Bing Crosby first performed the song on his NBC radio show, The Kraft Music Hall , on , just weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Irving Berlin, a Jewish immigrant from Russia, wrote "White Christmas" around 1940. While accounts vary, he likely drafted it in La Quinta, California, or Beverly Hills. Berlin reportedly told his secretary, "Not only is it the best song I ever wrote, it's the best song anybody ever wrote". 8. White Christmas
: Despite its festive imagery, the song is deeply melancholy. Some historians suggest it may have been Berlin’s subconscious response to the death of his infant son, who passed away on Christmas Day in 1928. Bing Crosby and the World War II Impact Bing Crosby first performed the song on his
: Berlin originally wrote an opening verse that contrasted the sunshine of Beverly Hills with a longing for the "up north" winter. This verse was eventually dropped in most recordings to broaden the song's emotional appeal. Berlin reportedly told his secretary, "Not only is