Gary Crosby (actor)
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| Gary Crosby | |
|---|---|
| Born | Gary Evan Crosby June 27, 1933 Los Angeles, California |
| Died | August 24, 1995 (aged 62) Burbank, California |
Gary Evan Crosby (June 27, 1933 – August 24, 1995) was an American singer and actor. He may have become better-known for writing a revealing memoir of his father, entertainment legend Bing Crosby, than for his own music and acting work. His mother was singer/actress Dixie Lee, Bing Crosby's first wife.
Gary Crosby was born in Los Angeles, California. He attended Stanford University but dropped out, then fell into following in his father's footsteps in the entertainment business. He performed in a harmony singing group, "The Crosby Boys," with his three brothers, Philip, Lindsay, and Dennis, during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. As an actor, Crosby is perhaps best-remembered for his recurring role as Officer Ed Wells on NBC's Adam-12 from 1968-75.
In 1983, after Bing's death, Crosby published his autobiography, Going My Own Way, which revealed the impact of his alcoholism and his difficult childhood as a result of his mother's alcoholism and his father's alleged emotional and physical abuse. Some, especially his brother Philip, claimed the abuse was not as severe as Gary described. However, Lindsay and Dennis confirmed Gary's account; both later committed suicide by gunshot. The book nearly destroyed Bing Crosby's image as an ideal, low-keyed father, an image helped in no small measure by Crosby's famous holiday television specials that usually included family members.
Gary Crosby died of lung cancer in Burbank, California, in 1995, and was interred in the Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. His mother, Dixie Lee, had previously died of ovarian cancer.
