Carry Me Back to Old Virginny was written by James A. Bland, an African American who wrote over 700 songs.
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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.
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Virginia Tech’s marching band regularly plays an instrumental rendition of the song during their shows and concerts.
Photos courtesy of Pixabay.com