Willie Nelson & Ray Charles Give Live Performance Of ‘Georgia On My Mind’
on Jun 10, 2024
Bringing two legends together to sing an iconic song is always exciting to watch, and this Willie Nelson and Ray Charles duet is no exception. You’ll be in awe from beginning to end.
Sitting at a piano side by side, Willie and Ray sang each word with such conviction and had a blast performing together. It’s almost impossible to take your eyes off of them.
History of “Georgia On My Mind.”
“Georgia On My Mind” was produced and written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell in 1930.
Contrary to popular belief, Carmichael actually wrote the lyrics for his sister, Georgia, and not for the state.
The state song "Georgia On My Mind" was written by Hoagy Carmichael not for the State of Georgia, but for his sister, Georgia.
— What The F*** Facts (@WhatTheFFacts) June 15, 2014
Ray Charles made the song a major hit in 1960 with his unforgettable rendition. In fact, it resonated with the people of Georgia so much that it became the official state song on April 24, 1979.
#ThisDayInGAHistory in 1979 'Georgia On My Mind,' as performed by Ray Charles, is made the official state song. pic.twitter.com/br87GOPUiU
— Today In GA History (@2DayInGAHistory) April 25, 2017
Willie Nelson later took on the beloved song and recorded it for his album, Stardust, in 1978. His amazing version of “Georgia On My Mind” was released as a single and hit number one on the Billboard country charts. It’s no surprise that Willie won a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for his rendition of the song.
Because of their shared history of the song, it made total sense to have these two music legends sit at the piano and sing it together!
During this same performance, the unlikely duo also performed their song “Seven Spanish Angels.”
They performed this song just a few weeks after recording it, and it was as incredible as we imagined it would be. Watch the stunning duet in the video below.
