Posted on 12/18/2014 2:10:08 PM PST by presidio9
Tributes to two of the most famous American entertainers of the 20th century serve as a reminder of how fame flees. The entertainers are Bing Crosby and Bob Hope; the reminders are the documentary “American Masters: Bing Crosby Rediscovered,” which had its premiere last week (and will run again on Dec. 26 ) on PBS, and “Hope: Entertainer of the Century,” a new biography by Richard Zoglin. Neither Crosby nor Hope have much cachet with contemporary consumers of art and culture, but the accounts of their careers make convincing cases that their contributions still influence their respective fields, even if some in those fields may not know it.
Given Crosby’s skill and stature as a vocalist, the PBS documentary raises the question of how future generations will think of the musicians of the ’60s who advanced popular music in their time. Will the Beatles, Bob Dylan and Stevie Wonder be as marginalized, if not forgotten, as their significant predecessors?
-SNIP-
Thus, it would have been inconceivable in the mid-20th century that one day either man would be underappreciated or misunderstood. Few current-day music fans think of Bing Crosby as the man who invented the concept of the pop singer and elevated it to high art, swung with Louis Armstrong, and influenced Tony Bennett, Billie Holiday, Presley, Frank Sinatra and countless other vocalists and instrumentalists. In his time, Crosby was the pinnacle of popular music, but today he’s recalled primarily for his version of Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas.” As for Hope, -SNIP-
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
I discovered all the classic radio and films and love people I had no idea about while growing up in the 60’s. I gave up on current TV and music not long after, seeing that people who were famous became “who?” in a short time.
I listened to Bing Crosby as a toddler in the post-war 40’s. My mother used to say he looked like a taxi with the doors open. The photo with the WSJ article proves her to have been right. Later on, I found out he abused his kids. So much for him.
Bob Hope thought he was funnier than he actually was but I respected him for what he did to bring Christmas to us troops overseas. Few have the balls to go to a war zone if they don’t have to. Bless ya, Bob.
I suppose one day the Beatles will be history (my niece once asked me, “You mean Paul McCartney was in another band before Wings?) but their music will live on, sung by crooners, played in elevators, and by symphony orchestras. So many tunes from the Beatles songbook are standards now and they transition to so many different kinds of music. I expect I will still be hearing Lennon-McCartney songs playing at the end of my road.
***What is needed a classic channel***
TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES.
MGM HD will have a Bob Hope marathon on Christmas day!
http://www.locatetv.com/listings/mgm-hd#25-Dec-2014
Use Firefox with the Adblock Plus plug in.
I am not sure about that. Knowing the Beatles does not, by any means indicates that there is love for them.
But I understand your point.
My friends and I exposed our children to crooners and all the musicals from forties on. The kids still love them. And have introduced their friends to them.
Let’s not forget the other greats.
Glen Miller
Artie Shaw
Sammy Kay
Cab Calloway
Duke Ellington
Count Basie
And many, many more!
So much really, really good music out there why do so many listen to crap?
Now I feel really old.
The Beatles? That’s that band Paul McCartney was in before he joined Wings, right?
One of the best piano players there ever was, but most only know him as a singer.
The Beatles will always be the Beethoven/Mozart of Rock music.
You sound like me, I didn’t appreciate Sinatra’s music until a few years ago, although my Dad played his records all the time growing up. Just superb arrangements and backing with Nelson Riddle. I must confess I have about a dozen of his songs on my iPod.
Like you, I also grew up in the 60’s - loved the Beatles. But always enjoyed Sinatra.
Over the years, I’ve grown to really appreciate Frank and the others - from Nat King Cole to Peggy Lee.
I created a business that imports ultra-high end audio products and became good friend to a mastering engineer based in LA. “Steve” created the niche of remastering from the true, original master studio tapes and is renown for his remastered versions of Sinatra, NKC, Peggy as well as rock groups. He single remastered, for vinyl, the classic jazz albums from the 50’s & 60’s including Miles.
My friend has gifted me copies burned from the master tapes of Sinatra, NKC, Peggy...and even the entire Beatles catalog including a disk of unreleased studio demos.
But the Sinatra CDR burns sound amazing - especially “Fly Me To The Moon” - has extraordinary sound qualities. The NKC and Peggy Lee (”Fever” tracks are “dry” (before the reverb was added) has studio chatter that is really cool to hear.
Have listened to Crosby’s “White Christmas” a dozen times on the local radio station in the past weeks. There aren’t many modern male vocalists that can sing like that.
My point.
They were and are, with the possible exception of Elvis, a once-in-a-century musical phenomenon.
Yea but,”White Christmas” is now considered to be hateful.
Good movie, and great music.
We had, in retrospect, a phenomenal musical exposure.
Mom an Italian national, had the Met on each Saturday. Opera Noon to four. Musicals abounded in our houses and everyone knew every word of all the musicals from King and I to Mary Poppins, to South Pacific. The crooners were popular, Como, Sinatra, Crosby as well as others and duos. Technique and form were much admired. Dad loved the big bands and we listened to their music and that introduced us to Jazz.
School exposed us to patriotic songs. early American Music by Foster and others and the Sousa collections as well as high mass Latin hymns all four verses, and carols, in four parts. We also listened to symphonies, operas and went twice a year to the local symphony hall for an opera or symphony after studying it and its composer. Everyone, not just the high end kids.
We had incredible early and middle ages music in church, and there was always classical music on the various stations.
Rock stations in the sixties and into the early seventies played a variety of music from rock and roll to light classical, to folk, to religious. Our Father Who Art in Heaven, sung by a nun made it to the top of the charts in the late sixties.
Musicians like Jethro Tull who was classically trained made rock charts. Interesting times.
I tried to give my homeschooled children my varied musical experiences and to a degree succeeded. The children find that no one except the occasional homeschool kid has that sort of depth of music experience. Even the music majors.
Pity. We have a pretty incredible history of great music from all parts of western civ. I have played with the idea of pulling together a homeschoolers music curriculum.
That might be interesting and useful.
My experience is similar but my big gap is opera.
I am not talking about a movie channel like TCM.
reread what I said.
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