Indianapolis opera singer John Davies sings “Back Home Again In Indiana” at the start of the 1986 Indy 500….which has been a tradition since 1946….as it is a song composed by James F. Hanley with lyrics by Ballard MacDonald that was published in January 1917….and although it is not the state song of Indiana….which is “On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away”….it…
The pride and joy of the Austin Music Scene rests in the heart and soul of “favorite son” Willie Nelson…. so, every piece of video that we have of Shotgun Willie is nothing but “Pure Gold” to us here at ImaSportsphile….for Willie has serenaded music lovers in Austin, Texas for the better part of 60+ years…. and when you went…
Who would have ever thought that the popular “Southern country bumpkin” television personality Gomer Pyle….who was the naive….which was merely due to his pure, uncorrupted and non-degenerate mind….and extremely moral auto mechanic turned United States Marine Corps PFC, from Mayberry, North Carolina…. who provided comic relief while being awestruck by the simplest of things….which resulted in the exclamation of his catchphrases, “Shazam!”, “Golly”,…
Duke Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American composer, pianist and leader of a jazz orchestra….which he led from 1923 until his death over a career spanning more than fifty years. Although Duke was born in Washington, D.C….he lived in New York City from the mid-1920’s until his death….while gaining a national profile through…
Ray Charles had so many successful and popular recordings throughout his long and distinguished singing career which spanned the better part of 60 years from 1947 to 2004…..with dozens and dozens of hits along the way…..after having recorded literally 100’s and 100’s of songs that charted from 1956 to 1996….as Brother Ray possessed one of the most…
Duke Ellington was shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1965….but no prize was ultimately awarded that year…..and being then 66 years old, he joked….”Fate is being kind to me. Fate doesn’t want me to be famous too young.”….and in 1999 he was posthumously awarded a special Pulitzer Prize “commemorating the centennial year of his birth, in recognition of…
As the Depression worsened….the recording industry was in crisis….while dropping over 90% of its artists by 1933….that is when Ivie Anderson was hired as the Duke Ellington Orchestra’s featured vocalist in 1931….as she is the vocalist on “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” in 1932….while Sonny Greer had been providing occasional vocals….and as…
Eddie Money is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist….who had success in the 1970’s and 1980’s with a string of Top 40 hits and platinum albums….with well known for songs like “Baby Hold On”, “Two Tickets to Paradise”, “Maybe I’m a Fool”, “Think I’m in Love”, “Take Me Home Tonight”, “I Wanna Go Back”, “Walk on Water”, “The Love in…
Joe Williams (December 12, 1918 – March 29, 1999) was an American jazz singer….who sang with big bands such as the Count Basie Orchestra….and the Lionel Hampton Orchestra….plus with his combos…. while singing in two films with the Basie orchestra….and sometimes he worked as an actor. Williams worked as a singer and bouncer in Chicago in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s….when he began singing…