Hoagy Carmichael

1899 - 1981

How many people know that one of America's most prolific composers not only appeared in a number of motion pictures (including the first Bogey/Bacall film "To Have and Have Not") and television shows (with a major guest spot on "Rawhide"), but he was also the model for one of the world's most enduring icons?

Yep. When Ian Fleming sat down to write his first novel, he picked the name of his character from an ornithologist from the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia.

But he decided to model his character's "rather cruel good looks" from Hoagy Carmichael.

We're talking about James Bond, of course.

Don't believe it? It's right there in Casino Royale (the book, that is).

Oh, yes, you ever heard Hoagy sing? You want to shout, "Hoagy, go home and write a song!"