Carry Me Back to Old Virginny was written by James A. Bland, an African American who wrote over 700 songs.
Bland used the same title Edward Christy used in his Christy Minstrels.
Bland wrote his version in 1878.
In 1916, Alma Gluck was the first celebrity to record the song.
A reworded version of the song was Virginia’s state song from 1940-1997. In 1997, it was retired as the state song and designated state song emeritus.
The song has appeared in several films.
Virginia Tech’s marching band regularly plays an instrumental rendition of the song during their shows and concerts.
Photos courtesy of Pixabay.com