THE CONFERENCE
BING! CROSBY AND AMERICAN CULTURE

November 14, 15, 16, 2002
Hofstra University
Hempstead, New York

Hofstra University will commemorate Bing Crosby's life, career and international reputation with a scholarly and professional conference that also includes a Gala Bannquet on Friday, November 15, 2002 at 6 p.m with Tony Martin providing entertainment.

For decades Bing Crosby was, as biographer Gary Giddins notes, "something more than a megastar. No one in the era of Madonna and Michael Jackson has quite the same station as the much-treasured crooner." By 1953 Crosby was undoubtedly the most popular and beloved entertainer in the world, known internationally by such nicknames as "Der Bingle," "El Bingo," and "Le Bing." He was the leading box-office actor for years and, of course, was a mainstay of Decca Records for two decades. An Academy Award winner, a major star of radio, a dedicated performer for the troops during World War II, and later a television star, Crosby exerted an influence on his time and the field of popular music second to no one. Bing Crosby became a living legend, a performer of timeless appeal and universal prominence. As we approach the centenary of his birth, we will examine his impact on American culture, for he was an artist whose achievements transcend the world of entertainment. We shall explore the reasons why he as been described as the first of the "universal common men."

The conference will include among its many presentations and panel discussions "A Tribute to Rosemary Clooney" on Thursday, November 14, 2002.

Patricipants in the panel include:

• Ken Barnes, British record producer
  

• Gary Giddins, author
  
• Will Friedwald, author
  
• John Oddo, Rosemary Clooney's accompanist and conductor
  
• Lenny Triola, music consultant
  
• Deborah Grace Winer, Rosemary Clooney biographer
  
• Gabriel Ferrer, son of Rosemary and Jose Ferrer
  
• Margaret Whiting
  
• Sal Scognamillo from Patys's Restaurant in NYC

It's likely that with Rosemary and Bing's close association both personally and professionally, that sprinkles of Rosemary will appear in many of the conferences panel discussion and topics:

• "Bing and the Girl Vocalists"
  

• "White Christmas: The Song"
  
• "Remembrances of Bing Crosby"
  
• "Working With Bing"
  
• "Bing and the Hollywood Years, 1932-1954"
  
• An Evening of Crosby Films and Videos
  
• plus 19 others

Additional Conference Participants Include:

• Kathryn Crosby, wife
  

• Harry Crosby, son
  
• Nathaniel Crosby, son
  
• Steven Crosby, son of Gary Crosby
  
• Buddy Bregman, composer/arranger Bing Sings Whilst Bregman Swings
  
• Skitch Henderson, Founder and Musical Director of the New York Pops, Inc.
  
• Linda Emmet, daughter of Irving Berlin
  
• Nicki Lee Foster, daughet of Peggy Lee
  
• Jean Halliburton, husband was Bing Crosby's doctor and family friend
  
• Ava Astaire McKenzie, daughter of Fred Astaire
  
• Bob DeFlores, film preservationalist
  
• Robert Merrill, opera singer
  
• Joe Franklin, radio host

The cost of the conference is $100 for three days. The cost of individual days is $40. The panels and events run from approximately 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.

For further information:
Hofstra Cultural Center
200 Hofstra University
Hempstead, New York 11549-2000
Tel: 513-463-5669
Fax: 513-463-4793
Email: HOFCULCTR@hofstra.edu
www.hofstra.edu/crosby

For information on medica coverage, call the University Relations office at 516-463-6819