"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 of the United States. Charles recorded the song for his 1960 album titled The Genius Hits the Road.
In 1979, the State of Georgia, through its General Assembly (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 addition was in 1993 for the 1960 recording by Charles on the ABC-Paramount label. The second addition occurred 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
Composer Hoagy Carmichael is often said to have written the song "Georgia" about his sister, Georgia. However, in his book Sometimes I Wonder, Carmichael wrote that saxophonist 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 copyright forms sent to the U.S. Copyright Office, but Carmichael later sent him royalty checks.
Carmichael first recorded "Georgia on My Mind" with Bix Beiderbecke on cornet in New York City on September 15, 1930. None of the four people involved in the song—Trumbauer, Carmichael, Gorrell, or Beiderbecke—were from the state of Georgia. Trumbauer was from Illinois, Carmichael and Gorrell were 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 such as 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. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Hot 100 chart. Charles's version became the most well-known version of the song during that time. Charles was born in Albany, Georgia, and his performance likely helped establish a connection between the song and the state.
In 1977, Robert Grossman, James Picker, and Craig Whitaker created a clay animation short film called Jimmy the C. In it, U.S. President Jimmy Carter sings Ray Charles's version of the song.
In 1979, the song was officially named the State Song of Georgia. Ray 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 show's sixth season in 1991, Charles performed his version of the song live on piano during the opening credits. The show's main cast, including Dixie Carter, Annie Potts, Julia Duffy, Jan Hooks, and Meshach Taylor, watched him play.
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 left out, are included in the Georgia Code under license.
Ella Fitzgerald version
In 1962, well-known jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald released a version of the song, created by Norman Granz, on 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 perform the song. They recorded a version of the song for Jimmy Carter's 1976 campaign. This recording 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. The song was released as a single, reached number one on the charts for one week, and appeared on the Billboard country charts for sixteen weeks. Nelson's version of the song won him a Grammy Award in 1979 at the 21st Annual Grammy Awards for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Male Artist.