Carmichael, Hoagy (1899-1981), was an American composer of popular songs. He is best known for the ballad “Star Dust” (1929), which became a popular classic after Mitchell Parish added lyrics to the music. His song “Georgia on My Mind” (1930) was adopted as the state song of Georgia. His other notable songs include “Rockin’ Chair” (1930), “Lazybones” (1933), “Two Sleepy People” (1938), and “The Nearness of You” (1940). Carmichael appeared in about 10 motion pictures, notably To Have and Have Not (1944) and The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). He usually played a folksy pianist performing his own songs. He shared a 1951 Academy Award with Johnny Mercer for the song “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening,” from Here Comes the Groom.
Carmichael was born in Bloomington, Ind. His full name was Hoagland Howard Carmichael. He earned a degree in law at Indiana University but decided to become a composer instead of a lawyer. He wrote his first song, “Riverboat Shuffle,” in 1925.
