Carving out your own career when you are the younger brother of one of the world’s most popular vocalists isn’t an easy task, but Bing Crosby’s brother Bob certainly gave it his best shot. Born George Robert Crosby on August 23, 1913 in Spokane, Washington, Bob Crosby was a jazz/swing bandleader, singer, and actor. He was active on the music scene but also appeared in motion pictures and was on television frequently, hosting his own television show in the 1950s. His singing career begin with the Rhythm Boys in the early 1930s. In 1934, Crosby joined the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra and became their main singer. He remained with them until the Dorsey brothers split and the band broke up. During the same period of time, Ben Pollack’s orchestra had left their leader and were in need of someone to fill his spot. After working with singer Clark Randall and altoist Gil Rodin, and attempting to recruit Jack Teagarden, the group made an offer to Bob Crosby, who accepted the position. Bob Crosby & His Orchestra made their first recording in June, 1935 and by April of the following year, had recorded 28 songs with 23 of them featuring Crosby on vocals. The band’s initial recordings were standard swing fair, but they began to move in a Dixieland-influenced direction. While Crosby still sang lead on some of the band’s subsequent 1936 recordings, their instrumentals – including “Gin Mill Blues” and “Little Rock Getaway” – were hugely successful. In November 1937, a smaller group made up of members of the orchestra made their debut: Bob Crosby and his Bob Cats. Bob Crosby and His Orchestra and the Bob Cats ran concurrently for several years. When World War II came along, some of Crosby’s band were drafted by the U.S. Army and he broke up the band in the summer of 1942. Crosby himself was drafted and when he was discharged, he pursued a career in film and then television. Throughout the decades, there have been many compilations and reissues of Bob Crosby & His Orchestra’s most popular recordings including the 1975 collection Those Swinging Cats (1937-1939). Bob Crosby died on March 9, 1993 at the age of 79.
