You Are My Sunshine by Ray Charles

Album: Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (1962)

Charted: 7

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Songfacts®:

This was written by Jimmie Davis and his guitar player Charles Mitchell, who first recorded it in 1940, a year after both the Pine Ridge Boys and the Rice Brothers Gang introduced it (some historians claim Paul Rice actually wrote the tune and sold it to Davis). Davis was a prolific songwriter who became Governor of Louisiana a few years after.
Bing Crosby was the first to have a hit with this song. His version went to #20 in the US in 1941.
This was sung on the "It Was a GOOD Life" episode of The Twilight Zone by a neighbor of a supernatural little boy - before the boy changes the neighbor into a jack-in-the-box and buries him in a cornfield.
The B-side was Hank Williams' signature song, "Your Cheatin' Heart." >>>
Suggestion credit:
Brad Wind - Miami, FL, for above 3
The acclaimed 2000 O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack includes a version from bluegrass performer Norman Blake.
During the coronavirus lockdown, amateur singers were unable to join together in music. Noting this, British choirmaster Gareth Malone announced an initiative titled the Great British Home Chorus, a home choir for people stuck at home during the pandemic.

For the finale, Malone orchestrated a choral version of "You Are My Sunshine" with over 11,000 voices from across the country singing together from their bedrooms, living rooms and offices accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra. Malone released the song as a single with all the profits donated to NHS Charities Together.
When the Great British Home Chorus' version debuted on the UK singles chart at #57, it was the first time that "You Are My Sunshine" had ever entered the British tally.

Comments: 13

Ck from Ny,nyIt was Margie Hendrix
https://youtu.be/a8o4os6Um6g
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 23rd 1962, "You Are My Sunshine" by Ray Charles peaked at #7 (for 1 week) on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; it had entered the chart on November 10th and spent 12 weeks on the Top 100...
And on December 15th it reached #1 (for 1 week) on Billboard's R&B Singles chart (during the year 1962 he had two other No. 1s on the R&B chart ("Unchain My Heart" for 2 weeks and "I Can't Stop Loving You" for 10 weeks)...
The record's B-side, "Your Cheating Heart", also made the Top 100, it peaked at #29...
Both songs were from his album, "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Volume Two", the album peaked at #2 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart...
R.I.P. Mr. Charles, born Ray Charles Robinson, 1930 - 2004.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 5th, 1960, "You Are My Sunshine" by Johnny & the Hurricanes entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart for a one week stay at position #91...
It charted two more times in the 1960s; Ray Charles reached #7 with it in 1962 and Mitch Ryder took it to #88 in 1967...
Phil from Chicago, Ilthis link states the backup singer is Margie Hendricks. She sounded like Aretha to this layman!

http://thehookandsling.podbean.com/2009/06/08/ray-charles-with-raelettes-margie-hendricks-%E2%80%93-you-are-my-sunshine-%E2%80%93-hmv-more-events-info/
Ruth from Indianapolis, InThis song plays a prominent part in the movie "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" where people who love "old-timey music" keep singing it to sing away the effects of the Depression (although the movie took place before the song was even written).
Sally from Mclemoresville, TnA song about love?...un-requited or lost love maybe. The song has many more verses than Ray sang. I'd hate to know that anyone was living life like that.
Caitlin from Upper Township, Nji always sing this song for the little boy i babysit. he loves it.
Pete from Nowra, Australiamy dad sang this song to me when just a bub , and i then sang this song to my son..... a song about ones love for another... if only we could live life by what this songs preaches
Dok from Flatwoods, Kythis is the first song i taught my granddaughter , we sang it when we would take drives together. she is 8 years old now and when i am blue or sad she sings this song to me.
dok, ky
Rick from Seattle, WaOne of my earliest memomories is of my father coming home from work, singing this song to all of us (my mother, my older sister, and myself) as he came in the door. I think I was age 4 or 5 at the time. My dad had a terrible singing voice, but we didn't care.
Robert from London, Englandwho IS that woman and what's her lyric?
Alex from New Orleans, LaAnother thing about Davis: he promised to do nothing if elected LA governor-and he fulfilled his promise!
Antoinette from Nyc, NyDoes anyone who the woman singing back up on this is?

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