In 1971, Dolly Parton recorded “Wings of a Dove,” written in 1958 by one of the finest songwriters and music producers, Bob Ferguson.
The gospel song was based on the Biblical story of Noah’s Ark, where Noah sent out a dove to find out if the water had dried up after they had stayed adrift on the flooded earth for forty days. It reached immense popularity when it was recorded by country singer Ferlin Husky in 1960. His recording ranked No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, where it remained atop for ten nonconsecutive weeks. It also achieved massive success on the pop charts, reaching No. 12 on Billboard Hot 100.
Dolly Parton’s Cover Is Equally Emotional
Truly, Dolly Parton is a marvel, able to convey bliss and triumph with a conviction that makes her rendition of “Wings of a Dove” a joy to behold.
She further made the song into her own as she added it with a verse about Jesus’ baptism.
“God blessed His son. He sent him His love. On the wings of a dove,” she sings.
For You
The country legend recorded “Wings of a Dove” for her sixth solo studio album, The Golden Streets of Glory, featuring ten beloved gospel tunes.
Parton knows for a fact that sacred music is an essential part of the genre, and she showed her knowledge of this material in this album, closing the very vague gap between country and gospel music.
While no singles were released from the album, the record ranked No. 22 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and was nominated for Best Sacred Performance during the Grammy Awards. Other Dolly Parton songs included in The Golden Streets of Glory – which was also produced by Bob Ferguson – are “The Master’s Hand,” “Heaven’s Just a Prayer Away,” “Lord, Hold My Hand,” along with its title track.
Make sure to listen to “Wings of a Dove” in the video below.
