Hoagy Carmichael

NARRATOR: This Indiana Bicentennial minute is made possible by the Indiana Historical Society and the law firm of Krieg DeVault.

Images of young Hoagy Carmichael from when he was a young boy to a young man is shown. Then images of Hoagy Carmichael sitting and playing the piano is shown.

PAULEY: Born and bred in Bloomington, Indiana, a graduate of the IU School of Law, but it was at the piano, not the courtroom that Hoagy Carmichael would make his reputation and in 1927 in the studios of Jeanette records in Richmond, Indiana, an American music classic was recorded for the first time.

Images of the “Stardust” sheet music is shown. The images are shown of him signing autographs, then playing the piano are shown. Finally, an image of him winning an Oscar.

PAULEY: “Stardust” would become one of the most recorded songs in history with over 1,500 versions. It was Hoagy’s first hit but not his last. He wrote, “Lazy River”,” Georgia on my Mind,” and won the 1951 Oscar for best song, “Within the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening.” About his songwriting style, he said, “You don’t write melodies, you find them.” Indiana’s Hoagy Carmichael sure did find a lot of melodies. I’m Jane Pauley with this Indiana Bicentennial Minute.

NARRATOR: Made possible by the Indiana Historical Society and the law firm of Krieg DeVault.