"Lonesome Road" has been recorded in the jazz, gospel, blues, big band and dance music genres.
It was initially recorded September 16, 1927, by Austin, accompanied by Shilkret directing the Victor Orchestra.
[2] There have been over two hundred recordings of "Lonesome Road," including versions by Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Boswell Sisters (recorded April 27, 1934), Bing Crosby (recorded December 12, 1938),[3] Ted Lewis, Stevie Wonder, Sam Cooke, Ace Cannon, Chris Connor, Dick Dale, and Willie Nelson.
[6] Bob Dylan borrowed the melody and a few lines for his song "Sugar Baby", on his 2001 album Love & Theft.
The composition was notably used as a substitute for Ol' Man River in the finale of the part-talkie 1929 film version of Edna Ferber's novel Show Boat.
Fetchit's singing voice was supplied by bass-baritone Jules Bledsoe, who had played Joe in the original stage version of the musical.
It was used in the television series The Andy Griffith Show (Rafe Hollister Sings, episode 83), Peter Gunn (The Dummy), Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
"Lonesome Road" was included in the television productions Vintage Sinatra (PBS, 2003), Now (with David Brancaccio, 2005), and Smuckers Presents Kurt Browning's Gotta Skate (2006), and in the Radio City Music Hall production Frank Sinatra: His Voice, His World, His Way (2004).