“The Wind Beneath My Wings”. . . . . Recorded by Bette Midler . . . . . Ukulele Chord/Melody arrangement by Ukulele Mike Lynch . . . Contained in the Chord Melody eBook THREE (now reduced to just $20.00) . . . Check out the Christmas Chord melody ebook

The Official music video performance by Bette Midler

Here is what we find from Wikipedia . . .

“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.

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 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.

In a 2002 UK poll, “Wind Beneath My Wings” was found to be the most-played song at British funerals.

 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 shopped the song to many artists, eventually resulting in Roger Whittaker becoming the first to release the song commercially. It appeared on his 1982 studio album, also titled The Wind Beneath My Wings.

The song was very 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 #52 on Australia’s Kent Music Report chart.

Following both Whittaker’s and Hewitt’s recordings, many other artists recorded the song, including Sheena Easton. Easton’s versions appeared on her 1982 studio album Madness, Money & Music, and her 1984 Spanish album Todo me recuerda a ti though it was not released as a single by her record company. She did, however, perform it on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Merv Griffin Show, her HBO live concert special, and her NBC television special.

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.^[3] Gladys Knight & The Pips also released a recording of the song in 1983 under the title “Hero”, and their version peaked at No. 64 on Billboard‘s Hot Black Singles chart^[3] while also reaching No. 23 on Billboard‘s Adult Contemporary chart. Singer Gary Morris released a country version of the song in 1983 that charted highest on any of the Billboard music charts that year. Morris’s version of the song peaked at No. 4 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Singles chart, and also later won both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association awards for Song of the Year.

This was truly a delight for me, personally, to arrange for ukulele . . . I’ve always loved  this song on many different levels and arranging this seemed to flow quite easily.  I instantly chose the time honored Chord/Melody format and within a very few minutes the fingering just seem to arrange itself.  Remember, in Chord/Melody style we merely use the thumb to brush the chord . . . the melody plays itself.  I knew for certain this would be a great tune for ukulele players everywhere.  In my arrangement I inserted my own invention of a diminished 7th chord that becomes a short turnaround within the chorus and it seemed so natural that I left it in.

There is very little Barring in this piece. . . primarily within the Chorus that jumps up to a higher range from the verses. . .  Below is a short excerpt of the turnaround.

Notice the F#dim7 chord . . . The D chord prior to that is play by Barring the 2nd fret then placing the little finger on the 5th fret of the first string. . .

Here is a short excerpt from the beginning of the song . . .

THE WIND BENEATH MY WINGS is contained in the Chord/Melody eBook THREE.

Table of Contents:

It can be purchased by making a payment of just $20.00 through the paypal button on the Ukulele Mike website http://www.ukulelemikelynch.com Once purchased it will be personally emailed to you within the day.

All of the current Chord/Melody eBooks can be purchased individually for just $20.00or all together at a combined discount of just $50.00

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All 4 of the Chord melody ebooks can be purchased at a combo discount price of  $70.

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