Raised in modest circumstances in Indiana, Hoagy Carmichael inherited his love
of piano from his mother and was proficient by the age of six, but had a series
of mundane manual jobs before embarking on his illustrious music career. His
first performances were duets with his mother but, encouraged by bandleader Reg
DuValle, he became a proficient jazz pianist playing regularly for dances.
Cornettist Bix Beiderbecke was another big influence as Carmichael revealed his
extraordinary talent as a composer, experiencing his first breakthrough when
Beiderbecke recorded Riverboat Shuffle...