U OUGHT TO KNOW PHIL CROSBY JR.

Byline: - Sandra Barrera

Name: Phil Crosby Jr.

Age: 27

Profession: Sings in the Phil Crosby Jr. Quartet 

Why U ought to know him: Although he never met the laid-back crooner that even he calls Bing, Phil Crosby Jr. has been honoring the memory of his grandfather for the past year through his work with the Phil Crosby Jr. Quartet. The L.A.-based foursome that includes pianist Tal Moore, bassist Thaddeus Graham and drummer Neal Sauson performs songs popularized by the Hollywood icon that starred opposite Bob Hope in a string of road movies.

``Luckily we had the road movies. If it weren't for the road movies I wouldn't even know my grandfather,'' Crosby says from his home in Woodland Hills.

That side of the family was always a mystery to the only child of Phillip Lang Crosby - he passed away two months ago - and Peggy Dorris. When his parents divorced, Crosby, who was born in Burbank, went to live with his actress mother.

He spent time with his father on weekends until age 11. But their visits suddenly stopped after his mother sued his father for failing to pay his share of child support.

``He got really angry,'' Crosby says. ``He was the type of guy where if you sued him you just were out, you know? So I didn't hear much from him until I was, like, 21.''

A son's regret: ``I should've gone and dragged him out of his house to one of my shows because I called him and I told him, 'Listen, I want you to come and see me perform.' But he was experiencing bad health and ... I just thought, 'Well, eventually I'll get him to come.' I think he would've really enjoyed seeing me sing.''

On the grandfather he never knew: ``I was a very small baby when he passed away. But my mom sent him pictures and he sent back a letter saying he was interested in meeting me. They were going to set something up when he went to Europe and died of a heart attack.''

Snatches of Bing: ``People would always make a big deal about the fact that I was Bing Crosby's grandson whenever I was introduced at parties with my mom, or even at school sometimes. I always thought it was kind of weird because I had never met him and I didn't really know anything about his career. But occasionally there would be things, like for instance that Looney Tunes cartoon,'' he says, referring to the animated short in which a crooning Bing Crosby rooster has all the hens swooning, ``and the David Bowie duet ('Little Drummer Boy'), and then the road movies.''

But can he sing like Bing? ``I don't really have the voice my grandfather does - maybe with 10 more years of working on it I will - but I've got this great sense of rhythm. I've been playing drums on and off for many years and I always felt like the most natural thing about me is my timing. Which Bing also had with his phrasing.''

U don't say: At age 5, he appeared in TV commercials for McDonald's, Kool-Aid and Kenner Toys. And after graduating from Ulysses S. Grant High School in Van Nuys, Crosby fronted a rock band before deciding to see the world. He traveled on the open roads of Australia to Indonesia. For a short time, while living in Turkey, he even worked as a sheepherder.

He would tend the flocks again - this time for elderly Navajo women living in Arizona's Four Corners region. As he explains, the women asked for help during a music festival attended by Crosby's fellow Deadheads.

``I was never exposed to neo-hippie types growing up in L.A. So when I left L.A. and went to Northern California, I was amazed there were still people that lived like the hippies in the '60s. It was nice to be part of something that was so spiritual and anti-establishment.''

A generation removed from Hollywood royalty tries to make a buck: ``I'd heard about this Web site called the Musicians Network. So, I went on the site and I decided to drop my name. I thought at least that might get me some serious musicians interested if they realize there's a possibility that we've got something that will give us a good start and get us some attention. But I wasn't really thinking jazz band. I was just looking for musicians ... and Neal Sauson, a drummer who's been drumming for 30 years and taught in Japan for 10 years ... was one of the only people in town who contacted me. And he felt if we put a jazz band together we could go to Japan and make some decent money and get our expenses paid.''

Putting a jazz band together: ``We auditioned guys from the union and they would say, 'Well, the kid's not ready, he needs to work on his chops, and he needs to learn how to own a song,' and 'I'm too busy to put time in for free.' I felt like they were probably right but I also felt like, 'How am I supposed to get ready?' They said that I had potential so I thought, 'Well, if I have potential then you should want to put time into me because we can go really far.' But I guess it worked out this way. I ended up with the guys that I got and I'm happy to have them.''

His favorite Crosby tunes to perform: `` 'Pennies From Heaven' is my signature tune, but I'll say 'I'll Be Seeing You' is my favorite. It's a beautiful song. 'Moonlight Becomes You' is my favorite song from the road movies and one that I also perform.''

Where U can see him perform: The Phil Crosby Jr. Quartet appears at 8 tonight and June 20 at the Wyndham Bel Age Hotel, 1020 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood.

Information: www.philcrosby.com

Sandra Barrera, [phone]

sandra.barrera(at)dailynews.com

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PHIL CROSBY JR