Georgia On My Mind
"Georgia on My Mind" was composed in 1930 by Hoagy Carmichael*, lyrics by Stuart Gorrell. The song was first recorded by Carmichael and His Orchestra with Bix Beiderbecke on muted cornet and Hoagy Carmichael on vocals. Frankie Trumbauer's 1931 recording made the top ten on the charts. It was not until Ray Charles' 1960 recording on The Genius Hits the Road that the song became a major hit. It reached the #1 spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Willie Nelson introduced the song to country audiences in 1978 as a #1 Country/Western hit. It became Georgia's state song in 1979.
In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named "Georgia on My Mind" the 44th greatest song of all time. Jamie Foxx and Alicia Keys, backed by Quincy Jones & his Orchestra, performed a new arrangement in honor of Ray Charles at the 2005 Grammy Awards.
*Hoagy Carmichael composed many great American standards, including "Stardust", "Lazy River", "The Nearness of You", and "Skylark".
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