A LOOK BACK

Jerry Person

When it came to music, whether it was the sounds of a choir or a brass

band, it was Everett J. Crosby Jr.’s whole life.

Crosby was a true California native -- born and raised in the small town

of Reedley, near Fresno, on May 17, 1909.

At an early age, Crosby discovered his love of music. And after

graduation from high school, he continued his education and earned his

bachelor’s degree from Fresno State College and his teaching credential

from USC.

With his teaching papers in hand, Crosby returned to his hometown area to

teach high school for two years in the neighboring town of Parlier.

Crosby returned to Reedley to teach music at its high school and junior

college.

Huntington Beach High School was fortunate to have Crosby join its staff

as its music instructor Jan. 30, 1939.

While at Huntington Beach High, Crosby taught boys’ glee club, band and

orchestra. And not content with just teaching music, Crosby opened his

own music store in the 1940s at 414 Walnut Ave., where he sold sheet

music and stocked the latest record hits for our town’s hepcats.

He carried popular record labels like Bluebird, Columbia, Brunswick and

Victor, as well as the machines to play them.

Crosby relocated his music store in 1950 to 206 Main St., where he was

joined with Harold Harding’s Radio Shop. They were now handling that new

American craze -- television. Crosby was handling some of the

lesser-known makes of TVs, such as Stromberg-Carlson, Hoffman and

Tele-Tone.

By late 1951, Crosby left Harding and relocated his music store a few

doors down Main Street to 215 Main and continued selling televisions and

teaching music.

Crosby and his wife, Helen, lived at 219 Geneva Ave. with their son,

Bruce. By 1951, the had moved to 802 11th St.

Things were looking good for the 44-year-old Crosby, but on the morning

of May 7, 1953, he died suddenly at his home. Services were held in the

auditorium of his beloved Huntington Beach High, a fitting closing for a

man who taught so many of our locals music appreciation and who himself

loved music to the end.

* JERRY PERSON is a local historian and longtime Huntington Beach

resident. If you have ideas for future columns, write him at P.O. Box

7182, Huntington Beach 92615.