I was surfing the internet looking for interesting stories and tidbits, and I discovered that Bing's brother Everett Crosby (1896-1966) was married to an actress. Her name was Florence George, and she appeared in a few movies, namely COLLEGE SWING. I have not been able to find out how long Everett was married to her or if they had any children together, but if anyone has more details, inquiring minds would like to know. Florence died on September 13, 1998 at the age of 80.
UPDATE: Malcolm MacFarlane of the International Club Crosby had this bit of info: Florence was Everett's second wife. They married on May 9, 1939. She was 23 and Everett was 42. This was what Carolyn Schneider wrote about her uncle Everett in BING magazine #144:"Uncle Ev was devoted to Florence, his second wife. So much so, that in an effort to boost her operatic career goals, he arranged a European singing tour for her. Uncle Larry was appalled to learn that the gowns Ev told his wife to buy for the trip cost more than what Florence was being paid for her appearances. Definitely not one of Ev’s money making deals, no one had the courage to tell Bing. And it was a good thing too that uncle Bing wasn’t around the day Florence came in the Crosby offices and brought her pet monkey. She parked him right next to poor Magee who was trying to juggle a multitude of phone calls and had no time for monkeyshines."
Florence never did make it big in entertainment, and the latest work I could see she did was appearing with Paul Whiteman on his 1950 revue show...
Growing up in New York suburbs back in 1970's and 80's, I remember visiting a ranch that Florence, and then husband Eddie Ortiz, would invite us to occasionally in Connecticut. They loved horses. This I mostly remember being 13 years old at the time. My father had a business relationship with Florence and Eddie at the time.. She was a beautiful woman then, yet researching her now and seeing some older photos of her - she was a knock out.
ReplyDeleteThey did not have any children together. Florence was my "grandmother," and died in my home when I was a small child. We lived in her home, which was passed to us upon her death, for many years.
ReplyDeleteI would love to learn more about Florence. Please email me if I can ask you more questions about her.
DeleteI lived with Florence at her home in Connecticut, Fair Acres Farm, when I was 14. My father bought a horse from her, I spent the next summer with her, training my horse and one other to drive that she had sold to someone else. She was a wonderful lady, and I think of her often. It was a dream come true for a horse crazy teen from NY. She visited us once after she remarried.
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