Yahoo Lifestyle Kathryn Crosby, Actor and Widow of Bing Crosby, Dies at 90
Kathryn Crosby, the actor, singer and widow of Bing Crosby, died Friday evening of natural causes at her home in Hillsborough, Calif. She was 90.
A representative for the Crosby family announced the news.
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Crosby starred in more than 20 films over the course of her career, including “The Wild Party” (1956), “Operation Mad Ball” (1957), “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad” (1958) and “Anatomy of a Murder” (1959). She typically performed under the stage names Kathryn Grant and Kathryn Grandstaff.
Crosby appeared frequently on Bing’s “Merrie Olde Christmas” specials and hosted “The Kathryn Crosby Show,” a 30-minute talk show based in San Francisco. Following the death of her husband in 1977, she performed in several stage productions such as the 1996 Broadway revival of “State Fair.” She also hosted the charitable Crosby National Golf Tournament in Bermuda Run, N.C., for many years.
Kathryn Crosby was born Olive Kathryn Grandstaff on Nov. 25, 1933, in West Columbia, Texas. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, Crosby won a beauty contest, which earned her a screen test with William Holden. She began her film career in 1953 while writing a column about Hollywood for her hometown newspaper. She eventually met Bing while conducting interviews for her column on the set of the 1954 film “White Christmas.” The two married in 1957, and she became a registered nurse and teacher in 1963.
Some of her other credits include “Queen of the Lot,” “This is Life,” “The Initiation of Sarah,” “Cyrano de Bergerac,” “Ben Casey”, “Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre,” “The House Next Door,” “1001 Arabian Nights,” “The Big Circus,” “Gunman’s Walk,” “The George Sanders Mystery Theater,” “Love Has No Alibi,” “The Brothers Rico,” “The Night the World Exploded,” “The Guns of Fort Petticoat,” “Mister Cory,” “The Ford Television Theatre,” “The Connoisseur,” “A Kiss for Santa,” “The Policy of Joe Aladdin,” “Hanrahan,” “Reprisal!” and “Touch of Spring.”
Crosby is survived by her three children, Harry, Mary and Nathaniel, as well as several grandchildren.
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