On October 14, 1977, renowned American musician and actor Bing Crosby died of a heart attack after a good game of golf at a course outside Madrid, Spain. He was 74 years.
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On that fateful day, Crosby played 18 holes of golf 14 at the La Moraleja Golf Course near Madrid.
His opponent was club president César de Zulueta, and his partner was World Cup champion Manuel Piero.
Crosby was in good spirits throughout the day, according to Barrios, and was photographed several times during the round.
Around 6:30 p.m., as he and his party were returning to the clubhouse, Crosby said: “That was a fantastic round of golf, fellas. Let’s go get some Coca-Cola” – which became his last words.
Crosby collapsed and died instantly from a massive heart attack about 20 yards (18 m) from the clubhouse entrance.
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House physician Dr. Laiseca attempted to resuscitate him at the clubhouse and later in the ambulance, but was unsuccessful.
He was given the Catholic Church’s last rites and pronounced dead at Reina Victoria Hospital.
Born on May 3, 1903, Crosby’s early career coincided with recording innovations that enabled him to develop an intimate singing style that influenced many subsequent male singers, including Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Dean Martin, Dick Haymes, Elvis Presley, and John Lennon.
Crosby made over 70 feature films and recorded more than 1,600 songs.
He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Going My Way (1944), and was nominated again for its sequel, The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945), opposite Ingrid Bergman, making him the first of six actors to be nominated twice for the same role.
From 1944 to 1948, he was the top box office draw for five years in a row.
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