You Are My Sunshine

“Robert Mann, who knows more about Louisiana politics than just about anyone, draws upon his love of country music to give us a fascinating account of two-time governor Jimmie Davis. Forever associated with ‘You Are My Sunshine,’ Davis used this song as the foundation for a dual career as politician and musical performer. Mann’s exploration of the song’s obscure origins, widespread appeal, and myriad recordings is a masterpiece of cultural history, and his analysis of Davis’s political transformation from easygoing moderate to outspoken segregationist is spot-on. But you don’t need to be a country music fan or a student of Louisiana politics to enjoy this book. ​Mann’s blend of creative scholarship and exuberant prose is sure to attract a much wider audience. It is a thoroughly rewarding, and illuminating, read.” ~Adam Fairclough, author of Race and Democracy: The Civil Rights Struggle in Louisiana, 1915–1972

“‘You Are My Sunshine’ has conferred impressive wealth and political power while holding close its many secrets like a coy lover. But with the flair of a mystery writer and the rigor of the admired scholar he is, Robert Mann may have finally shone true light on one of America’s beloved standards.” ~Michael Streissguth, author of Johnny Cash: The Biography

“In You Are My Sunshine, Robert Mann fuses the story of a song, from its remote origins when Jimmie Davis purchased the rights, across the years of Davis’s fame as a country star and twice-elected Louisiana governor. Mann adroitly shows how the genial Davis became a cipher for white supremacists’ attack on integrated schools in the early 1960s. Behind the song’s sweet lyrics—refashioned by blues rocker Ray Charles in 1962—lay a governor who spent four decades out of office using music to whitewash his dark political record. What a story! Bob Mann is a Louisiana treasure.” ~Jason Berry, author of City of a Million Dreams: A History of New Orleans at Year 300