The Music of Indiana

I stumbled across this Wikipedia page while doing some research for my book and to say it led me down a rabbit hole would be an understatement.  However, going down rabbit holes has been one of the most enjoyable parts of doing this research (second only to sitting down and talking to these folks).  Hoosiers have contributed at high levels to every genre of music in American popular music.

Some notable Hoosier contributions (in no particular order):

• Albert Von Tilzer (born Albert Gumm in Indianapolis) - wrote the music to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”

• Junior Brown (grew up in Kirksville)

• Junior Walker (grew up in South Bend)

• The Rivieras - “California Sun” (South Bend)

• Bobby Helms (born in Bloomington, died in Martinsville)

• Mick Mars of Motley Crue (born in Terre Haute)

• Kyle Cook of Matchbox Twenty (born in Frankfort)

• Travis Meeks of Days of the New (born in Jeffersonville)

• Shannon Hoon of Blind Melon (born in Lafayette)

• David Lee Roth of Van Halen (born in Bloomington)

• DJ Asha of Guns n’ Roses (born in Monticello)

• Izzy Stradlin of Guns n’ Roses (born in Lafayette)

• Axl Rose of Guns n’ Roses (born in Lafayette)

• Henry Lee Summer (born in Brazil)

• Carrie Newcomer (grew up in Elkhart)

• Hoagy Carmichael (born in Bloomington)

• Cole Porter (born in Peru)

• Bill Gaither (born in Alexandria)

• The Ink Spots (Indianapolis)

• Kris Roe of the Ataris (Anderson)

• Steve Wariner (born in Noblesville)

• John Hiatt (born in Indianapolis)

• Babyface (born in Indianapolis)

• Janet Jackson (born in Gary)

• Michael Jackson (born in Gary)

• John Mellencamp (born in Seymour)

• Jeremy Camp (born in Lafayette)

• Wes Montgomery, jazz guitarist (born in Indianapolis)

• Paul Mahern of the Zero Boys, engineer and producer (born in Indianapolis)

• Mass Giorgini of Squirtgun, Common Rider, Screeching Weasel, engineer and producer (born in Lafayette)

• Scott Colburn of Killing Children, engineer and producer (born in Columbus)

• Brad Garton of Dow Jones & the Industrials, professor at Columbia University (born in Columbus)

• Tim Carroll of the Gizmos, Blue Chieftains and solo (born in Terre Haute)

• Dale Lawrence of the Gizmos, Vulgar Boatmen, Mysteries of Life (small town in Northern Indiana)

• Freda Love Smith of Blake Babies, Some Girls, Mysteries of Life (born in Bloomington)

• John Strohm of Blake Babies, The Lemonheads, head of Rounder Records (born in Bloomington)

• Lily & Madeleine (born in Indianapolis)

• Rich Edwards of Margot & the Nuclear So and Sos (born in Indianapolis)

• Murder by Death (Bloomington)

• Ryan Kennedy, engineer (born in Columbus)

I knew about pretty much all of these already, but as I saw the list, the sheer volume of great artists really hit me.  For a smaller state, known for high school basketball and auto racing, it’s a pretty impressive list. To have had personal interactions with as many of them as I have, it’s certainly a blessing. And these are just the ones you’ve probably heard of, or at least you heard them and you didn’t know it. There are dozens more who are amazing, that unless you’re a music nerd, you wouldn’t know.