Everyone has their own Crosby Experience, each unique to that person. This page will highlight the experiences of true Crosby fans one at a time in their own words!
Judy Schmid


Judy and Her Beautiful Daughter Maura

I discovered Bing Crosby as a child through his movies - as a little kid in the late 1950s and very early 1960s, before I started school or in that first year of half-day kindergarten, I got to watch afternoon movies with my mom (who was generally napping, but not concerned about the 'quality' of programming, since ALL movies on television in those days were family fare!). It must've been either "Holiday Inn" or "Road to Morocco" where I discovered Bing's voice - his speaking voice came first - and then that singing! And the whistling? Wow! It was amazing - a great voice, a birdlike whistle, and a funny guy? What more could a 4 or 5 year old want?

As I grew older, I discovered other films, other actors...other musical styles...but Bing remained at the top of my list. When I had a few pennies to rub together, I purchased my first album, "When Irish Eyes are Smiling", which, despite the cheesy cover art, was a terrific album - humorous songs, moving ballads - perfect for a pre-teen! Soon thereafter, an uncle handed me his 78-albums that he'd treasured as a kid - "Going My Way", "Holiday Inn", "Bells of St Mary's"...and my Gram got me a Bing Crosby album for each birthday! Bing responded to my fan-letter, as well, with a nice note and a lovely autographed photo - I was thrilled!

I was an eager learner on the accordion as a kid, too - not because I loved the instrument, but because as my skills improved, I could pick up any Bing Crosby book or sheet music and play along! As a working gal immediately after graduating high school, I'd accompany my friends to pubs to hear local bands play popular music, or even 'oldies', as songs from the 60s were called in the 70s - and I'd bore them to tears explaining that it wasn't the Rolling Stones who made "Route 66" popular, but Bing Crosby...

When I was 20, I was lucky enough to sit in the fourth row at the Uris Theater on Broadway to see Bing live - it was quite the experience - here's a man I'd admired most of my life, and I finally got to see and hear him - it was as if I was the only person in the entire theater. I took some memorable photos, and made my own 'bootleg tapes'...and was devastated less than a year later at his passing.

His voice, his phrasing - STILL touch me to this very day - so earthy in its youth, so reassuring in its maturity - NO ONE's voice can move me like Bing's - and while I wasn't around during his peak years, I'm thankful that I was able to see him perform once...just for me!
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