Whilst perhaps better known as a songwriter, Hoagy was also a hugely successful singer in his own right, unsurprisingly specialising in interpretations of his own work. His own recording career began taking off in 1927 with Stardust, then an instrumental track and to which Mitchell Parish would add lyrics two years later. Over the next fifty years he would write literally hundreds of tracks, always pursuing the same degree of excellence, irrespective of whether it was jazz or popular music that he was writing. Whilst much of his work would later be recognised thanks to others recording his repertoire, Hoagy appeared in some 14 films, performing a new composition in each.