Information/Write-up
Doug Crosley was born in 1936 in Toronto and raised in Oshawa, Ontario, where his lifelong love of singing began in Sunday school and the St. Andrews church choir. While working at General Motors in the engineering department, he entered a local talent show and won over the crowd with “A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation).” That performance launched a professional career that would span more than four decades across Canada and the United States.
In the late 1950s, Crosley began appearing on national television, guesting on CBC programs such as Country Club, Holiday Ranch, Swing Easy, and The Canadian Hit Parade. By the early 1960s, he moved to Winnipeg to host Swing Along, a CBC television variety series. It was there he met his future wife, Jean (Gray), and began raising a family.
Crosley’s breakthrough in the U.S. came when he performed on The Bell Telephone Hour at the Brooklyn Theatre in New York City. This exposure led to a recording contract with RCA Victor, and in 1965 he released his debut LP New Star in Town, arranged by Jack Pleis, Charles Fox, and Marty Manning. The album showcased his romantic balladeer style and featured a blend of contemporary pop and American standards. His follow-up album, Let the Heartaches Begin (Arc AS 266), was released as part of the Arc Centennial Series and featured renditions of contemporary hits and originals.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Crosley remained a familiar face on both Canadian and American television. He made appearances on Juliette and Friends, The Merv Griffin Show, The Mike Douglas Show, and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. In the 1970s, he hosted his own nationally broadcast CBC series, The Doug Crosley Show, produced out of Winnipeg. He also emceed numerous industrial shows for General Motors and Chrysler across North America, further blending corporate performance with entertainment.
Crosley was also an accomplished stage actor, starring in lead roles in musical theatre productions including Oklahoma!, Bye Bye Birdie, Guys and Dolls, and Brigadoon. His charisma and warmth made him a natural frontman, whether in the studio, on screen, or under the stage lights.
In addition to his commercial releases, Crosley contributed to several broadcast-only LPs produced by CBC Radio Canada. These include From CBC Toronto (LM 30), arranged by Doug Randle, and From CBC Toronto (LM 09) with the Pat Riccio Orchestra — both part of the rare LM series issued for internal broadcast use across the CBC network. He also recorded a rare 1971 CBC 45 titled Doug Crosley – With Lucio Agostini and His Orchestra (LM 107), featuring orchestral renditions of “(Theme from) Love Story,” George Harrison’s “Something,” Dolores Claman’s “Pisces Child,” and “For All We Know,” arranged by Agostini, produced by Jack Budgell, and engineered by Ian Jacobson at Studio 4-Sound in Toronto.
Later in life, Crosley continued to perform with big bands throughout the United States, particularly in Palm Springs and south Florida. He spent his summers in Lakefield, Ontario, overlooking Chemong Lake, with his longtime partner Mary Elliott. Even in his later years, friends recalled his voice as strong and emotive as ever, offering private concerts and musical storytelling to visitors.
Doug Crosley passed away on March 22, 2019, in Oshawa, Ontario, at the age of 83. He is remembered not only for his voice and poise, but for his generosity, humour, and enduring love of performance. His legacy lives on through his recordings, televised appearances, and the countless lives he touched on and off stage.
-Robert Williston
Arrangements by Lucio Agostini
Produced by Jack Budgell
Engineered by Ian Jacobson
Recorded at Studio 4-Sound, Toronto, May 7th, 1971
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