Jimmie Davis – You Are My Sunshine

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You Are My Sunshine (Song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“You Are My Sunshine”
Single by Jimmie Davis with Charles Mitchell’s Orchestra
B-side“Old Timer”
Released1940
RecordedFebruary 5, 1940
StudioDecca Recording, New York City
GenreCountry
Length2:47
LabelDecca
Songwriter(s)Disputed
Producer(s)Jimmie DavisCharles Mitchell

You Are My Sunshine” is a standard of American old-time country music and one of the official state songs of Louisiana. Though its original writer is disputed, according to the performance rights organisation BMI in 2000, the song had been recorded by over 350 artists and translated into 30 languages.

Written and recorded as early as 1939, the song was first published and copyrighted in 1940 by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell. Davis went on to be governor of Louisiana from 1944 to 1948 and again from 1960 to 1964, and used the song for his election campaign. In 1977, the Louisiana State Legislature decreed “You Are My Sunshine” the state song in honor of Davis. Its best-known covers include a recording by Johnny Cash in 1989.

Johnny Cash – You are my Sunshine Original

In 1999, “You Are My Sunshine” was honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame award, and the Recording Industry Association of America named it one of the Songs of the Century. In 2003, it was ranked as No. 73 on CMT’s 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music.

Frank Sinatra Introduces Louisiana Gov. Jimmie Davis / You Are My Sunshine

History

Earliest performances and recordings

“You Are My Sunshine”

Pine Ridge Boys - You Are My Sunshine 78 (Bluebird).jpg
By Unknown author – Scanned from record label., Public Domain, Link

Single by the Pine Ridge Boys
ReleasedOctober 6, 1939
RecordedAugust, 22, 1939
StudioAtlanta, Georgia
GenreCountry music
Length2:45
LabelBluebird
Songwriter(s)Doug Spivey, Marv Taylor

The Pine Ridge Boys (Marvin Taylor and Doug Spivey) recorded the song under the title “You Are My Sunshine” on August 22, 1939, and released it on October 6, 1939 for Bluebird Records. The song was recorded in Atlanta, Georgia, where the Pine Ridge Boys were from. No songwriter was listed.

Pine Ridge Boys – You Are My Sunshine

The Rice Brothers’ Gang recorded the song next for Decca, on September 13, 1939, and released it the following month. This group was originally from Northern Georgia, but relocated to Shreveport, Louisiana, where they performed on the radio station KWKH. The songwriter was listed as “Paul Rice”. Paul and Hoke Rice sold the music to Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell shortly before 1940.

You are My Sunshine by The Rice Brothers gang

Copyright and publication

On January 30, 1940, “You Are My Sunshine” was copyrighted by Davis and Mitchell and published by Southern Music Publishing Co., Inc. of New York. The pair recorded the song on February 5, 1940, at Decca Studios in New York. Both received song-writing credit and when the copyright was renewed on February 2, 1967 both of their names were on it. Southern Music Publishing Co., Inc. is still run by the Peer Family, though BMI now lists it under American Performing Rights Society, Inc., also known by its acronym, APRS, c/o Peermusic.

Claims of ownership

According to a November 1990 article by Theodore Pappas, in Chronicles Magazine, the true writer of the song was Oliver Hood of LaGrange, Georgia. He asserts that Davis never actually claimed authorship because he bought the song, along with all the rights, from Paul Rice before copyrighting and publishing—a practice not uncommon in the pre-World War II music business. Though some early versions of the song credit the Rice Brothers, descendants and associates of Oliver Hood, a musician who collaborated with Rice, state that Hood wrote the song in the early 1930s and first performed it in 1933, at a Veterans of Foreign Wars convention at LaGrange.

A newspaper article in the Shreveport Times related, “on a day in 1939—no one seems to remember the exact date—Charles Mitchell and Jimmie Davis called the station KWKH to see Paul Rice (who was playing there at the time). Paul’s wife was in the hospital and he needed cash to pay her bills. He sold ‘Sunshine’ to Davis and Mitchell for $35. Each put in $17.50.” Paul Rice said, “I wrote ‘You Are My Sunshine’ in 1937. Where I got the idea for it, a girl over in South Carolina wrote me this long letter—it was long about seventeen pages. And she was talking about how I was her sunshine. I got the idea for the song and put a tune to it.”

According to Rice, “at least 20 people claimed to have written ‘You Are My Sunshine’. I had a gal write me from California that she wrote it.”

Davis lived to be 101 years old and gave a number of conflicting accounts. When interviewed by Dorothy Horstman for her 1975 book Sing Your Heart Out Country Boy, he didn’t claim authorship of the song, but instead related its history of popularity.

Tony Russell states, “though Mitchell’s name appears on the copyright listing, he had already sold his half share to Davis.” This is not reflected in the records of the United States Copyright Archives, which give the name, date and renewal number, “Charles Mitchell (A); 2Feb67; R403742”.

Chart performance

“You Are My Sunshine”
Single by Gene Autry
B-side“It Makes No Difference Now”
ReleasedJuly 10, 1941
RecordedJune 18, 1941
StudioCBS Columbia Square, Hollywood, California
GenreHillbilly
Length2:25
LabelOkeh

“You Are My Sunshine” was one of Jimmie Davis’ biggest-selling records (one source claims it was “among the top five country music recordings of that year”), and it has enjoyed continual success since. In 1940, the Vocalion version by Bob Atcher and Bonnie Blue Eyes, released in February, went to number 1 on the embryonic Billboard Top Hillbilly Recordings of the Month (July 27, 1940, issue).

You Are My Sunshine

Perhaps thanks to the popularity of the Davis and Atcher versions, the original 1939 recording by The Pine Ridge Boys peaked at number 4 on October 26, 1940. Wayne King and his Orchestra recorded the first version to hit the popular music chart on September 4, and reached number 19 on November 9, 1940.

You Are My Sunshine

On March 14, 1941, the Gene Autry movie Back in the Saddle debuted with Autry singing “You Are My Sunshine” along with his signature song, “Back In The Saddle Again“.

Gene Autry – Back in the Saddle Again (from Back in the Saddle 1941)

On June 18, he recorded “You Are My Sunshine” at CBS Columbia Square Studio, HollywoodCalifornia, and it was released July 10 on Okeh Records.

Gene Autry: You Are My Sunshine

On July 8, 1941, Bing Crosby recorded his version at Decca Recording StudiosNew York City, also released in July. Both recordings made the National Best-Selling Charts, with Autry going to number 1 on the Billboard Top Hillbilly Recordings chart on September 27, where he remained for over 20 weeks into January 1942. Autry’s version remained on the chart for much of 1942, finally bowing out after 50 weeks.

BING CROSBY – "You Are My Sunshine" – 1941

In January 1951, Columbia released a version of “You Are My Sunshine” by Doris Day as a singer and polka musician Frankie Yankovic. It was assessed by Billboard as “good”, but did not make it onto the charts.

Doris Day – You Are My Sunshine

In 1962, a version by Ray Charles, with the Raelettes and Margie Hendrix, reached number one on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and number 7 on its Hot 100 chart.

You Are My Sunshine

Appearances

In the 1997 The Simpsons episode “The Secret War of Lisa Simpson“, Marge Simpson sends a recording of herself singing “You Are My Sunshine” to her daughter, who is homesick while enrolled in a military school. Sam Scott of Looper called it “one of the most powerful moments of melancholy beauty in a series that got them down to an art form.”

You Are My Sunshine – The Simpsons

In 2000, the song was featured in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? by the Coen brothers.

You Are My Sunshine

In March 2020, British choirmaster Gareth Malone announced a new initiative titled the Great British Home Chorus, a new home choir for people internationally whilst everyone was stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the finale, Malone orchestrated a choral version of “You Are My Sunshine”, with over 11,000 singers taking part, accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra. The song was released as a charity single, with all the profits being donated to NHS Charities Together.

Gareth Malone’s Great British Home Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra – You Are My Sunshine

Recognition

After Davis’ second term as governor, his admirers were disappointed when Gov. John McKeithen vetoed a bill in 1968 that would have made “You Are My Sunshine” Louisiana’s official song. The reason was that the song said not a word about Louisiana. Virginia Shehee, a long-time Davis family friend and member of the Louisiana State Senate from 1976 to 1980, re-introduced legislation to make “You Are My Sunshine” the official state song. In 1977, the Legislature decreed that “You Are My Sunshine” would share honors as the state song with “Give Me Louisiana” by Doralice Fontane.

Louisiana state song

As the millennium drew near, Hall of Fame organizations started drawing up lists to honor the best music of the 20th century. On September 2, 1992, Country America magazine designated “You Are My Sunshine” 35th on its Top 100 Country Songs of All-Time list. Next, it was among the pre-1950 records selected to join the Grammy Hall of Fame on February 24, 1999. On June 17, groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the new Country Music Hall of Fame in downtown Nashville, and the event included a guitar marching band, led by Chet Atkins, playing “Wildwood Flower”

Chet Atkins Wildwood Flower

and “You Are My Sunshine”.

In 2000, the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame chose Davis’ version of “You Are My Sunshine” to receive its Towering Song Award. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) published their list of the top 365 “Songs Of The Century” on March 7, 2001, and “You Are My Sunshine” placed #14. The Country Music Foundation published “Heartaches By The Number” celebrating country’s “500 greatest singles” on March 14, 2003, with “You Are My Sunshine” by Jimmie Davis on the list. On June 8, 2003, it ranked #73 on CMT’s “100 Greatest Songs Of Country Music”. On March 21, 2013, the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress added it for long-term preservation.

Other versions

  • Christina Perri
CHRISTINA PERRI – YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE [Lyric Video]
  • Nada & Luthfi
Nada & Luthfi – You Are My Sunshine (Cover)
  • Music Travel Love
You Are My Sunshine (Cover) Music Travel Love (White Island, Camiguin Philippines)
  • Jasmine Thompson
You Are My Sunshine (Jasmine Thompson)
  • The Dead South
The Dead South – You Are My Sunshine [Official Music Video]
  • Kina Grannis
You Are My Sunshine – Kina Grannis
  • Daniel O’Donnell
You Are My Sunshine Encore
You Are My Sunshine
  • Moira Dela Torre
Moira Dela Torre – You Are My Sunshine (Audio)
  • Anne Murray
"You Are My Sunshine" – ( Anne Murray )
  • Carly Simon
You Are My Sunshine
  • Eric Guitar Instrumental
You Are My Sunshine – guitar version played by Eric
  • Andy Williams
You Are My Sunshine
  • Teresa Teng
你是我的陽光 You are My Sunshine アジアの歌姫 鄧麗君 Teresa Teng テレサ・テン ( 西洋曲「You Are My Sunshine」)
  • Saori Yuki
You Are My Sunshine
  • Norah Jones, Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis
Norah jones Willie Nelson Wynton Marsalis-You Are My Sunshine

  • Bert Kaempfert
You Are My Sunshine
  • Nat King Cole
You Are My Sunshine
  • The Marcels
You Are My Sunshine
  • Ike and Tina Turner
You Are My Sunshine
  •  The Rivingtons
You Are My Sunshine
  • Burl Ives
You Are My Sunshine ~ Burl Ives (1968)
  •  Frank Turner
You Are My Sunshine | Frank Turner
  • Chuck Berry
You Are My Sunshine
  •  Jerry Lee Lewis
You Are My Sunshine
  •  Gene Vincent
You Are My Sunshine
  •  Jamey Johnson
Jamey Johnson – You Are My Sunshine
  • Low
Sunshine
  •  Mose Allison
You Are My Sunshine
  •  Bryan Ferry
You Are My Sunshine
  •  Yusuf Islam
You Are My Sunshine – Yusuf(Cat Stevens) – 2014
  •  Copeland
Copeland – You Are My Sunshine (lyrics)
  •  Johnny and the Hurricanes
Johnny And The Hurricanes – You Are My Sunshine
  •  Barbra Lica
You Are My Sunshine
  • Lawrence Welk & His Orchestra
You Are My Sunshine
  • The Blue Diamonds
You Are My Sunshine
  • You Are My Sunshine (Instrumental)
You Are My Sunshine (Instrumental)
  • Trini Lopez
You Are My Sunshine

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