It never rains in Southern California

My friend (a pianist) told me the song "It never rains in Southern California" (written and sung by Albert Hammond) was originally "It never rains in Indianapolis". I didn't check further with some other sources. Simply in my mind I don't find the rhythmic sound right with "Indianapolis". There should be some story for my friend with his home town - Indianapolis.

He has spent over 50 years in Palm Springs, Southern California. A happy guy. A professional pianist. A devoted artistic typist - yes, he cared so much with his typewriter and insist to type instead of using a computer. He served in the Korean war (in the 50's) for typing to deliver accurate messages for the American navy. He kept on sending me typed letters. Not a single word of correction until the last one he fell. He made some typo error. He stopped typing. He went to a retirement home in Palm Springs.

In February, 2006, I went to see him together with some other good friends. Spent just 3 days there without stopping by LA for the first time. On the last day, that late afternoon, I was at the parking lot at Walmart. A layer of rainy cloud was on the Mount San Jacinto. It told LA was raining already. This was the last scene I saw Palm Springs. All along the way to LAX, it rained heavy as something in an attempt to washing out my last memory. It didn't.

The rain actually brought him away on a flight long delayed for 5 years to Feb. 2011. Got on board a 747, with your beloved dog Jake, flying out of Southern California. Flying out of Indianapolis.