

Musicians from far and wide would come to his house on a Sunday to play and jam together. According to Hood’s family, Oliver performed with musicians such as Paul Rice and Riley Puckett in the early 30s. He was a part of a generation of folks who sang and played music for the love of it, not the money. Oliver Hood was a music teacher and performer from LaGrange, Georgia. Rice says a woman from South Carolina wrote him a 17-page letter, claiming he was her sunshine. But they didn’t include a writing credit on the album.Īccording to Paul Rice, he wrote the song in 1937, inspired by a love letter sent to him. The Rice Brothers’ Gang recorded You Are My Sunshine on September 13, 1939. They were highly successful, toured a lot, and played with several musicians. They toured the American radio circuit in the early 30s as a duo called The Rice Brothers.Īfter becoming a five-piece in 1937, they rebranded themselves as The Rice brother’s Gang. Paul and Hoke Rice grew up near Atlanta and inherited their musical talent from their mother. So, who is Paul Rice? The Rice Brothers’ Gang Rice needed the money to pay for his wife’s hospital bills. This was a common and acceptable practice during the 30s.Īccording to a news article in the Shreveport Times, David bought the rights to You Are My Sunshine from Paul Rice in 1939 for $35. His career as a rural country music singer took off after signing with Decca in 1934.ĭavis purchased the composer credit from several musicians. He recorded over 50 singles from 1929 to 1933 under the Victor record label.

Davis was a teacher, and politician turned singer during the Depression. You Are My Sunshine was recorded and copyrighted by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell in 1940. But the remaining facts are up for debate. We know it was written in America in the 1930s. The origin story of You Are My Sunshine is a little muddy. Let’s see what we found! Who Originally Wrote You Are My Sunshine? We were curious, and we thought you might be too. Some know it as a way to sing away the blues in times of great stress.īut how many people know where the song comes from or who wrote it? Many know it as a children’s folk song, often sung in schoolyards or at a campfire. You Are My Sunshine is one of the most well-known songs in American history.
