Ralph Sylvester Peer (May 22, 1892 – January 19, 1960) was an American talent scout , recording engineer , record producer and music publisher in the 1920s and 1930s. Peer pioneered field recording of music when in June 1923 he took remote recording equipment south to Atlanta, Georgia , to record regional music outside the recording studio in such places as hotel rooms, ballrooms, or empty warehouses.
67-628: Peer, born in Independence, Missouri , spent some years working for Columbia Records , in Kansas City, Missouri , until 1920, when he was hired as recording director of General Phonograph's OKeh Records label in New York. In the same year, he supervised the recording of Mamie Smith 's " Crazy Blues ", the first blues recording specifically aimed at the African-American market. In 1924, he supervised
134-547: A temple in Independence , and also maintains a large auditorium and other buildings nearby. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints operates a sizable visitors' center adjacent to the Community of Christ Temple, and across the street from the original Temple Lot designated by Joseph Smith in 1830. The Lot itself is occupied by a small white-frame church building that serves as the headquarters and local meeting house for
201-542: A bill in 1968 that would have made "You Are My Sunshine" Louisiana's official song. The reason was that the song said not a word about Louisiana. Virginia Shehee , a long-time Davis family friend and member of the Louisiana State Senate from 1976 to 1980, re-introduced legislation to make "You Are My Sunshine" the official state song. In 1977, the Legislature decreed that "You Are My Sunshine" would share honors as
268-427: A female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.1% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37, and the average family size was 2.97. The median age in the city was 39.4 years. 23% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between
335-471: A female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37, and the average family size was 2.93. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
402-569: A flurry of building activity took place soon after the war. The rise of nearby Kansas City also contributed to the town's relegation to a place of secondary prominence in Jackson County, though Independence has retained its position as county seat to the present day. United States President Harry S. Truman grew up in Independence and, in 1922, was elected judge of the Court of Jackson County, Missouri (an administrative, not judicial, post). Although he
469-679: A four-year term, beginning on January 1 following the election. The current mayor is Rory Rowland, a Democrat , elected in 2022. The Independence Municipal Court is currently seated by two members. Judges are appointed by the City Mayor and serve a 4-year term. Judges may be reappointed for multiple terms by the Mayor or the City Council. Four school districts have areas within the city: Independence , Blue Springs , Fort Osage Schools, and Raytown . Prior to Fall 2008, parts of western Independence in
536-662: A major part of BMI's catalogue. During and after World War II Peer published songs such as " Deep in the Heart of Texas " and " You Are My Sunshine " (sung by Jimmie Davis , covered by Bing Crosby and many others), " Humpty Dumpty Heart " ( Glenn Miller ), " You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You " ( Russ Morgan ), " The Three Caballeros " ( Andrews Sisters ), "Say A Prayer For The Boys Over There" ( Deanna Durbin ), "I Should Care", and " The Coffee Song " (both Frank Sinatra ). In 1945, he published Jean Villard and Bert Reisfeld 's composition " Les trois cloches " ("The Three Bells"), which
603-431: A margin of error of +/- $ 1,935) and the median family income was $ 64,271 (+/- $ 2,089). Males had a median income of $ 40,007 (+/- $ 1,690) versus $ 26,762 (+/- $ 1,098) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $ 32,462 (+/- $ 1,353). Approximately, 11.2% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line , including 23.3% of those under the age of 18 and 7.1% of those ages 65 or over. As of
670-476: A population of 111,806 in 1980 and 112,301 in 1990. The racial makeup of the city was 91.87% White , 2.59% African American , 0.70% Asian , 0.64% Native American , 0.46% Pacific Islander , 1.43% from other races , and 2.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.69% of the population. There were 47,390 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 12.3% had
737-587: A site that would later form part of the city. Independence was also a stopping point for the " Donner Party ", an ill-fated group of 19th-century wagon train emigrants whose westward journey along the California Trail ended in disaster, spawning one of the most well known and taboo stories of pioneer-era America. Named after the Declaration of Independence , Independence was founded on March 29, 1827, and quickly became an important frontier town . Independence
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#1732891148074804-465: Is homesick while enrolled in a military school . Sam Scott of Looper called it "one of the most powerful moments of melancholy beauty in a series that got them down to an art form." In March 2020, British choirmaster Gareth Malone announced a new initiative titled the Great British Home Chorus , a new home choir for people internationally while everyone was stuck at home during
871-570: Is located on the south bank of the Missouri River , near the western edge of the state. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 78.25 square miles (202.67 km ), of which 77.57 square miles (200.91 km ) is land and 0.68 square miles (1.76 km ) is water. The 2020 United States census counted 123,011 people, 48,836 households, and 28,955 families in Independence. The population density
938-498: Is located there. Other Latter Day Saint denominations headquartered in the city include the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) and the Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite) , among others. A number of Restoration Branches are also located in and around Independence, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints maintains a visitor center in the town. The Community of Christ has built
1005-492: Is south of Truman Rd. between Memorial Dr. and Lynn St., between City Hall and the Independence Square. This twinning is commemorated by a Zen garden , near E Lexington Ave. and Memorial Dr. Independence Power & Light (IPL) is a local electric power plant owned and operated by the city. It was established in 1901 and has undergone many changes and upgrades. One change was moving from the old Dodgion Street plant (where
1072-562: Is still run by the Peer Family, though BMI now lists it under American Performing Rights Society, Inc., also known by its acronym, APRS, c/o Peermusic. According to a November 1990 article by Theodore Pappas, in Chronicles Magazine , the true writer of the song was Oliver Hood of LaGrange, Georgia . The name of the article is "The Theft of an American Classic". He asserts that Davis never actually claimed authorship because he bought
1139-521: The COVID-19 pandemic . For the finale, Malone orchestrated a choral version of "You Are My Sunshine", with over 11,000 singers taking part, accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra . The song was released as a charity single , with all the profits being donated to NHS Charities Together . After Davis' second term as governor, his admirers were disappointed when Gov. John McKeithen vetoed
1206-622: The Carter Family in the same session at a makeshift studio in Bristol, Tennessee , known as the Bristol sessions . This momentous event could be described as the genesis of country music as we know it today. Rodgers, who later became known as the Father Of Country Music, cut "The Soldier's Sweetheart" and "Sleep, Baby, Sleep", while the Carters' first sides (August 1, 1927) were: "Bury Me under
1273-472: The Library of Congress added it for long-term preservation. The song became associated with a viral internet meme in 2024, after it was part of a video featuring NBA player LeBron James , in which Christina Perri's cover of the song is played over a heavily edited portrait photo of James, intended to mock obsessive and defensive fans of James, framing him as their sunshine. It is unclear who first created
1340-544: The Restoration Branches . Independence saw great prosperity from the late 1830s through the mid-1840s, while the business of outfitting pioneers boomed. Between 1848 and 1868, it was a hub of the California Trail . On March 8, 1849, the Missouri General Assembly granted a home-rule charter to the town and on July 18, 1849, William McCoy was elected as its first mayor. In the mid-19th century an Act of
1407-542: The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). Peer was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1984. In 2017, Peer was featured in the award-winning documentary series American Epic . Directed by Bernard MacMahon , the films featured restored audio recordings of Ralph Peer discussing how he found and recorded some of the first country , blues , and RnB musicians in the 1920s. Ralph Peer and
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#17328911480741474-562: The Smoky Hills Wind Farm (a wind turbine facility) in Kansas. You Are My Sunshine " You Are My Sunshine " is an American standard of old-time and country music and the state song of Louisiana . Its original writer is disputed. According to the performance rights organization BMI , by the year 2000 the song had been recorded by over 350 artists and translated into 30 languages. Written and recorded as early as 1939,
1541-579: The United States Congress defined Independence as the start of the Oregon Trail . Two important Civil War battles occurred at Independence: the first on August 11, 1862, when Confederate soldiers took control of the town, and the second in October 1864, which resulted in a Union victory. The war took its toll on Independence, and the town was never able to regain its previous prosperity, although
1608-486: The census of 2010, there were 116,830 people, 48,742 households, and 30,165 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,506.1 inhabitants per square mile (581.5/km ). There were 53,834 housing units at an average density of 694.0 units per square mile (268.0 units/km ). The racial makeup of the city was There were 48,742 households, of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 13.9% had
1675-699: The fifth-most populous city in Missouri . Independence is known as the "Queen City of the Trails" because it was a point of departure for the California , Oregon , and Santa Fe Trails . It is the hometown of U.S. President Harry S. Truman , with the Truman Presidential Library and Museum , and the gravesites of Truman and First Lady Bess Truman . The city is sacred to the Latter Day Saint movement , as
1742-528: The poverty line , including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over. Independence played an important role in the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement and is home to the headquarters of several separatist denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement , most notably the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), whose Temple
1809-473: The 1930s, and success came through Peer's introducing Central American music to the world. In 1940, there was a major development when a dispute between the copyright organization American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and US radio stations led to the inauguration of the rival Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI). BMI supported music by blues, country and hillbilly artists, and Peer, through his Peer-International company, soon contributed
1876-502: The Church of Christ (Temple Lot). There are five Catholic churches and several Episcopal churches in Independence. One of the oldest churches in Independence is the First Presbyterian Church, founded in 1826. It was here in 1890 that Harry Truman first met Elizabeth (Bess) Wallace. Truman eventually married her after his return from World War I in 1919. According to the town's 2016 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,
1943-530: The Making of Popular Roots Music , by Barry Mazor (Chicago Review Press) was published in November 2014. Independence, Missouri Independence is the county seat of Jackson County, Missouri , United States. It is a satellite city of Kansas City, Missouri , and is the largest suburb on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metropolitan area . In 2020 , it had a total population of 123,011, making it
2010-570: The National Best-Selling Charts, with Autry going to number 1 on the Billboard Top Hillbilly Recordings chart on September 27, where he remained for over 20 weeks into January 1942. Autry's version remained on the chart for much of 1942, finally bowing out after 50 weeks. In January 1951, Columbia released a version of "You Are My Sunshine" by Doris Day as a singer and polka musician Frankie Yankovic . It
2077-781: The Roger T. Sermon Center stands now) to the Blue Valley Plant near Truman Rd. and MO-78/Lake City-Buckner Rd. IPL also draws power from other sources: the Missouri City Power Plant, and the Kansas City Power and Light Company (KCP&L), through several 69 and 161 kilovolt transmission interconnections. IPL has an "Out of Sight" power line burial program. After signing an agreement with TradeWind Energy in July 2008, IPL will begin purchasing annually 15 megawatts of renewable energy from
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2144-700: The Santa Fe Trail. In 1831, members of the Latter Day Saint movement began moving to the Jackson County, Missouri area. Shortly thereafter, founder Joseph Smith declared a spot west of the Courthouse Square to be the place for his prophesied temple of the New Jerusalem , in expectation of the Second Coming of Christ . Tension grew with local Missourians until the Latter Day Saints were driven from
2211-467: The Shreveport Times related, "On a day in 1939—no one seems to remember the exact date—Charles Mitchell and Jimmie Davis called the station KWKH to see Paul Rice (who was playing there at the time). Paul's wife was in the hospital and he needed cash to pay her bills. He sold 'Sunshine' to Davis and Mitchell for $ 35. Each put in $ 17.50." Paul Rice said, "I wrote 'You Are My Sunshine' in 1937. Where I got
2278-470: The Van Horn feeder pattern resided in the Kansas City, Missouri School District , but all of these students are now part of the Independence school district. Three public high schools are located within the city limits: Two private high schools within the city limits: Santa-Cali-Gon Days is an annual Labor Day festival held in Independence intermittently since 1940 and continuously since 1973, celebrating
2345-535: The Victor Talking Machine Company's Foreign Department from about 1920 through 1926 and then Director of Light Music until 1933, notes that about a year after he hired Peer, Peer asked for a raise, which Shilkret approved. Shilkret comments on Peer's business acumen in making a very profitable trade for this raise: "[Victor executive] Walter Clark met Peer, who sold Clark an idea. No raise, but a royalty of one cent per record side that he would divide with
2412-757: The Weeping Willow", "Single Girl, Married Girl", "The Poor Orphan Child", and "The Storms Are on the Ocean". Also in 1927, Peer recorded the fathers of modern RnB, The Memphis Jug Band , in a makeshift studio in the heart of Memphis ' Beale St . in the McCall Building, as well as a sanctified preacher named Elder J.E. Burch in Atlanta , who would become the inspiration for Dizzy Gillespie to begin playing music. In July 1929, he recorded female country singer Billie Maxwell . In his autobiography, Nathaniel Shilkret , Manager of
2479-497: The ages of 18 and 24; 24.9% were from 25 to 44; 27.4% were from 45 to 64; and 16.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.0% male and 52.0% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 113,288 people, 47,390 households, and 30,566 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,446.3 inhabitants per square mile (558.4/km ). There were 50,213 housing units at an average density of 641.1 units per square mile (247.5 units/km ). Independence has
2546-410: The area in 1833, the beginning of a conflict which culminated in the 1838 Mormon War . Several branches of this movement gradually returned to the city beginning in 1867, with many making their headquarters there. These include the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) , the Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite) and
2613-597: The artist.... When I heard of this I was stunned. No one on the musical staff had been offered royalty for his arrangements or compositions, and here was a man collecting royalties with other men's compositions!" Peer went on to publish and record other country and jazz artists and songs through his company Southern Music Publishing Company . Fats Waller , Jelly Roll Morton , Louis Armstrong , and Count Basie were on Southern's roster. Then into popular music with songs such as Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell 's " Georgia On My Mind ". The company became influential in
2680-661: The city's heritage as a starting point of three major frontier trails: the Santa Fe , California , and Oregon . Another popular annual festival is the Vaile Strawberry Festival, which is held on the first Saturday of June at the Vaile Mansion, 1500 N. Liberty, five blocks north of the historic Square. The Independence Heritage Festival is a celebration of the diverse culture that exist in Independence. The Independence town square features numerous family-owned shops surrounding
2747-452: The country in 1928 and 1929. He would later return to the city after two terms as president. His wife, First Lady Bess Truman , was born and raised in Independence, and both are buried there. The Harry S. Truman National Historic Site (Truman's home) and the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum are both located in Independence, as is one of Truman's boyhood residences. Independence
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2814-652: The first commercial recording session in New Orleans, Louisiana , recording jazz , blues, and gospel music groups there. He is also credited with what is often called the first country music recording, Fiddlin' John Carson 's disc " Little Old Log Cabin In The Lane "/"That Old Hen Cackled and The Rooster's Goin' To Crow". In August 1927, while talent hunting in the southern states for the Victor Talking Machine Company , he recorded both Jimmie Rodgers and
2881-716: The first version to hit the popular music chart on September 4, and reached number 19 on November 9, 1940. On March 14, 1941, the Gene Autry movie Back in the Saddle debuted with Autry singing "You Are My Sunshine" along with his signature song, " Back In The Saddle Again ." On June 18, he recorded "You Are My Sunshine" at CBS Columbia Square Studio, Hollywood , California , and it was released July 10 on Okeh Records . On July 8, 1941 ( 1941-07-08 ) , Bing Crosby recorded his version at Decca Recording Studios , New York City , also released in July. Both recordings made
2948-595: The home of Joseph Smith 's 1831 Temple Lot , and the headquarters of several Mormon denominations. Independence was originally inhabited by Missouri and Osage Native Americans, followed by the Spanish and a brief French tenure. It became part of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Lewis and Clark recorded in their journals that they stopped in 1804 to pick plums, raspberries, and wild apples at
3015-606: The idea for it, a girl over in South Carolina wrote me this long letter—it was long about seventeen pages. And she was talking about how I was her sunshine. I got the idea for the song and put a tune to it." According to Rice, "At least 20 people claimed to have written 'You Are My Sunshine'. I had a gal write me from California that she wrote it." Davis lived to be 101 years old and gave several conflicting accounts. When interviewed by Dorothy Horstman for her 1975 book Sing Your Heart Out Country Boy , he didn't claim authorship of
3082-597: The late 1940s, Peer took an avid interest in horticulture, growing and becoming an expert on camellias . He died in Hollywood, California, in 1960. His widow, Monique Iversen Peer, became president of his company, then called the Peer-Southern Organization. Their son, Ralph Peer, II joined the firm in the late 1960s and became CEO in 1980. In 1955, Ralph S. Peer was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal by
3149-457: The music to Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell shortly before 1940. On January 30, 1940, "You Are My Sunshine" was copyrighted by Davis and Mitchell and published by Southern Music Publishing Co., Inc. of New York. The pair recorded the song on February 5, 1940, at Decca Studios in New York. Both received song-writing credit and when the copyright was renewed on February 2, 1967, both of their names were on it. Southern Music Publishing Co., Inc.
3216-601: The new Country Music Hall of Fame in downtown Nashville, and the event included a guitar marching band, led by Chet Atkins , playing "Wildwood Flower" and "You Are My Sunshine". In 2000, the Songwriter's Hall of Fame chose Davis' version of "You Are My Sunshine" to receive its Towering Song Award. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) published their list of
3283-470: The old main courthouse , which was modeled after Philadelphia 's Independence Hall . This courthouse houses Harry S. Truman's former courtroom and office. Blue River Community College features a soccer program with a men's team and women's team. The Trailblazers (men) went all the way to the NJCAA Region 16 semifinals before concluding their season. The Lady Trailblazers (women) finished as runners up in
3350-413: The population was under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 91.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 89.4 males. The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $ 50,797 (with
3417-921: The region. The Cable Dahmer Arena is home of the Kansas City Mavericks , a minor-league hockey team in the ECHL . Silverstein Eye Centers Arena is also the home of Kansas City Comets of the Major Arena Soccer League , the top level of professional indoor soccer. Crysler Stadium is the home of the collegiate summer baseball Independence Veterans of the Mid-Plains League . Local recreational sports teams include: YMCA and Parks and Recreation have programs for various sports for all people. In 1978, Independence gained sister city status with Higashimurayama , Tokyo , Japan. Higashimurayama Street
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#17328911480743484-507: The song was first published and copyrighted in 1940 by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell . Davis went on to be governor of Louisiana from 1944 to 1948 and again from 1960 to 1964, and used the song for his election campaign. In 1977, the Louisiana State Legislature decreed "You Are My Sunshine" the state song in honor of Davis. Its best-known covers include a recording by Johnny Cash in 1989. In 1999, "You Are My Sunshine"
3551-521: The song, along with all the rights, from Paul Rice before copyrighting and publishing—a practice not uncommon in the pre- World War II music business. Though some early versions of the song credit the Rice Brothers, descendants, and associates of Oliver Hood, a musician who collaborated with Rice, state that Hood wrote the song in the early 1930s and first performed it in 1933, at a Veterans of Foreign Wars convention at LaGrange. A newspaper article in
3618-520: The song, but instead related its history of popularity. Tony Russell states, "Though Mitchell's name appears on the copyright listing, he had already sold his half-share to Davis." This is not reflected in the records of the United States Copyright Archives, which give the name, date and renewal number, "Charles Mitchell (A); 2Feb67; R403742". "You Are My Sunshine" was one of Jimmie Davis' biggest-selling records (one source claims it
3685-532: The state song with "Give Me Louisiana" by Doralice Fontane. As the millennium drew near, Hall of Fame organizations started drawing up lists to honor the best music of the 20th century. On September 2, 1992, Country America magazine designated "You Are My Sunshine" 35th on its Top 100 Country Songs of All-Time list. Next, it was among the pre-1950 records selected to join the Grammy Hall of Fame on February 24, 1999. On June 17, groundbreaking ceremonies were held for
3752-482: The top 365 "Songs Of The Century" on March 7, 2001, and "You Are My Sunshine" placed #14. The Country Music Foundation published "Heartaches By The Number" celebrating country's "500 greatest singles" on March 14, 2003, with "You Are My Sunshine" by Jimmie Davis on the list. On June 8, 2003, it ranked #73 on CMT's "100 Greatest Songs Of Country Music". On March 21, 2013, the National Recording Registry of
3819-404: The top employers in the city are: The Independence City Council is made up of six members. Four are elected to represent one of the city districts, and the other two are elected by the city as a whole. The City Mayor also sits on the City Council and serves as the "Head of Government" for the city, The Mayor can vote on legislation with the council but does not have the right to veto. Members serve
3886-703: Was "among the top five country music recordings of that year"), and it has enjoyed continual success since. In 1940, the Vocalion version by Bob Atcher and Bonnie Blue Eyes , released in February, went to number 1 on the embryonic Billboard Top Hillbilly Recordings of the Month (July 27, 1940, issue). Perhaps thanks to the popularity of the Davis and Atcher versions, the original 1939 recording by The Pine Ridge Boys peaked at number 4 on October 26, 1940. Wayne King and his Orchestra recorded
3953-483: Was 1,577.7 per square mile (609.2/km ). There were 54,120 housing units at an average density of 694.1 units per square mile (268.0 units/km ). The racial makeup (including Hispanics in the racial counts) was 72.61% (89,323) white , 8.68% (10,678) black or African-American , 0.76% (936) Native American , 1.19% (1,468) Asian , 0.67% (826) Pacific Islander , 5.52% (6,795) from other races , and 10.56% (12,985) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race
4020-409: Was 12.2% (15,042) of the population. Of the 48,836 households, 24.0% had children under the age of 18; 40.1% were married couples living together; 33.0% had a female householder with no husband present. Of all households, 33.5% consisted of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4, and the average family size was 3.1. 21.5% of
4087-404: Was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 38,012, and the median income for a family was $ 45,876. Males had a median income of $ 34,138 versus $ 25,948 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 19,384. About 6.4% of families and 8.6% of the population were below
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#17328911480744154-432: Was assessed by Billboard as "good" but did not make it onto the charts. In 1962, a version by Ray Charles , with the Raelettes and Margie Hendrix , reached number one on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and number 7 on its Hot 100 chart. In the 1997 The Simpsons episode " The Secret War of Lisa Simpson ", Marge Simpson sends a recording of herself singing "You Are My Sunshine" to her daughter, who
4221-431: Was defeated for reelection in 1924, he won back the office in 1926 and was reelected in 1930. Truman performed his duties diligently, and won personal acclaim for several popular public works projects, including an extensive series of fine roads for the growing use of automobiles, the building of a new County Court building in Independence, and a series of 12 Madonna of the Trail monuments to pioneer women dedicated across
4288-420: Was honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame award, and the Recording Industry Association of America named it one of the Songs of the Century . In 2003, it was ranked as No. 73 on CMT's 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music . The Pine Ridge Boys (Marv Taylor and Doug Spivey) recorded the song under the title "You Are My Sunshine" on August 22, 1939, and released it on October 6, 1939, for Bluebird Records. The song
4355-581: Was recorded by The Browns . In the 1950s, Peer published " Mockingbird Hill ", a million seller for Patti Page , " Sway " ( Dean Martin and Bobby Rydell ), and the novelty "I Know An Old Lady" ( Burl Ives ). Then came rock 'n' roll and Southern published hits by Buddy Holly , Little Richard , The Big Bopper , and The Platters . In 1948, Peermusic founded its concert music division, today Peermusic Classical ; composers published by Peermusic include Lou Harrison , Jerome Kitzke , Mario Lavista , Tania León , Charles Ives , and Stefan Wolpe . Starting in
4422-418: Was recorded in Atlanta, Georgia, where the Pine Ridge Boys were from. No songwriter was listed. The Rice Brothers' Gang recorded the song next for Decca, on September 13, 1939, and released it the following month. This group was originally from Northern Georgia but relocated to Shreveport, Louisiana, where they performed on radio station KWKH . The songwriter was listed as "Paul Rice". Paul and Hoke Rice sold
4489-423: Was the farthest point westward on the Missouri River where the steamboats or other cargo vessels could travel, due to the convergence of the Kansas River with the Missouri River approximately six miles west of town, near the current Kansas -Missouri border. Independence immediately became a jumping-off point for the emerging fur trade , accommodating merchants and adventurers beginning the long trek westward on
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