Statue of Hoagy Carmichael to be placed at Indiana University

20-Apr-2005 • Bond News

A life-size bronze statue of Hoagy Carmichael will be erected near the Indiana University off-campus hangout where the songwriter composed Stardust almost 80 years ago - reports the Houston Chronicle.

Carmichael was said to be Ian Fleming's reference for the likeness of James Bond 007.

The statue, depicting Carmichael seated at a piano, was designed by Bloomington sculptor Michael McAuley and is planned to be completed by May 2006. A ceremony announcing plans for the Hoagy Carmichael Landmark Project will be at Peoples Park on April 23.

"It serves a dual function, to recognize the music world as well as the music community, and it's very natural for us to be interested in being part of that," said Mick Renneisen, administrator at the Bloomington Parks and Recreation department.

Carmichael's son, musician Randy Carmichael, is expected to attend.

"It's wonderful that people want to do something for dad. ... I'm humbled that they want to do this," he told The Herald-Times for a story Thursday.

The project is sponsored by the nonprofit Jazz from Bloomington, which will maintain the statue at Peoples Park. The park is only a few blocks from the IU law school, which Carmichael attended, and from what then was known as the Book Nook, where he wrote "Stardust" in 1927.

Carmichael died in 1981.

Thanks to `JP` for the alert.