"Georgia on My Mind" is a song written in 1930 by Stuart Gorrell (lyrics) and Hoagy Carmichael (music). It is the official state song of the U.S. state of Georgia. Gorrell wrote the lyrics for Hoagy's sister, Georgia Carmichael [1]. However, the lyrics of the song are written ambiguously enough as to refer to the state or to a woman named "Georgia." Carmichael's 1965 autobiography, Sometimes I Wonder, records the origin: a friend suggested: "Why don't you write a song called 'Georgia?' Nobody lost much writing about the South." Stuart Gorrell is never spoken of, and yet he co-wrote a song that has become a truly unforgettable standard, recorded by Ray Charles famously, and by Billie Holiday less famously (but much better in my opinion). ... Hoagland Howard Hoagy Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American composer, pianist, singer, actor, and bandleader. ... Forty-nine states of the United States (all except New Jersey) have one or more state songs, selected by the state legislature as a symbol of the state. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American...

The song is best known as sung by Ray Charles, who first recorded the song in 1960. It became Georgia's state song in 1979. For Ray Charles, the composer and conductor of the Ray Charles Singers, see Ray Charles (composer). ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ...

Versions

 Audio samples:

The chorus of Georgia

Air National Guard Band of the Southwest - 2.65 MB

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The song has been covered by many artists, significant among them: Ella Fitzgerald, Gladys Knight, James Brown, Fats Waller, Andrzej Zaucha, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Nat Gonella and his Georgians, The Band, Django Reinhardt, Mina, Wes Montgomery,Offenbach, Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Nelson, The Righteous Brothers, Michael Bolton, Widespread Panic, David Bromberg, Kurt Hartel, Van Morrison, and the British groups Coldplay and the Spencer Davis Group (with Steve Winwood on vocals) among others. Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996), also known as Lady Ella and the First Lady of Song, is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th Century. ... Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA) is a seven-time Grammy Award-winning American R&B/soul singer, actress and author. ... For other persons named James Brown, see James Brown (disambiguation). ... Fats Waller (born Thomas Wright Waller on May 21, 1904, died December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer and comedic entertainer. ... Louis[1] Armstrong[2] (4 August 1901[3] – July 6, 1971), nicknamed Satchmo[4] and Pops, was an American jazz musician. ... Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz singer and songwriter. ... Nat Gonella was a UK jazz trumpeter and bandleader but also a singer, popular during the 1930s and 1940s. ... For other uses, see Band. ... Jean-Baptiste Django Reinhardt (January 23, 1910 – May 16, 1953) was a Belgian Sinto Gypsy jazz guitarist. ... For the Korean singer, see Shim Mina. ... John Leslie Wes Montgomery (6 March 1923 - 15 June 1968) was an American jazz guitarist and the grandfather of actor Anthony Montgomery. ... Offenbach holds many meanings. ... Jerry Lee Lewis (born September 29, 1935), also known by the nickname The Killer, is an American rock and roll and country music singer, songwriter, and pianist. ... Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 30, 1933) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. ... The Righteous Brothers The Righteous Brothers were the musical duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield. ... Michael Bolotin (born February 26, 1953), better known as Michael Bolton, is an American singer-songwriter, known for his soft rock ballads and tenor vocals. ... Widespread Panic is a southern jam band from Athens, Georgia. ... David Bromberg David Bromberg (b. ... George Ivan Morrison OBE (generally known as Van Morrison) (born August 31, 1945) is a Grammy Award-winning Irish singer, songwriter, author, poet and multi-instrumentalist, who has been a professional musician since the late 1950s. ... Coldplay are an English rock band formed in London in 1998. ... The Spencer Davis Group was a mid 1960s British beat group from Birmingham, England, founded by Spencer Davis (born 17 July 1939, Swansea, Wales). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Ray Charles

It was not until Ray Charles' 1960 recording on The Genius Hits the Road that the song became a major hit. On March 7, 1979, in a mutual symbol of reconciliation after conflict over civil rights issues, he performed it before the Georgia General Assembly. After this performance, the connection to the state was firmly made, and then the Georgia General Assembly adopted as the state song on April 24, 1979. This version of the song is played with a video montage each time that Georgia Public Television goes off the air (now generally only late on Sunday nights, instead of nightly). The Genius Hits the Road is a 1960 album by Ray Charles. ... Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate Casey Cagle, R since November 7, 2006 Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson, R since November 7, 2006 Members 236 Political groups (as of November 7, 2006 elections) Democratic Party Republican Party Meeting place Georgia State Capitol Web site... Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate Casey Cagle, R since November 7, 2006 Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson, R since November 7, 2006 Members 236 Political groups (as of November 7, 2006 elections) Democratic Party Republican Party Meeting place Georgia State Capitol Web site... For other uses, see Video (disambiguation). ... For other uses of the word montage, see Montage. ... Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) is the statewide network of Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR) affiliates in the U.S. state of Georgia. ...

The song was used as the theme song to the CBS-TV sitcom Designing Women, initially as an instrumental (performed by Doc Severinsen), and later in a recording by Ray Charles. Charles' version was also sampled for rap group Field Mob's 2005 single, "Georgia", featuring Jamie Foxx and Ludacris. The theme music of a radio or television program is a melody closely associated with the show, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits. ... This article is about the broadcast network. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... This article is about a television show. ... Doc Severinsen during The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carsons 18th Anniversary Special in 1980 Carl Hilding Doc Severinsen (born July 7, 1927 in Arlington, Oregon) is an American pop and jazz trumpeter, best known for leading the NBC Orchestra in the Johnny Carson era. ... Field Mob is a US hip hop duo originally from Albany, Georgia composed of artists Shawn Timothy Johnson (aka. ... Jamie Foxx (born Eric Marlon Bishop on December 13, 1967) is an American actor, Grammy Award-nominated singer, and stand-up comic. ... Luda redirects here. ...

Sometime after 2000, Charles invited the Italian singer Giorgia Todrani to sing the song with him after learning that she was named in honor of the song. Giorgia Todrani, best known as Giorgia (born April 26, 1971)[1] is an Italian female singer. ...

Cultural significance

In 2003, Rolling Stone named "Georgia on My Mind" the 44th greatest song of all time. This article is about the magazine. ... The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2004. ...

The title of the song was used as the state of Georgia's license plate slogan exclusively from January 1997 through November 2003, with some of these plates remaining valid through at least December 2009. Sample Iowa License Plate In the United States and Canada, license plates[1] are issued by an agency of the state or provincial government (or its equivalent, for example, the District of Columbia). ...

The song is referenced in The Beatles' "Back in the USSR", with the line "Georgia's always on my mind" referring to the Georgian SSR(Soviet Georgia). The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... Back in the U.S.S.R. is a song by The Beatles written by Paul McCartney (John Lennon shares songwriting credits), and which opens the double-disc album The Beatles (a. ... State motto: პროლეტარ ყველა ქვეყნისა, შეერთდით! Official language Georgian since 1978 Capital Tbilisi Chairman of the Supreme Council Zviad Gamsakhurdia (at independence) Established In the USSR:  - Since  - Until February 25, 1921 December 30, 1922 April 9, 1991 Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 10th in former Soviet Union 69,700 km² -- Population  - Total (1989)  - Density Ranked...

The song is featured in the Stone Mountain Laser Show that runs each summer outside Atlanta.

The song was one of the songs of the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta. The 1996 Summer h Olympics, formally known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and informally known as the Centennial Olympics, were held in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. ...

In the television show Quantum Leap, the Ray Charles version of the song is used in several episodes, since it was the song which played at the wedding of the supporting character Al Calavicci. The usage license was limited, and when the series was released on DVD in the USA, the producers decided they could not afford to renew the rights, so the song was replaced with generic instrumental music. Since the song was used in several emotional scenes, some fans were disapppointed with this decision. Information Nickname(s) Al Gender Male Date of birth June 15 1934 Occupation Pilot Companion/Assistant to Samuel Beckett Title Rear Admiral Relationships Beth Children Four daughters Portrayed by Dean Stockwell Created by Donald P. Bellisario Rear Admiral Albert Calavicci is a fictional character on the sci-fi/drama Quantum...

Lyrics

The lyrics to Ray Charles' version of this song appear in the Georgia Code under license. The official Georgia Code consists of statutes enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Georgia. ...

External references

• Georgia-state-song web-page
• Legally established lyrics