Tony Joe White : Rainy Night In Georgia

One of seven children, Tony Joe White was born on July 23, 1943, in Goodwill, Louisiana, a crossroads near the small town of Oak Grove. His father was a cotton farmer, and his mother was partly of Native American Cherokee background. White's whole family was musical, and for a while he tried to buck the trend by focusing on baseball. When he was about 15, however, his brother gave him a recording by blues guitarist Lightnin' Hopkins, and he was hooked. In the early 1960s he moved to the Texas Gulf Coast around Corpus Christi, put together a band, began playing local clubs, and finished both "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "Polk Salad Annie."
Better known than any of White's own recordings was his song "Rainy Night in Georgia," which he had written in Corpus Christi. He thought little of the slow ballad at first, but his wife persuaded him to record a demo that found its way (through Nashville songwriter Donnie Fritts) to Atlantic label producer Jerry Wexler. When South Carolina R&B singer Brook Benton heard the song, he recalled that "Something grabbed me," according to Howard Pousner of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Benton's soulful recording of the song, which a critic quoted by Pousner called "one of the most perfect musical expressions of melancholy," topped Billboard magazine's black singles chart in 1970 and reached the pop Top Five. By late 2006 it had been recorded 222 times. The version heard in this video was sent to me. It's a more recent recording of the song, Tony Joe alone in the studio.

NOTE: If anyone objects to this not-for-profit video due to copyright issues, please make contact and it will be removed.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Tony
• Joe
• White
• Rainy
• Night
• In
• Georgia
• Louisiana
• Southern
• Soul
• Polk
• Salad
• Annie
• paganmaestro

[walkerman2503]

I've followed Tony Joe since I saw him on the Kenny Roger's Show , with the first edition. Followed him ever since. And the original studio version will knock you out!

[paganmaestro]

@walkerman2503 - I've got almost all of his stuff. The earlier version is great, I agree. Put this up as an alternative listen to the original.

[mwojo403]

This is one song that does not sound better in acoustic.

[TheMrgaztop]

My Mum and Dad would sit outside the house, in the summer, with speakers on the window cill, playing Tony Joe White. Many people would stop, and ask who was singing. My Dad would say his brother! People in London, in the late sixties, did not know better.

He came to mind toight, after 40 years, and some nice person, has put him up .

Bless you.

[brookdalebill]

Such a beautiful, real song!

[coolheir]

i absolutely love this version. none better in my opinion. thanks for sharing it!

[jaysewall1]

Tony Joe's the man. saw in New Orleans-Blues Tent, I believe. He played with simply a fine drummer with a big bass drum. AWESOME!

[walkerman2503]

@paganmaestro This is so good it makes the hair come up on the back of my neck.....so good1

[MrMbland]

Check out this version, Rainy Night In Georgia - Tony Joe White

[jpkyker]

@bluegibby7 This is actually not the best version to judge TJW's merits. This is a live much more recent version. The original studio version would probably hook ya. At least thats my 2 cents.