Editing Bing Crosby (section)

==Health and death==
[[File:Bing Crosby Last Performance Plaque.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|A commemorative plaque in the Brighton Centre foyer]]

Following his recovery from a life-threatening fungal infection in his right lung in January 1974, Crosby emerged from semi-retirement to start a new spate of albums and concerts. On March 20, 1977, after videotaping a CBS concert special, "Bing – 50th Anniversary Gala", at the Ambassador Auditorium with Bob Hope looking on, Crosby fell off the stage into an [[orchestra pit]], rupturing a disc in his back requiring a month-long stay in the hospital.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bing Crosby, 73, Dies in Madrid At Golf Course |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/10/15/archives/bing-crosby-73-dies-in-madrid-at-golf-course-bing-crosby-73-dies-at.html |agency=[[Associated Press]] |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 15, 1977 |access-date=October 25, 2020}}</ref> Crosby's first performance after the accident was his last American concert, on August 16, 1977, the day [[Elvis Presley]] died, at the [[Concord Pavilion]] in [[Concord, California|Concord]], California. When the electric power failed during his performance, Crosby continued singing without amplification.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chapter 10: The Final Years, 1975–1977 |url=http://www.bingmagazine.co.uk/bingmagazine/Chapter_10.htm |website=BING Magazine |publisher=[[International Club Crosby]] |access-date=October 25, 2020}}</ref> On August 27, Crosby gave a televised concert in Norway.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://rvm.pm/bing-crosby-sings-norway-1977/ |title=Bing Crosby Sings In Norway (1977) |website=RVM.pm |access-date=January 2, 2023}}</ref>

In September, Crosby, his family and singer [[Rosemary Clooney]] began a concert tour of Britain that included two weeks at the [[London Palladium]]. While in the UK, Crosby recorded his final album, ''[[Seasons (Bing Crosby album)|Seasons]]'', and his final TV [[Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas|Christmas special]] with guest [[David Bowie]] on September 11, which aired a little over a month after Crosby's death. Crosby's last concert was in the [[Brighton Centre]] on October 10, four days before his death, with British entertainer <!-- Not a DBE until the 1979 New Year Honours. -->[[Gracie Fields]] in attendance. The following day, Crosby made his final appearance in a recording studio and sang eight songs at the BBC's [[Maida Vale Studios]] for a radio program, which included an interview with [[Alan Dell]].<ref name="barnes">{{cite book |last=Barnes |first=Ken |title=The Crosby Years |publisher=Saint Martins Press |location=New York |year=1980 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/crosbyyears00barn/page/57 57–60] |isbn=978-0-312-17663-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/crosbyyears00barn/page/57}}</ref> Accompanied by the Gordon Rose Orchestra, Crosby's last recorded performance was of the song "[[Once in a While (1937 song)|Once in a While]]". Later that afternoon, he met with Chris Harding to take photographs for the ''Seasons'' album jacket.<ref name="barnes"/>

[[File:Bing Crosby's grave.JPG|thumb|upright|Crosby's grave at [[Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City|Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City]], California, marked with an incorrect birth year]]

On October 13, 1977, Crosby flew alone to Spain to play golf and hunt partridge.<ref name="van-beek">{{cite journal |last=Van Beek |first=Greg |title=Bing Crosby: The Final Round |journal=Bingang |issue=Summer 2001 |pages=6–10 |publisher=Club Crosby |year=2001 |url=http://lakeprovidencegirl.com/finalround.html |access-date=May 9, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512224124/http://lakeprovidencegirl.com/finalround.html |archive-date=May 12, 2014}}</ref> The next day, Crosby played 18 holes of golf at the [[Golf La Moraleja|La Moraleja Golf]] Course near Madrid. His partner was [[World Cup (men's golf)|World Cup]] champion [[Manuel Piñero]]. Their opponents were club president César de Zulueta and [[Valentín Barrios]].<ref name="van-beek"/> According to Barrios, Crosby was in good spirits throughout the day, and was photographed several times during the round.<ref name="van-beek"/><ref>Thomas, 1977, p. 86–87.</ref> At the ninth hole, construction workers building a house nearby recognized Crosby, and when asked for a song, Crosby sang "[[Strangers in the Night]]".<ref name="van-beek"/> Crosby, who had a 13 [[handicap (golf)|handicap]], won with his partner by one stroke.<ref name="van-beek"/>

As Crosby and his party headed back to the clubhouse at around 6:30&nbsp;p.m., Crosby said, "That was a great game of golf, fellas. Let's go have a [[Coca-Cola]]." Those were his [[last words]].<ref name="van-beek"/> About {{convert|20|yd|m|0}} from the clubhouse entrance, Crosby collapsed and died instantly from a heart attack.<ref name="LAT Obit">{{cite news |last1=West |first1=Richard | first2=Ted Jr. | last2=Thackrey |title=From the Archives: Bing Crosby Dies at 73 on Golf Course |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-bing-crosby-19771015-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=October 15, 1977}}</ref> At the clubhouse and later in the ambulance, house physician Dr. Laiseca tried to revive him, but was unsuccessful. At Reina Victoria Hospital, Crosby was administered the [[last rites]] of the Catholic Church and was pronounced dead at the age of 74.<ref name="van-beek"/>

On October 18, 1977, following a private [[requiem|funeral Mass]] at [[St. Paul the Apostle Church and School|St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church]] in [[Westwood, Los Angeles|Westwood]], Los Angeles,<ref name="spokesman">{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Jim |title=Memorial Rites Held for city favorite, Bing Crosby |newspaper=The Spokesman Review |date=October 19, 1977 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19771019&id=0_VLAAAAIBAJ&pg=6826,1632202 |access-date=May 9, 2014}}</ref> Crosby was buried at [[Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City|Holy Cross Cemetery]] in Culver City, California.<ref name="clooney">{{cite book |last=Clooney |first=Rosemary |title=This for Remembrance: The Autobiography of Rosemary Clooney |publisher=Playboy Press |pages=[https://archive.org/details/thisforremembran00cloo/page/244 244–248] |isbn=978-0-671-16976-3 |url=https://archive.org/details/thisforremembran00cloo/page/244 |year=1977}}</ref>