Stephen C. Foster wrote "The Swanee River (Old Folks at Home)" in 1851. After Foster wrote the song, he sold it to E. P. Christy, a businessman who operated a series of minstrel shows.

When was Swanee written?

"Swanee" is an American popular song written in 1919 by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Irving Caesar. It is most often associated with singer Al Jolson. The song was written for a New York City revue called Demi-Tasse, which opened in October 1919 at the Capitol Theater.

What is the river that gave Stephen foster the idea?

Apparently, Stephen chose the Suwannee of Florida, though the river was not well known before his composition. The song was written for Christy's Minstrels, and Foster received little credit for the song at the time.