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{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
Dennis Michael Crosby (July 13, 1934 - May 7, 1991) was an American actor, the son of singer and actor [[Bing Crosby]], and the father of actress [[Denise Crosby]]. He committed suicide in 1991.
{{Short description|American singer and actor (1934–1991)}}
{{more citations needed|date=April 2012}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Dennis Crosby
| image = Dennis Crosby 1961.JPG
| caption = Crosby in 1961
| birth_name = Dennis Michael Crosby
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1934|7|13}}
| birth_place = [[Los Angeles]], California, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1991|5|4|1934|7|13}}
| death_place = [[Novato, California]], U.S.
| years_active =
| spouse = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Pat Sheehan (model)|Pat Sheehan]]|1958|1964|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Arleen Newman|1964|1991|end=divorced}}
}}
| partner = Marilyn Miller Scott
| children = 7, including [[Denise Crosby|Denise]]
| parents = [[Bing Crosby]]<br />[[Dixie Lee]]
| relatives = [[Gary Crosby (actor)|Gary Crosby]] (brother)<br />[[Phillip Crosby]] (twin brother)<br />[[Lindsay Crosby]] (brother)<br />[[Harry Crosby (businessman)|Harry Crosby III]] (half-brother)<br />[[Mary Crosby]] (half-sister) <br />[[Nathaniel Crosby]] (half-brother)<br /> [[Larry Crosby]] (uncle)<br /> [[Bob Crosby]] (uncle)<br />[[Chris Crosby (singer)|Chris Crosby]] (cousin)
| homepage =
}}


Dennis was the son of [[Bing Crosby]] and [[Dixie Lee Crosby]], Bing Crosby's first wife. In the late 1950's Dennis and his brothers often performed as the [[Crosby Brothers]] in nightclubs and on the [[Ed Sullivan Show]], though Dennis Crosby reputedly wished to avoid such appearances.
'''Dennis Michael Crosby''' (July 13, 1934 – May 4, 1991) was an American singer and occasional actor, the son of singer and actor [[Bing Crosby]] and his first wife [[Dixie Lee]], and twin brother of [[Phillip Crosby]]. He was the father of ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek TNG]]'' actress [[Denise Crosby]] (who was named after him), and of screenwriter/film producer Gregory Crosby (''[[Hacksaw Ridge]]'').


== Early life ==
While a young man Crosby performed military service in [[Germany]].
Dennis Crosby attended [[Bellarmine College Preparatory]] in [[San Jose, California|San Jose]] with his other brothers where he graduated in 1952 and subsequently enrolled at [[Washington State University]] at [[Pullman, Washington|Pullman]] on an [[animal husbandry]] course with his twin brother.<ref name="bingmagazine.co.uk">{{cite web|title=BING magazine|url=http://www.bingmagazine.co.uk/bingmagazine/1903-1935.htm|website=BING magazine|access-date=August 2, 2017|ref=Day by Day section}}</ref> He dropped out of the course after two years and was inducted into the Army in January 1955. He was initially posted to [[Fort Ord]], California and then transferred to [[Fort Riley]] in Kansas for training with the US 10th Infantry Division which transferred for duty in [[West Germany]] in the summer of 1955.<ref name="bingmagazine.co.uk" />


When he was 21 in 1955, Dennis inherited $200,000 ({{Inflation|US|200000|1955|fmt=eq|r=-3}}) from his late mother's trust.<ref name="bingmagazine.co.uk" />
In the 1950's he married Marilyn Miller Scott, and they had one daughter, [[Denise Crosby|Denise]]. In 1958 they divorced and Denise was the subject of a widely-reported and sensational paternity suit that caused deep embarrassment for both him and his famous father.


== Career ==
In 1963 while working for his father's record company, he met and later married Arlene Crosby, with whom he had three daughters.
[[File:Garry Moore Betsy Palmer Crosby boys Ive Got a Secret 1961.JPG|thumb|upright=1.2|Crosby (right) with [[Garry Moore]], [[Betsy Palmer]] and his brothers Lindsay and Phillip on ''[[I've Got a Secret]]'' in 1961]]
In the late 1950s, Dennis and his brothers [[Gary Crosby (actor)|Gary]], [[Lindsay Crosby|Lindsay]], and [[Phillip Crosby|Phillip]] often performed as [[the Crosby Brothers]] in nightclubs and on ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'', though Dennis reputedly wished to avoid such appearances.<ref name="bingmagazine.co.uk" />


== Personal life ==
On December 26, 1989, Crosby's younger brother Lindsay committed suicide by a shotgun blast to the head. Deeply distraught by his passing and reputedly grappling with alcoholism, Dennis Crosby committed suicide on May 7, 1991 in [[Novato]], [[Califonia]], also with a shotgun.

On May 4, 1958, Crosby married [[Pat Sheehan (model)|Pat Sheehan]], a [[Las Vegas]] showgirl and model who had once dated his father shortly after his mother had died. She was also Miss San Francisco of 1950, Playmate of the month of October 1958, and a part-time actress.<ref>{{cite book |url={{Google books|LongDwAAQBAJ|page=49|plainurl=yes}} |title=Pat: A Biography of Hollywood's Blonde Starlet |first=Samuel |last=Clemens |publisher=Sequoia Press |year=2020 |page=49 |isbn=978-0-578-68282-2}}</ref> Within days, Crosby was sued by another woman, Marilyn Miller Scott, over the paternity of her daughter, [[Denise Crosby]]. The sensational lawsuit lasted three years and ended with Dennis being ordered to pay Scott child support and legal fees.<ref name="bingmagazine.co.uk" /> This and the marriage to Sheehan and other details caused deep embarrassment for both him and his father. Although Bing Crosby died when his granddaughter was 19, the two reportedly never met.

Crosby and Sheehan had three sons: Gregory Evan, Dennis Michael Jr., and Patrick Anthony. In 1963, while working in Los Angeles for Bing Crosby Productions, he met Arleen Newman. On July 3, 1964, Crosby and Sheehan were divorced. Later that year, Crosby married Newman. The couple had three daughters, including: Erin Colleen Crosby (born February 25, 1971, in Los Angeles); and Kelly Lee Crosby. Additionally, Crosby adopted Newman's daughter, Catherine Denise Crosby, from her first marriage to Mike Buell, which ended in divorce. Crosby and Newman divorced in 1991.

On December 11, 1989, Crosby's younger brother [[Lindsay Crosby|Lindsay]] died by suicide by gunshot.

== Death ==
Deeply distraught by his brother Lindsay's suicide and his own recent divorce, Crosby died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on May 4, 1991, in [[Novato, California]], aged 56.<ref>{{cite news |date=May 8, 1991 |title=Bing Crosby's Son, Dennis, an Apparent Suicide at 56 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1991/05/08/bing-crosbys-son-dennis-an-apparent-suicide-at-56/a7acada1-1be2-4384-8c67-e1a1c01ada47/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |location=Washington, DC}}</ref> On January 14, 2006, Crosby's former wife, Pat Sheehan, died at the age of 74. Their son Dennis Michael Crosby Jr. died on January 15, 2010, and Patrick Anthony Crosby (born New Year's Eve 1960), died at [[Cedars-Sinai Medical Center]] in Los Angeles, on September 19, 2011, after a lengthy illness.

== Family relations ==
* Son of [[Bing Crosby]]
* Brother of [[Phillip Crosby|Phillip (twin)]], [[Gary Crosby (actor)|Gary]] and [[Lindsay Crosby]]
* Half-brother of [[Harry Crosby (businessman)|Harry Crosby]], [[Nathaniel Crosby]] and [[Mary Crosby]]
* Nephew of the bandleader [[Bob Crosby]]
* Cousin of [[Chris Crosby (singer)|Chris Crosby]]
* Father of [[Denise Crosby]], Gregory Crosby, father-in-law of [[Spice Williams-Crosby]]

==Discography==

* ''A Crosby Christmas'' ([[Extended play|EP]]) – with [[Phillip Crosby]], [[Gary Crosby (actor)|Gary Crosby]], [[Lindsay Crosby]] and [[Bing Crosby]] (1950)
'''[[The Crosby Boys]]'''
* ''The Crosby Brothers – Dennis – Philip – Lindsay Crosby'' (1960)
* ''Presenting the Crosby Brothers'' (MGM-C-846) (2000)

== Filmography ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1945|| ''[[Out of This World (1945 film)|Out of This World]]'' || rowspan="2"|Himself ||
|-
|1945|| ''[[Duffy's Tavern (film)|Duffy's Tavern]]'' ||
|-
|1962|| ''[[Sergeants 3]]'' || Pvt. Page ||
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Portal|Biography}}
* {{IMDb name}}
{{Bing Crosby}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crosby, Dennis}}
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:Male actors from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:American expatriates in Germany]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American people of English descent]]
[[Category:American people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City]]
[[Category:Suicides by firearm in California]]
[[Category:American twins]]
[[Category:Washington State University alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:Bing Crosby]]
[[Category:1991 suicides]]
[[Category:1991 deaths]]
[[Category:United States Army soldiers]]
[[Category:20th-century American male singers]]
[[Category:Bellarmine College Preparatory alumni]]

Latest revision as of 21:15, 12 May 2024

Dennis Crosby
Crosby in 1961
Born
Dennis Michael Crosby

(1934-07-13)July 13, 1934
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedMay 4, 1991(1991-05-04) (aged 56)
Novato, California, U.S.
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1958; div. 1964)​
Arleen Newman
​
​
(m. 1964; div. 1991)​
PartnerMarilyn Miller Scott
Children7, including Denise
Parent(s)Bing Crosby
Dixie Lee
RelativesGary Crosby (brother)
Phillip Crosby (twin brother)
Lindsay Crosby (brother)
Harry Crosby III (half-brother)
Mary Crosby (half-sister)
Nathaniel Crosby (half-brother)
Larry Crosby (uncle)
Bob Crosby (uncle)
Chris Crosby (cousin)

Dennis Michael Crosby (July 13, 1934 – May 4, 1991) was an American singer and occasional actor, the son of singer and actor Bing Crosby and his first wife Dixie Lee, and twin brother of Phillip Crosby. He was the father of Star Trek TNG actress Denise Crosby (who was named after him), and of screenwriter/film producer Gregory Crosby (Hacksaw Ridge).

Early life[edit]

Dennis Crosby attended Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose with his other brothers where he graduated in 1952 and subsequently enrolled at Washington State University at Pullman on an animal husbandry course with his twin brother.[1] He dropped out of the course after two years and was inducted into the Army in January 1955. He was initially posted to Fort Ord, California and then transferred to Fort Riley in Kansas for training with the US 10th Infantry Division which transferred for duty in West Germany in the summer of 1955.[1]

When he was 21 in 1955, Dennis inherited $200,000 (equivalent to $2,275,000 in 2023) from his late mother's trust.[1]

Career[edit]

Crosby (right) with Garry Moore, Betsy Palmer and his brothers Lindsay and Phillip on I've Got a Secret in 1961

In the late 1950s, Dennis and his brothers Gary, Lindsay, and Phillip often performed as the Crosby Brothers in nightclubs and on The Ed Sullivan Show, though Dennis reputedly wished to avoid such appearances.[1]

Personal life[edit]

On May 4, 1958, Crosby married Pat Sheehan, a Las Vegas showgirl and model who had once dated his father shortly after his mother had died. She was also Miss San Francisco of 1950, Playmate of the month of October 1958, and a part-time actress.[2] Within days, Crosby was sued by another woman, Marilyn Miller Scott, over the paternity of her daughter, Denise Crosby. The sensational lawsuit lasted three years and ended with Dennis being ordered to pay Scott child support and legal fees.[1] This and the marriage to Sheehan and other details caused deep embarrassment for both him and his father. Although Bing Crosby died when his granddaughter was 19, the two reportedly never met.

Crosby and Sheehan had three sons: Gregory Evan, Dennis Michael Jr., and Patrick Anthony. In 1963, while working in Los Angeles for Bing Crosby Productions, he met Arleen Newman. On July 3, 1964, Crosby and Sheehan were divorced. Later that year, Crosby married Newman. The couple had three daughters, including: Erin Colleen Crosby (born February 25, 1971, in Los Angeles); and Kelly Lee Crosby. Additionally, Crosby adopted Newman's daughter, Catherine Denise Crosby, from her first marriage to Mike Buell, which ended in divorce. Crosby and Newman divorced in 1991.

On December 11, 1989, Crosby's younger brother Lindsay died by suicide by gunshot.

Death[edit]

Deeply distraught by his brother Lindsay's suicide and his own recent divorce, Crosby died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on May 4, 1991, in Novato, California, aged 56.[3] On January 14, 2006, Crosby's former wife, Pat Sheehan, died at the age of 74. Their son Dennis Michael Crosby Jr. died on January 15, 2010, and Patrick Anthony Crosby (born New Year's Eve 1960), died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, on September 19, 2011, after a lengthy illness.

Family relations[edit]

Discography[edit]

The Crosby Boys

  • The Crosby Brothers – Dennis – Philip – Lindsay Crosby (1960)
  • Presenting the Crosby Brothers (MGM-C-846) (2000)

Filmography[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1945 Out of This World Himself
1945 Duffy's Tavern
1962 Sergeants 3 Pvt. Page

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e "BING magazine". BING magazine. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  2. ^ Clemens, Samuel (2020). Pat: A Biography of Hollywood's Blonde Starlet. Sequoia Press. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-578-68282-2.
  3. ^ "Bing Crosby's Son, Dennis, an Apparent Suicide at 56". The Washington Post. Washington, DC. May 8, 1991.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dennis_Crosby&oldid=1223546498"