The world knew Bing Crosby as a wildly popular singer and Oscar-winning actor. Nathaniel Crosby knew him as a father and golf partner. “With all of his accolades, Dad had the ability to spend an enormous amount of time with all of his children on a one-on-one basis,” Nathaniel remembered fondly.
Today (May 3) is the anniversary of the birth of Bing Crosby, the “Voice of America” during WWII, the biggest megastar of his age, whom Tony Bennett once described as “someone five times stronger than the popularity of Elvis Presley and the Beatles put together.” Bing, also famous for his kindness to friends and strangers, was considered by some the “squarest guy in Hollywood.” For decades, Bing was a legend around the world. After his death, though, one of his sons published a book that he later confessed to family members and journalists was largely fabricated or grossly exaggerated. But by the time Gary Crosby confessed to lying, he had already successfully destroyed his father‘s legacy (read more details here). Gary’s half-brother Nathaniel certainly told a very different story about his father and the fun they had together.
Nathaniel’s memories are of a father who never let his fame or popular demand interfere with family time. “Golf was his primary vehicle, but hunting, fishing, and African safaris were family mainstays,” Nathaniel said. It had an impact on him, because Nathaniel was briefly a professional golfer in his 20s, becoming a three-time USGA National Medalist, the U.S. Amateur at Olympic Club in 1981, Low Amateur at Pebble Beach in 1982, and the prestigious Porter Cup winner in 1982, according to Executive Golfer Magazine.
It all started with the trips Nathaniel took to the golf course with his dad and the Crosby Pro-Am (now the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am) tournaments. “One of my lifelong wishes is that Dad would have been alive long enough to celebrate the U.S. Amateur win with me,” Nathaniel told the magazine regretfully in 2016. “I take solace in the fact he likely had a better view than the gallery.”Since today is Bing’s birthday, I’m reading about his son’s golfing memories pic.twitter.com/BYMEfCGPTU
— Catherine Salgado (@CatSalgado32) May 3, 2026
Related: Bing Crosby in WWII: A Star’s Heartfelt Letters to Soldiers and Families
Unlike his father or his half-brother Gary, Nathaniel was not interested in being a Hollywood star. “The only time I lamented anything about being the son of Bing Crosby was when I was required to participate in Dad’s annual Christmas shows or the Minute Maid orange juice commercials. It horrified me. All I could think about was the verbal abuse I was going to receive from friends at school the day after it aired,” Nathaniel said. Most Americans didn’t agree with him, because Crosby family Christmas specials were tremendously popular, and my mother has many times mentioned watching them when she was little.What Nathaniel loved best was playing or watching sports with Bing. “Golf was our principal bond,” but “a vast amount of our one-on-one time involved sports events,” Nathaniel said. “Dad and I would sit in his office and watch the baseball game of the week with Curt Gowdy and Tony Kubek broadcasting. When the game was over, we made the short drive over to Burlingame Country Club to play a round of golf.”
Another way that Nathaniel Crosby carried on with an enthusiasm of his father’s was through development in multiple foreign countries. “My dad loved every place he visited. If he had his way, he would have bought homes all around the world,” Nathaniel remembered. “Although he had more disposable income than just about anyone in Hollywood, my mom understood the costs and the headaches from managing multiple properties as well as the financial consequences.” At the time of the interview, Nathaniel was busy organizing golf societies that could stay in customized residences in various destinations. It is exactly the sort of project that Bing Crosby would have applauded.
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