Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Hoagy Carmichael

Role / Field:

Pioneering American composer and songwriter, celebrated for enduring classics like "Stardust" and "Georgia on My Mind".

Born:

1899-11-22

Died:

1981-12-27

Century / Era:

1899s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Hoagland Howard Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American musician, composer, songwriter, actor, author and lawyer. Carmichael was one of the most successful Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the 1930s and 1940s, and was among the first singer-songwriters in the age of mass media to use new communication technologies such as radio broadcasts, television, microphones, and sound recordings (musical records). Carmichael composed several hundred songs, including 50 that achieved hit record status. He is best known for composing four of the most-recorded American songs of all time: "Stardust" (1927), with lyrics by Mitchell Parish, "Georgia on My Mind" (1930), with lyrics by Stuart Gorrell, "The Nearness of You" (1937), with lyrics by Ned Washington, and "Heart and Soul" (1938), with lyrics by Frank Loesser.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He also collaborated with lyricist-songwriter Johnny Mercer (1909–1976), on "Lazybones" (1933), and later "Skylark" (1941). Carmichael's "Ole Buttermilk Sky" of 1946, was an Academy Award nominee for an Oscar in the following year of March 1947, with the eponymous theme song from the Western film Canyon Passage (1946), starring Dana Andrews, Brian Donlevy, Susan Hayward...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Al Capone — Contemporary (Born in 1899) (1899): Notorious American gangster and businessman during the Prohibition era.
• Aldo Nadi — Contemporary (Born in 1899) (1899): Italian fencing champion known for his Olympic success and teaching in the US.
• Alfred Hitchcock — Contemporary (Born in 1899) (1899): Master of Suspense, influential English filmmaker known for psychological thrillers.
• Abigail Spencer — Contemporary (Born in 1981) (1981): American actress, producer, and writer known for roles in soap operas and dramas.
• Adriana Lima — Contemporary (Born in 1981) (1981): Iconic Brazilian model, celebrated for her long tenure as a Victoria's Secret Angel.
• Albert Cohen (novelist) — Contemporary (Died in 1981) (1981): Greek-born Swiss novelist who wrote in French, known for his memoirs and international work.
• Abigail Adams — Shared historical date (11-22 · Born) (1744): Influential advisor, first Second Lady, and key figure in US founding.
• Aldous Huxley — Shared historical date (11-22 · Died) (1963): English writer and philosopher known for social satire and mystical explorations.
• Amy Beach — Shared historical date (12-27 · Died) (1944): Pioneering American composer and pianist, celebrated for her large-scale art music.
• Benazir Bhutto — Shared historical date (12-27 · Died) (2007): Pioneering Pakistani stateswoman, first woman PM in a Muslim-majority nation.
• 1899 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1899
• November 22 (11-22) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on November 22
• 1981 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1981
• December 27 (12-27) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on December 27

Frequently Asked Questions about Hoagy Carmichael