer" (episode # 5.25) (1968) - "The Hollywood PalaceThe Hollywood PalaceThe Hollywood Palace is an hour-long American television variety show that was broadcast weekly on ABC from January 4, 1964 to February 7, 1970. It began as a mid-season replacement for the short-lived Jerry Lewis Show, another variety show which had lasted only three months...
"...playing "Himself - Singer" (episode # 6.26) (1969)