"Georgia on My Mind" is a song written in 1930 by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell. It was first recorded the same year by Carmichael at the RCA Victor Studios located at 155 East 24th Street in New York City. The song is most closely linked to singer Ray Charles, who was born in the U.S. state of Georgia in the South. He recorded the song for his 1960 album called The Genius Hits the Road.

In 1979, the state of Georgia, through its state legislature, named Charles's version the official state song. The song is now part of the Great American Songbook tradition.

"Georgia on My Mind" has been added to the Grammy Hall of Fame twice. The first time was in 1993 for the 1960 recording by Charles on the ABC-Paramount label. The second time was in 2014 for the earlier 1930 recording by Carmichael and His Orchestra on the RCA Victor label.

The original 1930 version of the song entered the American public domain on January 1, 2026.

Background and original recording

It is often said that composer Hoagy Carmichael wrote the song "Georgia on My Mind" about his sister, Georgia. However, in his book of memories called Sometimes I Wonder, Carmichael wrote that saxophone player Frankie Trumbauer suggested he write a song called "Georgia." Trumbauer said that writing about the "South" would not cause problems, but he did not mention Carmichael's sister.

Trumbauer gave Carmichael the first two words of the song, "Georgia, Georgia…" Carmichael later used these words when working on the song with his roommate, Stuart Gorrell. Gorrell's name was not listed on the papers submitted to the U.S. Copyright Office for the song, but Carmichael sent him royalty checks later.

Carmichael first recorded "Georgia on My Mind" with Bix Beiderbecke playing the cornet in New York City on September 15, 1930. None of the people involved in creating the song had any connection to the state of Georgia. Trumbauer was from Illinois, Carmichael and Gorrell were both from Indiana, and Beiderbecke was from Iowa.

Ray Charles version and Georgia state connection

Over the next few years, many artists recorded the song, including Louis Armstrong, Coleman Hawkins, and Mildred Bailey. Many years later, "swing" artists like Fats Waller, Django Reinhardt, and Ethel Waters, as well as "big bands" like Artie Shaw and Glen Miller, also recorded it.

In 1960, 30 years after the song was first released, Ray Charles recorded his version. His recording reached No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Hot 100 chart. Charles's performance became the most well-known version of the song during that time. Charles was born in Albany, Georgia, and his excellent performance likely helped connect the song to Georgia.

In 1977, Robert Grossman, James Picker, and Craig Whitaker created a clay animation short called Jimmy the C, in which U.S. President Jimmy Carter sings Ray Charles's version of the song.

In 1979, the song was named the State Song of Georgia. Charles was invited to perform it at the state capitol.

The TV series Designing Women used an instrumental version of "Georgia on My Mind" as its opening theme. During the opening credits of the show's sixth season in 1991, Charles performed his version of the song live on piano while the show's main cast (Dixie Carter, Annie Potts, Julia Duffy, Jan Hooks, and Meshach Taylor) watched him.

In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Ray Charles's version of "Georgia on My Mind" as the 44th greatest song of all time.

The original lyrics, including the introductory verse that is often removed, are kept in the Georgia Code with permission.

Ella Fitzgerald version

In 1962, well-known jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald performed a version of the song. Norman Granz produced this performance, and it was part of the album Ella Swings Gently with Nelson.

The Hawks/The Band version

The song was a popular part of performances by Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks, where pianist Richard Manuel sang it after 1964. When The Hawks ended their group and became The Band, they continued to include the song in their performances. They recorded a version of the song for Jimmy Carter's campaign in 1976. This version was released as a single in 1976 and also appeared on their 1977 album Islands.

Willie Nelson version

Willie Nelson recorded the song on his 1978 album called Stardust, which features classic songs. The song was released as a single, reached number one on the charts for one week, and remained on Billboard’s country charts for sixteen weeks. Nelson’s version won a Grammy Award in 1979 at the 21st Annual Grammy Awards for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Male Artist.