{"product_id":"you-are-my-sunshine-jimmie-davis-and-the-biography-of-a-song-hardcover","title":"You Are My Sunshine: Jimmie Davis and the Biography of a Song - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eRobert Mann\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eYou Are My Sunshine, \u003c\/i\u003eRobert Mann weaves together the birth of country music, Louisiana political history, World War II, and the American civil rights movement to produce a compelling biography of one of the world's most popular musical compositions. This is the story of a song that, despite its simple, sweet melody and lyrics, holds the weight of history within its chords. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe song's journey to global fame began in 1939, when two obscure \"hillbilly\" groups recorded it. By the century's end, it was a cultural phenomenon covered by hundreds of artists spanning every genre. It entered the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry in 2012. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAt the center of this story is Jimmie Davis, who capitalized on his country music stardom to win two terms as Louisiana's governor. In 1940, Davis became the third artist to record \"Sunshine,\" after he bought it and claimed it as his composition. The song became his anthem and a staple of his political rallies, radiating warmth and wholesomeness. Its sunny tune encouraged listeners to forget Davis's earlier recording career, marked by risqu? blues recordings that clashed with the upright, gospel-singing image he later cultivated. As \"You Are My Sunshine\" grew in popularity, so did its link to Louisiana's \"singing governor.\" In 1977, the Louisiana Legislature made it a state song. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn this biography, equal parts the story of Davis and the odyssey of his song, we discover that \"Sunshine\" shaped the early rise of country music but became tangled in Davis's pro-segregation policies, briefly overshadowing its legacy. \u003ci\u003eYou Are My Sunshine\u003c\/i\u003e explores the song's contested origins, its rise to legendary status, and its ongoing resonance with millions. This is more than the story of a simple song; it's a biography of a cultural icon, enduring and ubiquitous as sunshine itself.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRobert Mann\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of ten books on U.S. and Louisiana political history. He was a senior aide to US senators Russell Long and John Breaux and Louisiana governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco. He served on the faculty of LSU's Manship School of Mass Communication for eighteen years before retiring in 2024. He lives in Baton Rouge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 216\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.95 x 9.12 x 6.32 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e February 12, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52041963045165,"sku":"9780807183502","price":30.87,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0938\/3185\/6429\/files\/you-are-my-sunshine-jimmie-davis-and-the-biography-of-a-song-hardcover-6903791.webp?v=1780172529","url":"https:\/\/ishookbooks.com\/products\/you-are-my-sunshine-jimmie-davis-and-the-biography-of-a-song-hardcover","provider":"iShook Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}