TV host Mike Rowe does amazing audition to sing ‘(Back Home Again in) Indiana’ at the 500

Let's get this out of the way: Mike Rowe, host of TV shows like "Dirty Jobs" and "Somebody's Gotta Do It," is not a Hoosier. He's from Maryland. He's been here multiple times, however. He's "milked a lot of cows" here, and in 2009 he collected semen from a bull in our fair state.

He notes those aren't qualifications to sing Indiana's most beloved song, mind you. Just an honest recounting of his history here.

Rowe, according to a video posted to his Facebook, is a big fan of Jim Nabors' iconic version of "(Back Home Again in) Indiana." He "sings it like a man," Rowe says, without any of the "hoopdedoodle" so often applied to performances of the national anthem.

So when a commenter not only suggested that he sing the song but apparently hooked him up with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Rowe recorded his version of the Indianapolis 500 favorite. And the resulting viral video makes a pretty compelling case for why he would be a great choice to sing the song. After all, Nabors wasn't a Hoosier, either.

The singing starts with about 1:09 left to go:

Rowe is no stranger to singing. He performed with the Baltimore Opera, which he joined "to meet girls." Here's proof:

Rowe's video has been viewed nearly 600,000 times since it was posted Monday. Since Nabors retired from singing at the Indy 500, the duties have been handled by a capella group Straight No Chaser and Josh Kaufman.

Allison Carter is an engagement producer at IndyStar and thinks this sounds uncannily like good old Jim. Follow her on Twitter @AllisonLCarter. Allison Carter/IndyStar