INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (AP) – The a cappella group Straight No Chaser will replace Jim Nabors in singing “Back Home Again in Indiana" before the start of the Indianapolis 500 in May.
The group was founded in 1996 at Indiana University in Bloomington and all 10 members are alumni. They will replace the 84-year-old Nabors, who announced earlier this year that the 2014 race would be his last because of health reasons. He had performed the song 35 times before the start of the race since 1972.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles says the track had received many suggestions on who should sing the song. He says “having a group with a national following, strong Indiana roots and a true understanding of the importance of this moment make” Straight No Chaser a great fit.
