Songs and related Episodes
(58) Yoshiko Ishii and Hoagy Carmichael Star Dust


For almost fifteen years Mr. Ichiro Inumaru had been the president of the Imperial Hotel. He used to touch with not only VIPs of the world but also great Jazz musicians.　Last year he retired from entire jobs and now he is enjoying the rest of his life.

Just two months ago, he asked me to show him the lyric of the verse of Star Dust.　However, he told me a rare story about Star Dust after he sang it.


Yoshiko Ishii and Ichiro Inumaru at Little MANUELA on Nov. 7, 1999

Long time ago, Inumaru-san and a famous Chanson singer Yoshiko Ishii were listening to Hoagy Carmichael live show.　Inumaru-san introduced Ishii-san to Hoagy as a singer, Hoagy asked her to sing something and he said that he would accompany for her song. Ishii-san sang Star Dust at that time.　Probably there is no Japanese singer who sang with Hoagy's accompaniment except Ishii-san.

I remember a TV show "The Soap Baloon Holiday". The Peanuts sang Star Dust accompanied by Hoagy Carmichael. The closing theme of this show was "Star Dust" by Los Indios Tabajaras so Hoagy was invited in this TV program as a special guest. The Crazy Cats is a rememberable comic band still now.

After she graduated from the department of vocal music at Geijutsu University (University of Arts and Music), she was abroad to the U.S.A. to study Jazz.　She moved from America to Paris, France and studied Chanson.　She made debut at Paris.　She was crowned with success as a top singer of Chanson in Japan. Following is the words she revealed;

"I'd like to be a Jazz singer at first.　But Jazz is difficult, isn't it?　So I chose Chanson".

Yoshiko Ishii died on July 7, 2010 at 87.

 
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