April 08, 2013

The Crosby Building ~ birthplace to Bing and David

One morning while walking around our new Vancouver neighbourhood, Mount Pleasant, I came across a structure called The Crosby Building. Indeed it is just a block away from our home in The Lee Building.


The Crosby Building is not as impressive a structure as is the Lee, but it has boasting rights as the birthplace of two great musical legends: the Crosby brothers. Though they never appeared together, individually they were towering performers in careers that spanned time and media. Today, the Crosby Building is hoping to raise awareness about this wonderful, and largely unknown footnote in musical history.










Bing came along first and became a big hit on radio and in movies of the day. A crooner to be sure and always remembered as a gentleman with a pipe, and often wearing a sweater.





The younger David took a slightly different track and found fame with the folk-rock group Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. CSNY featured great harmonies and some fine acoustic guitar work, to which David contributed in significant measure.



Never did the two brothers record anything together, which is a shame. Memorable though is this rare video showing Bing, ever the gentleman, coming to his brother's aid when David, stricken with one of his numerous afflictions, was unavailable for a studio session recording of one of CSNY's greatest hits. Bing stepped in, and the rest is history. See it for yourself here on this from You Tube:
Crosby Stills Nash & Young 

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