Hoagland Howard -Hoagy- Carmichael (November 22; 1899 December 27; 1981) was an American composer; pianist; singer; actor; and bandleader. He is best known for writing the melody to -Stardust- (1927); one of the most-recorded American songs of all time. Carmichael always spelled it -Star Dust-; but the space is usually dispensed with.Alec Wilder; in his study of the American popular song; concluded that Hoagy Carmichael was the -most talented; inventive; sophisticated and jazz-oriented- of the hundreds of writers composing pop songs in the first half of the 20th century.