ONE of Britain's leading experts on the legendary Bing Crosby is preparing to celebrate the centenary of the actor and singer's birth tomorrow.

Seamus Kelly, who has been buying the crooner's records since he was 17 and now has 2,321 tracks by his hero, will be spinning some of Bing's discs in tribute.

He will celebrate the anniversary by appearing on BBC Hereford and Worcester with presenter Mike George at 10.30am tomorrow, for a tribute show to Crosby.

Thankfully for Mr Kelly, aged 69, of Barbourne, Worcester, his wife, Christina, is also a fan.

"She's very fond of Bing. I suspect she's had to be over the years, being married to me," said Mr Kelly, who has been married for 48 years.

"She hasn't had much choice. I describe her as my long-suffering wife.

"She likes murder mysteries of the TV, so I always say 'Let's look at a Bing Crosby film first, then we can watch yours afterwards'."

Mr Kelly first became interested in music in his native Ireland in the late 1940s.

He heard a DJ at the local carnival in Moate, Co West Meath, playing a 78rpm record of Bing Crosby singing Rose of San Antonio and that was it.

"I didn't buy the record at the time because I was so young, but I bought it later on," said Mr Kelly, who has one daughter and two grandchildren.

"I have Bing Crosby's recordings on EP, CD, LP and tapes."

Mr Kelly saw Crosby sing live twice, once at The London Palladium in 1977, six days before the legend's death, and once in the north of England.

"I never met him, but I was 10 to 20 yards away at the concerts," said Mr Kelly. "At the London Palladium, he was very frail."

Mr Kelly does not have a favourite song of Bing's.

"I decided when I grew up I would buy everything I could by Bing Crosby," he said. "My favourite song is the one I'm playing at that time."