During his final comments of the musical special, Crosby said, "I hope it won't be another 50 years before we can celebrate like this again." As the audience honored him with a standing ovation, he turned the wrong way to exit the stage and fell into the orchestra pit.
Crosby was rushed to Pasadena's Huntington Memorial Hospital and admitted for a few days treatment and recovery of the trauma-a cut to the head and some bruises. Days later, the hospital spokesman told the media Bing was "in very high spirits."