Me and Uncle Bing
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About the Book
Famous entertainer Bing Crosby had four brothers and two sisters which provided him with numerous nieces and nephews. One of these, his sister Mary Rose’s daughter Carolyn, had aspirations of being in show business. The logical next step after graduation was for Carolyn to contact her uncle Bing, to ask for help and advice. Fortunately she enjoyed a warm relationship with the man once called “The Groaner”, having spent summer vacations visiting him and other Crosby family members in Los Angeles. As a child she recalls the pool parties, visits to Paramount Studios and his dressing room on the lot. How ironic it was then, that years later Bing would plan for her to live with him briefly and then arrange for her to be hired by Paramount.
As the years rolled by, Bing continued to be involved in Carolyn’s life: there were invitations to dinner parties, the Crosby Pro-Am golf tournament, family Christmas parties, vacations at his Elko ranch, as well as other locations where Bing maintained additional homes.
On a personal level, the author tells of Bing’s generosity to her, both financially and in the area of advice and counsel. Unlike some reports of Bing as “cold and aloof”, this family member recalls an uncle that was caring and concerned about her welfare, always ready and willing to lend a helping hand.
Carolyn also discusses her connection to Dixie Lee, Bing’s first wife and their four sons.
To the delight of Bing’s fans, both old and new, there are over one hundred photos, many from the private collections of the Crosby family.
The book concludes with mention of the tributes to her uncle Bing over the past several years and the new exhibit of Bing Crosby memorabilia in the Northeastern Nevada Museum.
In the epilogue, a curious set of circumstances surrounds the lives of Bing and singer Russ Columbo.
I started reading Carolyn Schneider's book, "Me and Uncle Bing", on the comfortable couch in our living room next to the warmth of our fire place. I soon realized that I had the feeling that Carolyn was in the room relating her story to me. She has written such an interesting history of her life involving her mother and her uncle Bing and the other members of the Crosby family that she has truly brought them to life with many a charming anecdote.
She is a marvelous story teller weaving a history of a little girl visiting her uncle Bing and her aunt Dixie, to a teenager spending summer vacations at her uncle's various residences and getting a chance at a Hollywood career, courtesy of uncle Bing, which alas, didn't pan out.
Through the story we meet her grandparents, Harry and Kate, as well as her mother, Mary Rose, aunt Kay, uncles Everett, Larry, Ted, Bob, and various cousins. Carolyn brings her reader into close contact with this warm, loving family and shares the excitement, laughs and sorrows she experienced.
It isn't a long book, but when I had finished, pausing only to study the many facinating photos, the log was merely ashes. It had truly cast the Crosby spell upon me, you know the type of feeling that's cast when Bing openes his mouth and a beautiful balled pours fourth. ~ This then is the magic she has created.
Hobie Wilson, President
Bing's Friends & Collectors Society
426 Park Place Drive
Petaluma, California 94954
(707) 762-5570
About the Author
Carolyn Schneider was born in Olympia, Washington but grew up in Northern California and presently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband and cat, Rusty. The idea of publishing any written work came to her later in life. Although she had a brief acting career and three years as a grade school teacher, most of Carolyn’s working years were in the area of retail sales. She owned and operated a small shop, dealing in Native American arts and crafts. Upon retirement, the author became interested in the medium of written expression. Since writing this book, “Me and Uncle Bing”, she has published articles in the Las Vegas Sentinel and Summerlin Weekly under the heading of Senior Lifestyle.