Georgia on My Mind is a 1930 song written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell and first recorded that year by Carmichael and His Orchestra at RCA Victor Studios in New York City - it was released as a single with the B-side One Night in Havana and is considered traditional pop. The tune is best known for Ray Charles's 1960 version on the album The Genius Hits the Road, a rendition that reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped cement the song as a late 20th century classic. In 1979 the state of Georgia adopted Charles's version as its official state song. The song has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame twice, in 1993 for the 1960 recording and in 2014 for the 1930 original. It is a staple of the Great American Songbook and has been covered by many artists including Willie Nelson on Stardust (1978), Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, The Band, and Mildred Bailey. The original 1930 composition will enter the public domain on January 1, 2026.
