The Country Version of “The Wind Beneath My Wings” by Gary Morris

“The Wind Beneath My Wings” by Gary Morris is the country version of the song originally written by Nashville songwriters Jeff Silbar and Larry Henley in 1982. And if you love the original, then you will definitely fall deeper in love with this version. And not only that, but it will also remind you to take a moment to be thankful of the people around you who have helped you spread your wings and fly. 

As the Story Went

“The Wind Beneath My Wings” was actually a title of the poem written by Henley for his then-wife. And when Silbar, who was learning to fly planes at the time, saw the title, it got him hooked and the two proceeded to write a song out of it – Silbar with the music and Henley with the lyrics. And unlike most songs the pair wrote which always started with the chorus, they wrote it from the first verse to the end and were done in a day. 

Roger Whittaker was the first artist to record the song and was followed by Lee Greenwood and Sheena Easton. But it was Bette Midler’s ‘epic-pop’ version that propelled the song to heights, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and made it an international hit. The song was even named Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 1990 Grammy Awards. 

But before the song wholly became pop-sounding, it was first and foremost an inspirational love ballad. In 1983, the American country music artist recorded the song, and it charted at the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot Country Singles. Additionally, it was even named Song of the Year by the Academy of Country Music (ACM) and the Country Music Association (CMA). 

If you haven’t heard “The Wind Beneath My Wings” by Gary Morris just yet, then take a moment to listen to it in the video below.