Hoagy

Hoagy with our old friend Virginia Mayo (see L by L blog, "I Want to Go to Veronica Lake")

Happy birthday, Hoagy. I hope you're enjoying yourself. Are you being a Lazy Bones and does that Old Rocking Chair Got [You]? I hope so, I really do. You're a hundred and ten years old for Heaven's sake!

I'm not going into a big bio this time-- my esteemed colleague, the wonderful Confetta at On This Day in Jazz Music has done a great job with that.

Here's a very short list of my favorite Hoagland moments:

First: favorite song of yours sung by you: Hong Kong Blues- completely politically incorrect and lyrically visual. It makes me laugh and cry at the same time. What a little movie this would make. "He got twenty years privilege taken away from him when he kicked old Buddha's gong." Oh man, I hate when that happens.

Second: favorite song of yours sung by someone else: Doctor Lawyer Indian Chief sung by Betty Hutton.


Equally PI, but what a great love song! Go Betty!

Third: your rock- solid performance as Uncle Butch in The Best Years of Our Lives. You add a dignity to an already elegaic film. Your acting helps center this great film and your playing as you talk to your nephew is perfect.

Okay, Hoagy, give my regards to Bix, Louis, Tea and Bing. And watch out for the smoke! And thanks again for all those great songs.