Xeni points us to this wonderful article discussing the backstory to David Bowie and Bing Crosby’s 1977 duet, “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy.” [Linked via youtube above.]

While Bowie is someone we’ve never given ample attention on Dethroner, it’s Crosby I am most taken by today. The duet with Bowie, recorded as part of a Christmas special, was one of the last recordings he ever made.

Bing Crosby was more than just the ur-crooner, who set the stage for American pop music icons like Elvis and Sinatra. He was also a forward-looking technologist, whose investment (both monetarily, conceptually, and promotionally) in Ampex led directly to the first reel-to-reel recording, pre-recorded radio shows (everything on the radio had been previously broadcast live in studio), and the invention of the multitrack recorder by Les Paul. (There is an old Ampex machine on display at the History of Audio gallery inside—of all places—the third terminal of San Francisco International Airport, which is worth carving out a few minutes of your travel time for should you pass through SFO.)

Crosby was also a stylish fella, ably rocking pastel cardigans well past their prime, which as much a testament to his personal style as it is to the staying power of the looks of the ’30s and ’40s, the times during which Bing really broke out.

There’s plenty of talk about his worth as a father and a husband, a dispute that boiled even within his own family. At this point it’s anybody’s guess.

What is beyond dispute is that fact Bing Crosby had a hell of an impact on our popular culture, almost single-handedly creating modern pop culture by dint of his copious talent, while helping to establish the technological framework through which American pop culture would be distributed.

If you’re interested in Bing, Wikipedia’s entry is, as per usual, a great place to learn more.