What a career Bing Crosby had. Is there anyone in popular culture who got his start in the 1920s who is as well remembered today as Der Bingle? Perhaps Louis Armstrong. Many folks 55 years old and younger will recall only the more sedate, older Bing, he of the briarwood pipes, stingy-brimmed fedoras, and cardigan sweaters. But in his early years, Bing was like Elvis---a white man singing music inspired and influenced by the music of the African-American community.