Jimmie Davis (on writing "You Are My Sunshine") "I didn't write it about anybody special, although I might have been courtin' two or three at the time.  I believe it was written after a rainy day in Louisiana like this.  Sunshine is a welcome thing.   It brings a lot of brightness.  I still like to watch the sun go down in the afternoon.  I carried 'You Are My Sunshine' around but nobody would let me record it, and I couldn't get anybody else to record it.  They either didn't think the song was any good or that I was any good.  I recorded my own version in 1931 in Chicago, but nothing happened with it." "A song is the most intangible thing in the world.  It's not what I like, it's what people buy.  Songs should be inspirational and have meaning." (on his favorite songs) "I have at least 300 or 400 songs and even more but I have picked here 2 of my best country ('You Are My Sunshine' and 'Nobody's Darling') and 2 of my best gospel ('Someone to Care' and 'The Three Nails')"   Birth Name: James Houston Davis Induction Year: 1971 Date of Birth: 9/11/1899 Place of Birth: Quitman, LA Date of Death: 11/5/2000 Place of Death: Baton Rouge, Louisiana Former Occupations: teacher criminal court clerk dish washer sharecropper Education: High School--Beech Spring High School College--Soule Business College College--Louisiana College (Pineville); history major; graduated with a BA degree; attended in the early 1920s College--LSU; graduated with a MA (Master's Degree) in education and psychology Career Milestones: Mid 1920s--performed on KWKH Radio 1928--first recording session for Columbia Records 1929--signed with Victor 1934--first artist to sign with Decca Records 1935--had first major hit, "Nobody's Darlin' But Mine" 1940--recorded "You Are My Sunshine" on February 4; song was released one month later and sold over 1 million copies in America; when the song was released in England, King George VI declared it his favorite song 1941--first feature film role in "Strictly in the Groove" which starred Ozzie and Harriet Nelson 1944--starred in feature film "Louisiana" Awards: 1972--Country Music Hall of Fame induction Catalog Highlights You Are My Sunshine Co-writer: Charles Mitchell Artists: Jimmie Davis, Rice Brothers Gang, Bing Crosby, Guy Lombardo, Wayne King, Andrew Sisters, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Faron Young, Nat King Cole, Jimmy Wakely, Gene Autry, Mitch Miller, Oscar Peterson, Pete Seeger, Andy Williams, Willie Nelson, Delbert McClinton, Bryan Ferry Nobody's Darlin' But Mine Artists: Bing Crosby, Johnny Sea (1960), B.J. Wright There's a New Moon Over My Shoulder Co-writer: E. Whelan, L. Blostic Artists: Jimmie Davis (1945), Tex Ritter (1945) Sweethearts or Strangers Co-writer: L. Wayne Artists: Faron Young It Makes No Difference Now Co-writer: Floyd Tillman Artists: Hank Thompson, Eddy Arnold, Burl Ives, Jimmie Davis, Bing Crosby, Floyd Tillman, Ernest Tubb Worried Mind Co-writer: Ted Daffan Artists: Faron Young, Ferlin Husky, Ivory Joe Hunter When It's Round Up Time in Heaven Come Home It's Suppertime Where the Old Red River Flows Artists: Jimmie Davis (1962) Someone to Care The Three Nails Touch the Hand of the Lord Co-writer: Charles F. Goodman Comments: Served as Governor of Louisiana in 1944-48 and 1960-64 Taught history at Dodd College in the late 1920s Appeared in the following films: "Strictly in the Groove," "Frontier Guy," "Lousiana" and "Square Dance Katy" Wrote "You Are My Sunshine" while working on his master's degree at LSU Davis, along with Hank Williams and others, is credited with introducing cajun music to country music listeners, with his version of the song "Colinda"