James Hanley was an American composer who contributed several enduring standards to early twentieth-century popular music. Born in Rensselaer, Indiana in 1892, Hanley began as a vaudeville accompanist before establishing himself as a composer for Broadway revues and Hollywood films. He contributed to over fifteen Broadway productions, including multiple editions of the Ziegfeld Follies. His most famous composition, "(Back Home Again in) Indiana," became one of the most frequently performed jazz standards. He also wrote "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart" and "Second Hand Rose." Hanley's career flourished during the transitional era from live theater to film musicals. He died in 1942.
