Hoagy Carmichael:

At left, the cassette "Hoagy Carmichael -- Stardust And Much More" which includes three different versions of 'Stardust.'

At right, the JSP Records release entitled "Hoagy Carmichael -- Volume One." It includes no less than four different versions of 'Stardust' including one recorded in 1927 by a group called Hoagy Carmichael & His Pals, the earliest known recording of his masterpiece.

Another of Hoagy's rendition of his classic song is included on RCA Victor's unique 1960 LP, "The Stardust Road."

b. Hoagland Howard Carmichael, 22 November 1899, Bloomington, Indiana, USA, d. December, 1981.

Growing up in a poor rural community, the young Carmichael was encouraged to play piano by his mother who accompanied silent films at a local movie house.

Largely self taught, he continued to play despite ambitions for a career in law. In 1916 the Carmichael's moved to Indianapolis where he took lessons from Reginald DuValle, a ragtime pianist. While still at high school, he formed a band and continued to lead bands during his time at Indiana University.

In 1922 he met and became friendly with Bix Beiderbecke, then with the Wolverines for whom Carmichael composed "Riverboat Shuffle," one of his first works. During the mid-20's he wrote occasionally, his music being published while he persisted with his law studies.

In 1927 he chanced to hear a recording by Red Nichols of one of his tunes, "Washboard Blues" (lyrics later added by Fred B. Callahan). This convinced Carmichael that he should quit law school and make a career in music.

Also in 1927, he composed the tune which, with lyrics later added by Mitchell Parish, became his biggest best seller and one of the most recorded songs of all time: "Stardust."

In New York from 1929, the year "Stardust" was published, Carmichael mixed with the jazz community, playing piano, singing and simply hanging out. For their part, the musicians, who included Louis Armstrong, Red Allen, Benny Goodman, Beiderecke, Bud Freeman, Red Norvo, Glenn Miller, Joe Venuti, Gene Krupa, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Pee Wee Russell, Jack Teagarden and many others, were happy to have him around and they recorded several of his compositions including "Rockin' Chair," "Georgia On My Mind" (lyrics by Stuart Gorrell), "Lazy River" (with Sidney Arodin), and "Lazybones" (lyrics by Johnny Mercer).

By 1933, with Beiderbecke dead, Carmichael's interest in Jazz waned, although he never lost his affection for the music's early form and its performers. he began to concentrate on songwriting, redirecting his musical thought towards the mainstream of popular songs.

In the mid-to-late 30's, he collaborated with several lyricists on such songs as "Little Old Lady," "Small Fry" (lyrics by Frank Loesser), "Two Sleepy People" (Loesser), "Heart and Soul" (Loesser), "I Get Along Without You Very Well," "One Morning In May" (Parish), "Blue Orchids," "The Nearness Of You" (Ned Washington), "Baltimore Oriole" (Paul Francis Webster), and another collaboration with Mercer which became a milestone in popular song, "Skylark."

Some of the foregoing were written for the musical theater, but many resulted from a stint in Hollywood, where he was a staff songwriter with Paramount. In the 1940's Carmichael's involvement in films expanded to include acting roles on To Have And Have Not (1944), Johnny Angel (1945), The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946), and Young Man With A Horn (1950).

He also published his memoirs, The Stardust Road (followed by a second volume Sometimes I Wonder).

Songs he wrote in the 40's included "Old Buttermilk Sky" (with Jack Brooks), "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief" (lyrics by Webster), "Memphis In June" (Webster) and "Ivy."

In the 50's Carmichael's compositions included "In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening" (Johnny Mercer), "Winter Moon" (Harold Adamson), and "My Resistance Is Low" (Adamson).

Shifts in musical tastes gently shunted Carmichael onto the sidelines of contemporary popular music in the 60's and after the failure of two orchestral works, "Brown County In Autumn" and "Johnny Appleseed," he never resumed his role as an active composer. Nevertheless, his place as a major contributor to the Great American Song Book had long since become permanent.

As a singer, Carmichael's intonation was uncertain and his vocal range decidedly limited (he referred to his frequently off-key voice as "flatsy through the nose"). Nevertheless, as albums of his performances show, he sang with engaging simplicity and a delightful rhythmic gaiety.

Carmichael spent the 70's in contented retirement, playing golf near his Palm Springs home. He died on December 27, 1981.

Return To Homepage