If you are looking for another reason to visit beautiful Spokane, Washington now you have one. In less than 24 hours one of the most popular entertainers of the 20th Century (and the most famous person to ever grow up in Spokane), Bing Crosby will finally have a city landmark dedicated to him.
According to city officials, the former Met Theater in downtown Spokane, where Crosby performed as a young man, will be renamed the “Bing Crosby Theater” at a public ceremony on Friday. The event dubbed: “Wing Ding for Bing” was the brainchild of a local historian and journalism teacher who noticed that there was little in the city that bore the name of its famous son. Many residents say the dedication should have been done long ago. After all, they say, “This is where Bing Crosby learned his trade and became ‘Bing Crosby.'”
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the entertainer’s upbringing, Crosby was born in Tacoma in 1903, but his family moved to Spokane when he was a baby, and he remained a figure in the city’s history for the rest of his life. Local officials say the golden-throated crooner returned often to visit family and friends, and was a generous donor to Gonzaga University and other causes.
As for the building that will now bear his name: The Met was built in 1915 as the 800-seat Clemmer Theater. The movie house eventually fell into disrepair, but, according to local newspapers, a local financial conglomerate bought it in 1988, refurbished it, and reopened it as the Metropolitan Performing Arts Center as a home for concerts, lectures and movies.
Crosby’s family not only gave their approval for the renaming, but the late crooner’s widow, Kathryn also volunteered to bring her cabaret act to Spokane on Friday to raise money to buy the new sign. The act reminisces about her 20-year marriage to Crosby, which ended with his death in 1977.
And lest you think the Spokane has (up until now) ignored Crosby’s contributions to the city all together, think again. The star (you know he is the famous voice behind “White Christmas,” right?) holds an honorary doctorate from Gonzaga University; the school’s student union building is named for him, and there is a statue of him out front. Additionally, Crosby was also made an honorary mayor of Spokane, and Oct. 16, 1946, was recognized as “Bingsday” in his honor.
Related Articles:
Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”
A Christmas Classic Comes To Life
Not Your Typical College Football Player