Song Back Home Again in Indiana

In 1946, opera star James Melton stepped up to the microphone on the public address system at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was virtually an hour before the drivers would compete at the Indianapolis 500, and thousands were already in the stands chattering. That presently stopped at the beginning strains of "(Back Abode Again in) Indiana."

"Everybody barbarous silent considering at that place was this glorious voice coming over the public accost," speedway historian Donald Davidson said.

Accompanying Melton was the Purdue "All-American" Marching Band, which had been playing the race since 1919. The musicians had started out by marching equally office of a mass band of instrumentalists before the race for free admission. And they had already get a tradition.

Subsequently the 1946 functioning, people were moved plenty to tell the ticket office nearly Melton. So they invited him dorsum the next twelvemonth and, a few years later, moved the vocal to just before engines start.

At the time, officials could hardly have imagined how much "Indiana" would mean or how many singers the Purdue ring would end up accompanying.

Borrowing from the state vocal acquired some issues

Anyone who performs "Indiana," as information technology was originally titled, is in for a formidable claiming. The Original Dixieland Jazz Band recorded it in 1917 on one of the first-e'er jazz records, according to historian Ted Gioia in his book "The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire."

James F. Hanley wrote the slice to accolade his home land and the state song, Paul Dresser'due south "On the Banks of the Wabash." It was one of the biggest hits for the shy composer from Rensselaer, who penned music for more 90 movies when he worked for 20th Century Play tricks. Portland, Oregon, native Ballard MacDonald wrote the lyrics.

At the bottom of the original sheet music has the credit line: "The strain from 'On the Banks of the Wabash' in the chorus used by kind permission of Maurice Richmond Music Co. Inc."

Gioia, however, writes that what "Indiana" used from the state song caused plagiarism accusations that were never cleared up in court. Theodore Dreiser, the novelist and younger brother of Dresser, said he wrote part of "On the Banks of the Wabash" also, co-ordinate to "The Jazz Standards."

"Indiana" started to have off with large-name jazz ensembles nigh a decade afterward, Gioia wrote, with Eddie Condon, Red Nichols' big ring and Benny Goodman playing it. Louis Armstrong made "Indiana" a staple of his performances in 1950. Nat King Cole and Count Basie recorded it with Lester Immature.

Rarely is the vocal sung by a vocalist in jazz circles. But it sure is in Indianapolis.

The soloist wasn't always announced early

Reports indicate a band — and maybe the Purdue band — played "Indiana" for the first time at the race in 1919 when commuter Howdy Wilcox wrapped upwardly his win, John Norberg wrote in his book "Heartbeat of the University: 125 Years of Purdue Bands."

Melton returned a handful of times after his 1946 debut with the song. Later that, the years are dotted with local singers and major names including Mel Tormé, Vic Damone and Dinah Shore.

Just for as popular as the song was becoming, announcing who would sing "Indiana" far in accelerate wasn't necessarily condition quo for the speedway until Jim Nabors came along in 1972, Davidson said.

"I know at that place were years when, on race morn, we didn't know who information technology was going to exist," he said. "It was very ofttimes almost similar an afterthought. So did they put out a press release in February or March to say who it was going to be? No."

The Purdue ring, withal, always kept it brushed up. The ensemble plays "Indiana" at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette and in the IPL 500 Festival Parade on the day earlier the race.

"Information technology's get a very integral part of who we are as a band," said Jay Gephart, director of the Purdue "All-American" Marching Band.

The band has tailored its size and system to the singer. It was gentle for Nabors' ballad-similar croon with an arrangement by famed composer John Tatgenhorst. When Jim Cornelison took over in 2017, Matt Conaway, associate managing director of the band, created a wide, Broadway-esque organization, Gephart said.

Shore, who holds the record as the but woman to e'er sing "Indiana" solo before the race in 1955, still stands out in Purdue history. Holding the baton before gesturing the ring to begin, longtime Purdue band manager Al Wright told the vocalist he'd offset when she was fix.

"Oh no, maestro. It'south whenever you are fix," Shore said, according to Norberg's book.

Everyone who has sung '(Back Home Again in) Indiana'

The speedway has tracked all of the soloists since 1946, the twelvemonth information technology was officially introduced into the pre-race lineup. The Purdue band has accompanied the vast bulk of these.

• 1946-1948: James Melton. Vocalist who moved between the New York Metropolitan Opera, radio and movies. Famous as an antiquarian car collector.
• 1949: Frank Parrish. Well-known Indianapolis tenor who starred on radio station WIRE.
• 1950: James Melton.
• 1951: Frank Parrish.
• 1952-1953: Morton Downey Sr. Father of talk show host Morton Downey Jr. and popular vocalizer who was nicknamed "The Irish Nightingale."
• 1954: James Melton.
• 1955: Dinah Shore. Sang hits like "Blues in the Night" and "I'll Walk Lone." TV host for "The Dinah Shore Bear witness," amidst others.
• 1956: Brian Sullivan. Tenor who sang major roles with the Met for more a decade.
• 1957: Jerome Hines. Six-foot-six tall bass who set a record singing 41 years at the Met.
• 1958: Brian Sullivan.
• 1959: Purdue Varsity Glee Club. Men'south vocal ensemble founded in 1893 that has performed all over the world, at presidential inaugurations and met Queen Elizabeth II.
• 1960: Dennis Morgan. Thespian and tenor known for starring in "The Great Ziegfeld" and "Kitty Foyle" with stars including Ginger Rogers.
• 1961: Mel Tormé. Celebrated jazz vocalizer, nicknamed "the Velvet Fog," who co-wrote the famous "Christmas Song" with the lyrics "Chestnuts roasting on an open up burn down." Versatile actor, drummer, composer, pianist and author.
• 1962: David Cochard. Purdue educatee and role of the leadership of the Varsity Glee Club.
• 1963: Brian Sullivan.
• 1964: Vic Damone. Polished singer who recorded "On the Street Where Yous Live" from "My Fair Lady" and had, according to Frank Sinatra, "the best pair of pipes in the business."
• 1965: Johnny Desmond. Lead vocalizer for Glenn Miller's swing band and actor in films and Broadway musicals, including "Funny Girl" with Barbra Streisand.
• 1966: Ed Ames. Starred alongside Kirk Douglas on the New York phase before playing Mingo on Television series "Daniel Boone." Known for famous advent on "The Tonight Evidence Starring Johnny Carson."
• 1967: Russell Wunderlich. Tenor soloist from Joliet, Illinois, who was part of the Varsity Glee Club.
• 1968:Purdue "All-American" Marching Band.
• 1969: Mack Shultz. Purdue educatee and part of the leadership of the Varsity Glee Society.
• 1970: Saverio Saridis. New York City policeman-turned-singer known for "Love is the Sweetest Thing." Appeared on the Ed Sullivan and Merv Griffin shows.
• 1971: Peter DePaolo. Won the Indy 500 in 1925 and was the first Indy winner to go over 100 mph — and sing "Indiana."
• 1972-1978: Jim Nabors. Played goofy Gomer Pyle on "The Andy Griffith Show" and spinoff "Gomer Pyle, U.S.Chiliad.C." Became an Indy 500 icon past lending his rich, ballad-friendly phonation to "Indiana."
• 1979: Peter Marshall. Starred in the London product of "Adieu Cheerio Birdie" and Broadway shows including "La Cage aux Folles" before he hosted the pop game show, "The Hollywood Squares."
• 1980: Richard Smith.Soloist in the Purdue Glee Club, according to Indianapolis News archives.
• 1981: Phil Harris. Musician, radio personality and movie star. Voiced Baloo the bear in "The Jungle Book" and did voice piece of work in "The Aristocats" and "Robin Hood."
• 1982: Louis Sudler.Chicago-based baritone who became a man of affairs and helped financially stabilize the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in the 1960s and 70s.
• 1983-1984: Jim Nabors.
• 1985: Walt Disney World Singers.
• 1986: John Davies with 74th U.Southward. Army Band. Davies was artist-in-residence with the Indianapolis Opera Co., and the band was from Fort Benjamin Harrison. Race moved back considering of a double rainout, and the originally scheduled Purdue band and Nabors couldn't make the new engagement.
• 1987-2006: Jim Nabors.
• 2007: Race Fans and Purdue "All-American" Marching Band. During a yr when Nabors was ill, the crowd stood in, Davidson said.
• 2008-2014: Jim Nabors.
• 2015: Straight No Chaser. Male a cappella group that started equally an undergraduate ensemble at Indiana University.
• 2016: Josh Kaufman with Indianapolis Children's Choir. Indy-based vocalist and winner of the sixth season of "The Vox." Accompanied past the choir that was founded in 1986.
• 2017-2021:Jim Cornelison. Indiana University alum known for singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Chicago Blackhawks games.

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Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or d.bongiovanni@indystar.com. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.

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Source: https://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/indy-500/2019/05/16/everyone-who-sang-back-home-again-indiana-indy-500-jim-nabors-neighbors-indianapolis-motor-speedway/1154040001/

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