In 1916, Bing became an an altar boy for St. Aloysius Church. Every third week, he attended and served mass at 6:30 a.m., Monday through Friday.

One of Bing's friends asked him if he would like to sing at the church. Bing was hesitant, but ended up singing with the choir, and also doing a solo. Crosby impressed the other boys and many attending the church service.

St. Aloysius and Gonzaga were very important to Crosby. Both institutions played a big role in his upbringing and life. Crosby would later star in a movie that was based on his friendship with one of the priests at Gonzaga.

The Spokane neighborhood where Bing Crosby lived was mainly Catholic and was sometimes referred to as the "Little Vatican," or the "Holy Land."

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Deborah Copenhaver sculpted this bronze statue of Bing Crosby which was dedicated on Bing's birthday, May 3, 1981. Crosby had died in 1977. Kathryn Crosby, his widow, was in attendance. Bob Hope participated by phone, and was telecast over a loud speaker. The statue sits just outside the Crosby Student Center, on the Gonzaga University Campus.

The somewhat playful statue shows Bing in his familiar hat, with a golf bag and clubs at his feet, and a pipe, as he was so often remembered. The pipe is now used only for special events, because pranksters like to steal it. Now the pipe can be unscrewed for safe-keeping and re-attached when needed.

Bing always remembered Spokane as his hometown, and he had deep ties with his alma mater Gonzaga University. During his life, and after his death, Crosby had donated over a million dollars to Gonzaga and Gonzaga High School. Bing had a deep appreciation for the education he received, and the faculty he had the opportunity to meet at Gonzaga.

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During the 1950's, Gonzaga recognized the need of a good library, and Bing Crosby became a major supporter for their cause.

Crosby organized a television show called the Edsel Show in 1957, and the proceeds were to go towards the building. The Bing Crosby Edsel Show, presented some of the biggest stars of the day including Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, and Bob Hope. Crosby would include references to Gonzaga in some of the skits presented on the show.

Bing donated $700,000 towards the construction of the new library,and the building was dedicated to the Crosby family on November 3, 1957.

The library is now called the Crosby Student Center and one room is dedicated to the memory and memorabilia of Bing Crosby. The Crosbyana Room, is a collection of all things Bing. Many of the items were donated by Crosby or Crosby collectors. The Crosbyana Room, is home to many of Bing's gold records, photographs, trophies, one of his pipes, and the Oscar he won for best actor in "Going My Way." There is also a nice collection of advertising memorabilia once associated with the star.

Bing Crosby, was one of the biggest stars of all time. "White Christmas," is still the number one selling single of all time, around the world. Bing is the third most popular actor, and his record sales and popularity were only equaled by Elvis and the Beatles.

The Crosbyana Room, Crosby Student Center, and The Crosby Alumni House, also located on the Gonzaga campus, continue to keep the legacy of Bing Crosby alive. A star and performer as great as Bing Crosby, should never be forgotten.

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The Clemmer Theatre, now known as the Bing Crosby Theater, was built in 1915 by Edwin W. Houghton. The building was first used as an 800-seat movie theater. The theater was very luxurious with painted murals, 1600 lights, and a grand Kimball organ. In 1929, the building was sold to Universal and renamed Audian. A few years later the theater was once again resold, and it became the State Theater.

The Metropolitan Mortgage Company bought and refurbished the building in 1988, and The Metropolitan Theater of Performing Arts, or The Met, became the new name. When the Metropolitan Mortgage Company went out of business in 2004, Mitch Silver purchased and renamed the property the Bing Crosby Theater. This was in response to a local historian who realized the city needed a landmark to commemorate their most famous entertainer, Bing Crosby. The theater is also recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.

Bing Crosby played some of his earliest musical engagements here. In the summer of 1925, Bing Crosby and Al Rinker were the only two remaining members of their previous band, called the Musicaladers. They were hired at the Clemmer Theatre, as part of a group of entertainers responsible for the intermission and between movies show. The group wrote their own scripts, built their own stage sets, and chose what songs would be appropriate. The idea was to build their mini production around the theme of the movie that would be playing.

For five months, Bing Crosby was free to spread his wings and explore his acting and singing skills. One of the songs Al and Bing sang was "California Here We Come." Two months later, the two men went on a journey that would lead them straight to Hollywood.

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The Crosby family moved to Spokane in 1906 when Bing was three years old. They lived in a rental home for seven years, just a few blocks away from this house which they built in 1913.

The Crosby home is located at 508 E. Sharp Avenue. The house in now part of the Gonzaga University Campus, and is known as the Crosby Alumni House.

Harry Lillis (Bing) Crosby was born in Tacoma, Washington, on May 3, 1903. Harry was the fourth of seven children in a family that included four boys and two girls. Bing's father was Harry Lowe Crosby and his mother was Catherine Harrigan.

In 1910, when Harry was seven, one of his friends began calling him "Bingo" from a local newspaper comic strip. The nickname was eventually shortened to Bing, and from that time on, he was called Bing by everyone but his mother.

In 1912, Bing was playing baseball for Webster Grade School, and he made his theatrical debut at North Central High School.

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