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To put it another way, he's literally the source of not just "crooning," but the entire practice of intimate vocals
I never looked into it, but wiki cites Crosby as one of several 'inventors' but credits Rudy Vallee for it's growth.
The microphone made a more personal style possible. Al Bowlly, Bing Crosby, Gene Austin, Art Gillham, and by some accounts Vaughn De Leath are often credited as inventors of the crooning style, but Rudy Vallée brought the style widespread popularity.
In his popular radio program, which began with his floating greeting, "Heigh ho, everybody," beamed in from a New York City night club, he stood like a statue, surrounded by clean-cut collegiate band musicians and cradling a saxophone in his arms.
— Ian Whitcomb
His first film, The Vagabond Lover, was promoted with the line, "Men Hate Him! Women Love Him!" while his success brought press warnings of the "Vallee Peril": this "punk from Maine" with the "dripping voice" required mounted police to "beat back crowds of screaming and swooning females" at his vaudeville shows.
Amusing story in today's trades.... America's hit, "Horse With No Name" has logged it's BILLIONTH stream. A two-chord wonder.
