Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler
Artist: Bette Midler Weeks at #1: 1 week Chart dates: June 10, 1989
About
“Wind Beneath My Wings” was originally the title of a poem that songwriter Larry Henley had written for his wife. Jeff Silbar, another songwriter, saw the title alone, and was inspired to write a song based on the phrase itself. Silbar wrote the music, Henley wrote the lyrics. The song was originally recorded by Roger Whittaker in 1983. Other artists also recorded it, such as Sheena Easton, Lee Greenwood, B.J. Thomas, Lou Rawls, Gladys Knight & The Pips (under the name “Hero”) and Gary Morris (his version won Song Of The Year in Nashville) before Bette Midler recorded it for the soundtrack of the film Beaches. Midler’s version became a U.S. number-one single in the spring of 1989 in the US and was named Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the Grammy Awards of 1990. The song also became a worldwide hit, reaching #5 in UK, #4 in New Zealand and #1 in Australia.
