James Melton Performed the Song Back Home Again in Indiana

In 1946, opera star James Melton stepped up to the microphone on the public accost 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 soon stopped at the kickoff strains of "(Back Home Again in) Indiana."

"Everybody fell silent because there was this glorious voice coming over the public address," speedway historian Donald Davidson said.

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

Later the 1946 functioning, people were moved enough to tell the ticket part about Melton. So they invited him back the next year and, a few years later, moved the vocal to merely before engines showtime.

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

Borrowing from the country vocal caused some issues

Anyone who performs "Indiana," as it was originally titled, is in for a formidable challenge. The Original Dixieland Jazz Ring recorded it in 1917 on 1 of the first-ever jazz records, according to historian Ted Gioia in his book "The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire."

James F. Hanley wrote the piece to honor his home country and the state song, Paul Dresser's "On the Banks of the Wabash." It was 1 of the biggest hits for the shy composer from Rensselaer, who penned music for more than 90 movies when he worked for 20th Century Play a trick on. 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, nevertheless, writes that what "Indiana" used from the land song caused plagiarism accusations that were never cleared upwardly in court. Theodore Dreiser, the novelist and younger brother of Dresser, said he wrote function of "On the Banks of the Wabash" besides, according to "The Jazz Standards."

"Indiana" started to take off with large-name jazz ensembles about a decade later on, Gioia wrote, with Eddie Condon, Red Nichols' large band and Benny Goodman playing it. Louis Armstrong made "Indiana" a staple of his performances in 1950. Nat King Cole and Count Basie recorded information technology with Lester Young.

Rarely is the song sung by a vocalist in jazz circles. Only it sure is in Indianapolis.

The soloist wasn't always announced early on

Reports point a band — and possibly the Purdue band — played "Indiana" for the start time at the race in 1919 when driver Howdy Wilcox wrapped up his win, John Norberg wrote in his book "Heartbeat of the University: 125 Years of Purdue Bands."

Melton returned a scattering of times later on 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.

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

"I know there were years when, on race morning, we didn't know who information technology was going to be," he said. "Information technology was very oft well-nigh like an reconsideration. So did they put out a printing release in February or March to say who information technology was going to be? No."

The Purdue band, yet, e'er kept it brushed upwards. 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'due south become a very integral function of who we are as a ring," said Jay Gephart, director of the Purdue "All-American" Marching Band.

The ring has tailored its size and organization to the vocalist. 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, acquaintance director of the band, created a broad, Broadway-esque arrangement, Gephart said.

Shore, who holds the record equally the but woman to always sing "Indiana" solo before the race in 1955, nonetheless 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 start when she was prepare.

"Oh no, maestro. It's whenever you are prepare," Shore said, co-ordinate to Norberg's book.

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

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

• 1946-1948: James Melton. Vocalist who moved betwixt the New York Metropolitan Opera, radio and movies. Famous as an antiquarian auto 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 testify 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 Alone." TV host for "The Dinah Shore Show," among others.
• 1956: Brian Sullivan. Tenor who sang major roles with the Met for more than a decade.
• 1957: Jerome Hines. Half-dozen-pes-half dozen tall bass who prepare a record singing 41 years at the Met.
• 1958: Brian Sullivan.
• 1959: Purdue Varsity Glee Social club. Men's vocal ensemble founded in 1893 that has performed all over the world, at presidential inaugurations and met Queen Elizabeth Two.
• 1960: Dennis Morgan. Actor and tenor known for starring in "The Nifty Ziegfeld" and "Kitty Foyle" with stars including Ginger Rogers.
• 1961: Mel Tormé. Celebrated jazz singer, nicknamed "the Velvet Fog," who co-wrote the famous "Christmas Song" with the lyrics "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire." Versatile player, drummer, composer, pianist and author.
• 1962: David Cochard. Purdue educatee and part of the leadership of the Varsity Glee Society.
• 1963: Brian Sullivan.
• 1964: Vic Damone. Polished singer who recorded "On the Street Where You Alive" from "My Fair Lady" and had, according to Frank Sinatra, "the all-time pair of pipes in the business organisation."
• 1965: Johnny Desmond. Pb singer for Glenn Miller'south 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 stage before playing Mingo on Goggle box series "Daniel Boone." Known for famous appearance on "The Tonight Prove Starring Johnny Carson."
• 1967: Russell Wunderlich. Tenor soloist from Joliet, Illinois, who was part of the Varsity Glee Order.
• 1968:Purdue "All-American" Marching Band.
• 1969: Mack Shultz. Purdue student and part of the leadership of the Varsity Glee Club.
• 1970: Saverio Saridis. New York City policeman-turned-vocalist 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 Bear witness" and spinoff "Gomer Pyle, United states of americaM.C." Became an Indy 500 icon past lending his rich, ballad-friendly phonation to "Indiana."
• 1979: Peter Marshall. Starred in the London production of "Bye Goodbye Baboon" and Broadway shows including "La Muzzle aux Folles" earlier he hosted the popular game show, "The Hollywood Squares."
• 1980: Richard Smith.Soloist in the Purdue Glee Guild, according to Indianapolis News archives.
• 1981: Phil Harris. Musician, radio personality and movie star. Voiced Baloo the acquit in "The Jungle Book" and did voice work in "The Aristocats" and "Robin Hood."
• 1982: Louis Sudler.Chicago-based baritone who became a businessman and helped financially stabilize the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in the 1960s and 70s.
• 1983-1984: Jim Nabors.
• 1985: Walt Disney Earth Singers.
• 1986: John Davies with 74th U.S. Army Band. Davies was artist-in-residence with the Indianapolis Opera Co., and the band was from Fort Benjamin Harrison. Race moved back because of a double rainout, and the originally scheduled Purdue band and Nabors couldn't make the new date.
• 1987-2006: Jim Nabors.
• 2007: Race Fans and Purdue "All-American" Marching Band. During a year when Nabors was ill, the oversupply stood in, Davidson said.
• 2008-2014: Jim Nabors.
• 2015: Straight No Attorney. Male person a cappella group that started as an undergraduate ensemble at Indiana University.
• 2016: Josh Kaufman with Indianapolis Children's Choir. Indy-based vocaliser and winner of the sixth flavour of "The Vocalism." Accompanied by the choir that was founded in 1986.
• 2017-2021:Jim Cornelison. Indiana University alum known for singing "The Star-Spangled Imprint" 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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