Bob Crosby
Bing's younger brother who carved his own niche in swing-era jazz, leading the playful, Dixieland-inspired Bob Cats to widespread popularity on radio and early TV.
1913–1993 (age 80)·American singer and bandleader·Birthday: August 23·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Bob Crosby spent a lifetime in the shadow of his older brother Bing, but on the bandstand, he forged a sound entirely his own. Rather than emulate the smooth crooners, the affable Bob became a capable singer and a figurehead bandleader for a group that mixed big band swing with the joyful, polyphonic clatter of New Orleans Dixieland. The orchestra's secret weapon was its small-group subset, the Bob Cats, a rollicking octet that featured stellar sidemen like clarinetist Matty Matlock and trumpeter Yank Lawson. Their music was less about sophisticated arrangements and more about foot-stomping, good-time rhythm, which proved perfect for the airwaves. Throughout the 1930s and 40s, Crosby's band scored hits like 'Big Noise from Winnetka' and 'South Rampart Street Parade,' becoming fixtures on radio and in Hollywood films. In the television age, his genial persona made him a natural, serving as bandleader on The Jack Benny Program and hosting his own daytime variety show, ensuring his warm, Dixieland-inflected swing endured for a new generation.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Bob was born in 1913, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1913
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1913Born
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Started school
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Became a teenager
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1929Could drive
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1931Could vote
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1934Turned 21
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1943Turned 30
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1953Turned 40
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 50
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 60
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 70
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 80
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
Key Achievements
- Led the successful Bob Crosby Orchestra, known for its blend of big band and Dixieland styles, throughout the swing era.
- His small group, the Bob Cats, recorded the instrumental hit 'Big Noise from Winnetka' in 1938.
- Served as the bandleader on The Jack Benny Program on both radio and television for several years.
- Hosted his own CBS daytime television variety program, 'The Bob Crosby Show,' from 1953 to 1957.
Did You Know?
He was a talented baseball player in his youth and briefly considered a professional sports career.
Crosuby's band served as a incubator for talent; several members later formed the core of the World's Greatest Jazz Band.
He received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for radio and one for television.
“We just played the music we loved, and the people seemed to like it.”
