Was "Georgia",by Ray Charles, Dedicated To Someone?

Question

I've always been curious.

Answer 1

The song, "Georgia On My Mind" was originally written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell in 1930. It is possible that the song could have been about a woman. Carmichael nor Gorrell lived in Georgia, but Carmichael did have a sister named Georgia. The song was adopted as the official state song in 1979.

Answer 2

You must be talking about "Georgia (On My Mind)". If that's the case then that song is dedicated not to a person but to the state of Georgia. It came about when he was going to do a concert there but some big hoohaas in Georgia at a gig (probably most likely white people; some bigshot higher-up) saw that some black people wanted to hear him sing at this place but they didn't like it so they decided to keep them out. So Ray Charles decided that if they didn't want the blacks to listen then nobody would and he turned right around on the spot and the gig was cancelled right then and there. I believe he regretted never going back and Georgia was always on his mind after that (hence the name) so he decided to write and sing a song about it.

Answer 3

Georgia on My Mind" is a song written in 1930 by Stuart Gorrell (lyrics) and Hoagy Carmichael (music). It is the official state song of the U.S. state of Georgia. Gorrell wrote the lyrics for Hoagy's sister, Georgia Carmichael [1]. However, the lyrics of the song are written ambiguously enough as to refer to the state or to a woman named "Georgia." Carmichael's 1965 autobiography, Sometimes I Wonder, records the origin: a friend suggested: "Why don't you write a song called 'Georgia?' Nobody lost much writing about the South."

Answer 4

This was written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell in 1930. Carmichael was an actor, performer, and popular songwriter - some of his other compositions include "Stardust" and "Winter Moon." Gorrell was a banker living in New York City, and he wrote the lyrics.
It's possible that this was written about a woman, not the state. Carmichael and Gorrell didn't live in Georgia, but Carmichael did have a sister named Georgia.

Answer 5

Here is the Wikipedia story behind Georgia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_On_My_Mind

When Ray Charles did the song, that's when the connection to the state was made.

Answer 6

I beleive it is in reference to Georgia banning his music. I could be wrong though. I think theyu eventually gave him the freedom of the city years later.