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Uless Charles Mitchell (April 1, 1904 – December 27, 1972) was a songwriter, best known as a collaborator with Jimmie Davis. Davis's best-known composition, " You Are My Sunshine ", published in 1939 was co-written by Mitchell.
Jimmie Davis, Charles Mitchell " You Are My Sunshine " is an American standard of old-time and country music and one of the official state songs of Louisiana . Its original writer is disputed.
Charles Mitchell or Mitchel may refer to: Charles Mitchell (academic) (born 1965), professor of law at University College, London. Charles Mitchell (American football) (born 1989), American football player.
- 1939
- 1940
- 1990
- Continued Controversy
- Davis and Mitchell Continued
- Other Versions
- 2000 and 2001 Recognition
- Final Thoughts
According to records, the song was first tracked by The Pine Ridge Boys, a group consisting of Marvin Taylor and Doug Spivey. They recorded the tune on August 22, 1939, and later released it on October 6 of that year for Bluebird Records. The group recorded it in their hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, and saw the song peak at No. 4 on October 26, 1940...
“You Are My Sunshine” was later published on January 30, 1940, by Jimmie Davis (a future two-time governor of Louisiana) and Charles Mitchell. It was copyrighted by Davis and Mitchell and published by Southern Music Publishing Co., Inc. of New York. Davis and Mitchell later recorded it on February 5, 1940, at Decca Studios in the Big Apple. Both ea...
In a November 1990 article by Theodore Pappas, in Chronicles Magazine, Oliver Hood of LaGrange, Georgia was credited as the true writer of the song. Pappas says that Davis purchased the song from Paul Rice, along with all the rights, before it was copyrighted and published. This was a relatively common practice amongst musicians before the music bu...
An old newspaper article in The Shreveport Times stated, “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...
Davis lived to be 101 years old. And throughout his life, he gave varying stories about the song. Interviewed for Dorothy Horseman’s 1975 book, Sing Your Heart Out Country Boy, he didn’t say he wrote the song. But he described how popular it’s become. In 1998 liner notes for the song, Tony Russell wrote, “though Mitchell’s name appears on the copyr...
In 1941, Gene Autry sang the song for his movie, Back in the Saddle. Later that year, he recorded the song for CBS Columbia Square Studio and it was released on July 10 on Okeh Records. That same year, Bing Crosby recorded his version for Decca Records. In 1962, Ray Charles recorded a version that hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart an...
In 2000, the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame picked Davis’ version to earn the Towering Song Award. In 2001, the Recording Industry Association of America put the song as No. 14 on their list of the 365 Songs Of The Century.
Today, the song is almost as ubiquitous as sunshine, itself. The song is sung to lovers, children, and any other object of affection. Probably many feline owners have sung it to their whiskered friends. It’s a song about warmth, light, and love. No matter who wrote it (though it seems like it was Paul Rice), it’s forever.
- Jacob Uitti
- 3 min
- Senior Writer
Apr 7, 2021 · After Rice released the song, he sold the lyrics to Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell for $35. In 1940, Davis recorded the song and it became an instant country music hit. In 1944 and 1959,...
Born: April 1, 1905. Died: May 27, 1958. About The Artist. The life of Charles Mitchell began on a farm in Texas. About seven years later, his family moved to Oklahoma and while growing up, he was among the Choctaw Indians.
Sep 25, 2023 · Jimmie Davis recorded — and copyrighted — the song in 1940 in a much jauntier version, with Charles Mitchell’s orchestra backing him, replete with clarinet solos. And it is here that the...
