The earliest known recorded version of this melancholy American classic was released in 1939, recorded by The Rice Brothers Gang. However, it is Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell’s version, recorded in 1939 and released in 1940, which was the first widely successful recording. Their version made the song a national hit and firmly tied it to Davis, who would later use it as a campaign song when running for governor of Louisiana.
The authorship of "You Are My Sunshine", however, is contested. Jimmie Davis, a country singer and later governor of Louisiana, is most often credited as a co-writer, with Charles Mitchell, Davis’s songwriting partner, is also listed as a co-author. However, it is widely believed that the song was originally written by Paul Rice of the Rice Brothers Gang in 1937. Paul reportedly sold the song to Davis and Mitchell in 1939 due to financial hardship.
"You Are My Sunshine" was declared one of the official state songs of Louisiana in 1977, largely due to Davis’s association with it. Its blend of sweetness and sadness, simplicity and emotional depth, has made it one of America's most cherished and frequently sung standards.
"Sunshine" has been recorded by over 350 artists, across multiple genres. Some of the most well-known artists who covered it are Gene Autry (1941), Bing Crosby (1941), Ray Charles (1962), Johnny Cash (1970), Ike & Tina Turner (1970), Aretha Franklin (1962), and Brian Wilson (2008).
That all said, I think Jim Lord here does it justice, I love his take on it.
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