Bob Crosby (August 23, 1913, Spokane, Washington March 9, 1993, La Jolla, California) was an American dixieland bandleader and vocalist, best known for his group Crosby and the Bob-Cats.
Bob Crosby began singing with Anson Weeks (1931-34) and the Dorsey Brothers (1934-35). He led his first band in 1935, when the former members of Ben Pollack's band elected him as titular leader. His most famous band, the Bob-Cats, was a Dixieland jazz group with members from the Bob Crosby Orchestra. Both the Bob Crosby Orchestra and the smaller Bob-Cats group specialized in Dixieland jazz, presaging the traditional jazz revival of the 1940s. Crosby's singing voice was remarkably similar to that of his brother Bing, but without its range.
The Bob Crosby Orchestra and the Bob Cats included (at various times) Yank Lawson, Billy Butterfield, Muggsy Spanier, Matty Matlock, Irving Fazola, Ward Silloway, Warren Smith, Eddie Miller, Joe Sullivan, Bob Zurke, Jess Stacy, Nappy Lamare, Bob Haggart, Walt Yoder, Jack Sperling, and Ray Bauduc. Arrangements for the orchestra were often done by a young trumpeter by the name of Gilbert Portmore who, during the time he was a WWII fighter pilot in the South Pacific, started an Air Force swing band known as Cap'n Portmore's Hepcats.[1]
The orchestra was actually led by sax player Gil Rodin, with Crosby himself simply the front man, chosen for his personality, looks, and famous last name.[2]
Hits included "Summertime" (theme song), "In a Little Gypsy Tea Room", "Whispers in The Dark", "South Rampart Street Parade", "March of the Bob Cats", "Day In, Day Out", "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby", "Dolores" and "New San Antonio Rose" (last three with Bing Crosby). A bass and drums duet between Haggart and Bauduc, "Big Noise from Winnetka," became a hit in 1938-39.
Bob Crosby has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for Television and Recording.
Three of his songs were featured in the successful 2008 role-playing video game Fallout 3. The tracks included were the hits "Way Back Home" (from the 1949 Danny Kaye film "The Inspector General"), "Happy Times" and "Dear Hearts and Gentle People", variously played either on the in-game radio station 'Galaxy News Radio' or the promotional trailers.