When you think of Spokane and music, there’s one name that resonates through the years—and across the decades: Bing Crosby. Born Harry Lillis Crosby Jr. in Tacoma in 1903, his family moved to Spokane when he was just a toddler in 1906. He would grow up here, attend Gonzaga schools, and return home time and again to help build his city’s cultural legacy
Bing grew up in a modest neighborhood where his mother enrolled him in Catholic school at Gonzaga High, and later he continued into Gonzaga University, originally training for a legal career before music pulled him away . As a boy he joined a local combo—The Musicaladers—and performed at dances and on radio station KHQ, eventually playing at Spokane’s Clemmer Theatre (now the Bing Crosby Theater) in 1925, just before moving to pursue his big break in California .
A Star Who Gave Back
Bing never forgot his Spokane roots. In 1957 he helped raise funds for Gonzaga’s new library, which was dedicated in his name as the Crosby Library—complete with a display of many of his gold records, plaques, awards, and even his Oscar for Going My Way. Though not every item may still remain on public display today, Gonzaga’s Crosby House Museum (his childhood home at 508 E. Sharp Avenue) showcases over 200 artifacts and continues to celebrate his life and legacy
He returned to campus often—in 1937 for Gonzaga’s Golden Jubilee, in 1957 for the library dedication, and again in 1968 to present microfilm archives and research equipment to the university .
Why Spokane Still Remembers
- Bing Crosby Theater: The old Clemmer Theatre — where he once performed — was restored and renamed in 2006 to honor him, becoming a centerpiece for live music and cultural events in downtown Spokane .
- Crosby House Museum: A free, public space preserving his childhood home and a large archive of memorabilia, keeping his connection to the city firmly alive
- Community Pride: Local groups like the Bing Crosby Advocates of Spokane partner with Gonzaga to host events, tours, and exhibitions celebrating Crosby’s influence and hometown impact
Why It Matters in Your Story
For you growing up in Rosalia with the transistor radio in hand, Bing Crosby was more than a distant star on the screen or record. He was Spokane’s own. His voice, his charm, even his philanthropy offered a local lens through which early musical dreams could grow.
While you would later discover the Beatles, rock ’n’ roll, and top-forty radio, Crosby’s legacy represents something gentler and foundational—an early example of a singer whose warmth, simplicity, and spirit reflected the same values your childhood song world leaned toward: sincerity, melody, and connection.
You didn’t just listen to Bing Crosby—you felt that Spokane could produce someone of world-class influence: someone you might one day tune in to… or even hear about, right from your own backyard.
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