Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

Red Foley’s “Peace In The Valley” Will Give You Hope In This Life Full of Hard Times

by
  • Riley is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, known for her engaging storytelling and insightful coverage of the genre.
  • Before joining Country Thang Daily, Riley developed her expertise at Billboard and People magazine, focusing on feature stories and music reviews.
  • Riley has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Belmont University, with a minor in Cultural Studies.

“Peace in the Valley” became a hit for Red Foley in 1951. Backed by the Sunshine Boys quartet, Foley’s version reached No. 7 on the Country & Western Best Seller chart. It also became the first gospel music record ever to sell a million copies. 

Sadly, on September 19, 1968, Foley died in his sleep after suffering respiratory failure – he was only fifty-eight. But before that, he joined Billy Walker and then nineteen-year-old Hank Williams, Jr., for two Opry performances in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Prior to the second show, Walker remembered Foley visiting his dressing room. Walker then had a chance to share his faith in Christ with Foley, which led to Foley asking Walker, “Do you think God could ever forgive a sinner like me?” 

“He began to tell me all the rotten things he had done in his life,” Walker recalled. “And I looked him in the face and said, ‘Red, if God can forgive me, He can forgive you.’ I prayed with Red. He went out, and the last song he sang was “Peace in the Valley.” He came over to the side of the stage and said, ‘Billy, I’ve never sung that song and feel the way I do tonight.'”

A Song That Will Bring You Hope

Written by Thomas A. Dorsey, “Peace in the Valley” is a song about hope. It tells the tale of a man who does not let any difficulties in life bring him down because he knows that this life is not everlasting. And of course, God is also here to give us strength and become our firm foundation. Even in the valleys of life, rest assured we can achieve peace in Him.

“There will be peace in the valley for me someday. There will be peace in the valley for me, oh, Lord, I pray. There’ll be no sadness, no sorrow, no trouble I see. There will be peace in the valley for me,” the song goes.

Dorsey wrote this hymn in 1937 for Mahalia Jackson, the Queen of Gospel. “It was just before Hitler sent his war chariots into Western Europe in the late 1930s,” Dorsey said. “I was on a train going through southern Indiana and saw horses, cows, and sheep all grazing together in this little valley. Everything seemed so peaceful. It made me question, ‘What’s the matter with m𝐚nkind? Why can’t men live in peace?'” Will all those thoughts, “Peace in the Valley” came into fruition.

The 1930s were also a specially challenging time for Dorsey. In 1930, his wife and their newborn son passed away. “I was doing all right by myself, but the voice of God whispered, ‘You need to change a little,” Dorsey said. And out of those emotions, Dorsey brought to life a hymn that would eventually become very popular throughout the United States and even in other countries later.

“Peace in the Valley” achieved mass coverage during Elvis Presley‘s third and final appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. As a way to close the show, Presley then sang and dedicated the song to the 250,000 refugees who fled Hungary after the Soviet Union’s double-invasion of that country in 1956.

Eventually, the song became a country-pop favorite as it was recorded by the likes of Little Richard, Connie Francis, George Jones, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, and Dolly Parton.

Still, Red Foley‘s “Peace in the Valley” is one of the best-known renditions there is. You can listen to the song in the video below.

Latest Stories

Dolly Parton looks down emotionally while speaking into a rhinestone-covered microphone during a candid moment on stage.

Dolly Parton Was So Broke When She First Moved to Nashville She Ate Leftover Room Service to Survive

Some people chase dreams. Dolly Parton chased survival. Long before the wigs, the theme park, and the billion-dollar legacy, Dolly was just a teenage girl in cheap shoes with a ...

Kelly Clarkson closes her eyes while singing into a microphone during her raw performance of Cody Johnson’s “When It Comes To You.”

Kelly Clarkson’s Cody Johnson Cover Reminded Folks What Country’s Supposed to Feel Like

Kelly Clarkson’s voice could melt asphalt in the middle of a Texas summer, and when she turned her sights on Cody Johnson‘s “When It Comes To You,” it wasn’t just ...

Connie Francis smiles with hands clasped in front of a pink backdrop and orchids, remembered for her timeless hit “Pretty Little Baby.”

Connie Francis, the Original Pop Icon Behind “Pretty Little Baby,” Dies at 87

She ruled the airwaves before most of us were born, and somehow, against all odds, Connie Francis was going viral on TikTok at 87. The pop powerhouse behind hits like ...

Luke Bryan performs with high energy on stage in a plaid shirt and cap, dividing fans over whether he's saving or ruining country music.

Why Some Country Fans Can’t Stand Luke Bryan and Others Say He Saved the Genre

Country fans don’t just listen, they debate. And if there’s one name that’s kept the whiskey flowing and keyboards clacking over the last decade, it’s Luke Bryan. Depending on who ...

Luke Bryan looks emotional during a heartfelt interview as he reflects on the personal tragedies of losing his brother and sister years apart.

Luke Bryan’s Brother and Sister Died Years Apart and He’s Still Carrying That Pain Today

Country music’s known for telling stories, but Luke Bryan’s life reads more like a ballad you never want to live through. Before the chart-toppers, before the sold-out stadium tours, before ...

Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert perform together in cowboy hats as their new duet “A Song to Sing” sparks mixed reactions from critics and fans.

Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert’s New Duet Slammed by Critics but Loved by Listeners

You’d think pairing two of the biggest voices in country music would set the world on fire. Instead, some critics are out here pouring cold water on what was supposed ...

More than 50 country legends and stars join together onstage at the Grand Ole Opry’s 100th celebration for a surprise performance of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”

Opry 100 Crowd Thought It Was Over Then 50 Country Legends Sang “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”

Thought the show was over? Not even close. The Grand Ole Opry’s 100th anniversary celebration already had fans floating on a high of nostalgia, surprise collaborations, and once-in-a-lifetime performances. But ...

Chris Stapleton performing onstage in a cowboy hat and black suit while playing guitar, tied to his big $1 million donation to help Texas families after devastating floods.

Chris Stapleton Steps Up to Help Texas Families After Devastating Floods With Big Donation

When the waters rise, real country shows up. Texas got hit with a storm over Fourth of July weekend that nobody saw coming, a wall of rain that turned the ...

Beyoncé performing in a white rhinestone outfit and cowboy hat during her Cowboy Carter Tour, amid news her unreleased music and setlists were stolen from a car in Atlanta.

Beyoncé’s Unreleased Music Stolen From Car in Atlanta Along With Cowboy Carter Tour Plans and Setlists

Well, here we go. Beyoncé might want to saddle up that golden horse of hers because this Cowboy Carter circus just keeps getting wilder, and not in a way that’ll ...

Darius Rucker passionately singing on stage before walking off after four songs and refunding fans when he lost his voice in Atlantic City.

Darius Rucker Walks Off Stage After 4 Songs Says “I Can’t Sing Anymore” and Refunds Fans

Sometimes the road just knocks the wind right out of you, or in Darius Rucker‘s case, it takes your voice and leaves you standing there, hat in hand, with nothing ...