Wind Beneath My Wings
"Wind Beneath My Wings" (sometimes titled "The Wind Beneath My Wings" and "Hero") is a song written in 1982 by Jeff Silbar and Larry Henley.[1]
The song was first recorded[2] by Kamahl in 1982 for a country and western album he was recording. Kamahl talked about being the first to record the song in an appearance on Australian TV show Spicks and Specks, but stated it was not commercially released because it was felt he did not suit the country and western style. Instead, Roger Whittaker recorded the song, as well as Sheena Easton and Lee Greenwood. The song appeared shortly thereafter in charted versions by Colleen Hewett (1982), Lou Rawls (1983), Gladys Knight & the Pips (1983), and Gary Morris (1983).
The highest-charting version of the song to date was recorded in 1988 by singer and actress Bette Midler for the soundtrack to the film Beaches. This version was released as a single in early 1989, spent one week at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in June 1989, and won Grammy Awards for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year in February 1990. On October 24, 1991, Midler's single was also certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipment of one million copies in the United States. In 2004, Midler's version finished at No. 44 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema. Perry Como recorded the song for his final studio album Today, released by RCA Records in 1987. Como wanted "Wind Beneath My Wings" released as a single, but RCA refused; Como was reportedly so angry he vowed never to record for RCA Records ever again.
In a 2002 UK poll, "Wind Beneath My Wings" was found to be the most-played song at British funerals.[3]
Background[edit]
Several years earlier, Henley had written a poem with the same title for his ex-wife. One day, when the two men sat down to write a song for Bob Seger, Silbar saw that Henley had written that title on his legal pad, and was inspired by those words to write the song. Apart from the title, the song did not incorporate any of the text of the original poem. Henley wrote the lyrics and Silbar wrote the music.[4]
Silbar and Henley recorded a demo of the song, which they gave to musician Bob Montgomery. Montgomery then recorded his own demo version of the song, changing it from the mid-tempo version he was given to a ballad. Silbar and Henley then offered the song to many artists, which eventually resulted in Roger Whittaker becoming the first to release the song commercially. It appears on his 1982 studio album, also titled The Wind Beneath My Wings.
The song was shortly thereafter recorded by Australian artist Colleen Hewett and released by Avenue Records in 1982. Hewitt's recording became the first version of the song to be issued as a single and to appear on a national chart, peaking at No. 52 on Australia's Kent Music Report chart.
The first year "Wind Beneath My Wings" appeared on music industry trade publication charts in the United States was 1983. Singer Lou Rawls was the first to score a major hit with the song, as his version peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, No. 60 on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart, and No. 65 on the main Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[5]
Gladys Knight & the Pips also released a recording of the song in 1983 under the title "Hero". Their version peaked at No. 64 on Billboard's Hot Black Singles chart[5] while also reaching No. 23 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart.
Singer Gary Morris released a country version of the song in 1983. Morris's version of the song peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart and later won both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association awards for Song of the Year.
"The Wind Beneath My Wings"
"Constantly"
AAV-Australia Pty. Ltd.
By Arrangement with Wizard Records
Avenue Records BA 223025
(L. Henley/J. Silbar)
"Midnight Sunshine"
March 1983
3:53
Epic 34-03758
L. Henley, J. Silbar
"The Way I Love You Tonight"
August 6, 1983
4:40
Larry Henley and Jeff Silbar
"Oh Industry"
February 1989
- 4:54 (album and 7-inch version)
- 4:18 (edit)
- Larry Henley
- Jeff Silbar
Other versions[edit]
In 1983, Gladys Knight and the Pips released a version of the song under the title "Hero" as the final track of their album "Visions".
In the 1990s, two English actor/singers released their versions as singles. Bill Tarmey's version in 1993, from his debut album A Gift of Love, reached No. 40 on the UK Singles Chart,[60] while Steven Houghton's version from his self-titled debut album, reached No. 3 in 1997[61] and No. 21 in Ireland.
Idina Menzel sang "Wind Beneath My Wings" as a duet with Kristen Bell at her successful audition for the 2013 film Frozen.[62] She sang it again for the 2017 film Beaches, a remake of the same film in which Bette Midler's version of the song debuted.[63]