Jim Nabors 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. Information technology was about an hour before the drivers would compete at the Indianapolis 500, and thousands were already in the stands chattering. That soon stopped at the get-go strains of "(Back Dwelling Over again in) Indiana."

"Everybody cruel 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 Band, which had been playing the race since 1919. The musicians had started out by marching equally part of a mass band of instrumentalists before the race for costless access. And they had already become a tradition.

Later the 1946 performance, people were moved enough to tell the ticket function about Melton. So they invited him dorsum the adjacent twelvemonth and, a few years later, moved the song to but earlier engines start.

At the fourth dimension, officials could hardly have imagined how much "Indiana" would hateful or how many singers the Purdue ring would stop upwardly accompanying.

Borrowing from the state song caused some issues

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

James F. Hanley wrote the piece to honor his domicile land and the state vocal, Paul Dresser's "On the Banks of the Wabash." Information technology was ane of the biggest hits for the shy composer from Rensselaer, who penned music for more than ninety 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 past 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 upward in court. Theodore Dreiser, the novelist and younger brother of Dresser, said he wrote part of "On the Banks of the Wabash" as well, co-ordinate to "The Jazz Standards."

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

Rarely is the song sung past a vocaliser in jazz circles. But information technology sure is in Indianapolis.

The soloist wasn't always appear early

Reports betoken a band — and possibly the Purdue band — played "Indiana" for the first 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 after his 1946 debut with the vocal. After that, the years are dotted with local singers and major names including Mel Tormé, Vic Damone and Dinah Shore.

Simply for as popular as the song 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 at that place were years when, on race forenoon, we didn't know who it was going to be," he said. "It was very often almost like an afterthought. And then did they put out a press release in February or March to say who information technology was going to be? No."

The Purdue band, notwithstanding, 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 before the race.

"It'due south go a very integral part of who we are as a band," said Jay Gephart, managing director of the Purdue "All-American" Marching Band.

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

Shore, who holds the tape equally the only woman to e'er sing "Indiana" solo before the race in 1955, still stands out in Purdue history. Belongings the baton before gesturing the ring to begin, longtime Purdue band director Al Wright told the vocalist he'd first when she was prepare.

"Oh no, maestro. It'due south whenever yous are ready," Shore said, co-ordinate to Norberg's book.

Everyone who has sung '(Back Home Over again in) Indiana'

The speedway has tracked all of the soloists since 1946, the year it was officially introduced into the pre-race lineup. The Purdue band has accompanied the vast majority of these.

• 1946-1948: James Melton. Singer who moved between the New York Metropolitan Opera, radio and movies. Famous as an antique 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 pop vocaliser who was nicknamed "The Irish Nightingale."
• 1954: James Melton.
• 1955: Dinah Shore. Sang hits like "Dejection in the Night" and "I'll Walk Lonely." TV host for "The Dinah Shore Show," amid others.
• 1956: Brian Sullivan. Tenor who sang major roles with the Met for more a decade.
• 1957: Jerome Hines. Six-foot-half dozen tall bass who set a record singing 41 years at the Met.
• 1958: Brian Sullivan.
• 1959: Purdue Varsity Glee Club. Men's vocal ensemble founded in 1893 that has performed all over the globe, at presidential inaugurations and met Queen Elizabeth II.
• 1960: Dennis Morgan. Histrion and tenor known for starring in "The Great Ziegfeld" and "Kitty Foyle" with stars including Ginger Rogers.
• 1961: Mel Tormé. Historic jazz vocaliser, nicknamed "the Velvet Fog," who co-wrote the famous "Christmas Song" with the lyrics "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire." Versatile histrion, drummer, composer, pianist and author.
• 1962: David Cochard. Purdue pupil and role of the leadership of the Varsity Glee Club.
• 1963: Brian Sullivan.
• 1964: Vic Damone. Polished singer who recorded "On the Street Where You lot Live" from "My Fair Lady" and had, according to Frank Sinatra, "the best pair of pipes in the business organisation."
• 1965: Johnny Desmond. Lead vocaliser 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 stage before playing Mingo on TV serial "Daniel Boone." Known for famous appearance on "The Tonight Testify Starring Johnny Carson."
• 1967: Russell Wunderlich. Tenor soloist from Joliet, Illinois, who was part of the Varsity Glee Social 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-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 offset 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.South.Thou.C." Became an Indy 500 icon past lending his rich, carol-friendly voice to "Indiana."
• 1979: Peter Marshall. Starred in the London production of "Cheerio Bye Birdie" and Broadway shows including "La Cage aux Folles" before he hosted the popular game bear witness, "The Hollywood Squares."
• 1980: Richard Smith.Soloist in the Purdue Glee Club, according to Indianapolis News athenaeum.
• 1981: Phil Harris. Musician, radio personality and movie star. Voiced Baloo the deport in "The Jungle Volume" 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 World Singers.
• 1986: John Davies with 74th U.S. Army Band. Davies was creative person-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 brand the new appointment.
• 1987-2006: Jim Nabors.
• 2007: Race Fans and Purdue "All-American" Marching Ring. During a year when Nabors was ill, the oversupply stood in, Davidson said.
• 2008-2014: Jim Nabors.
• 2015: Straight No Attorney. Male a cappella group that started as an undergraduate ensemble at Indiana University.
• 2016: Josh Kaufman with Indianapolis Children's Choir. Indy-based singer and winner of the sixth flavour of "The Vocalism." Accompanied by the choir that was founded in 1986.
• 2017-2022: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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