his own demo version of the song, changing it from the mid-tempo version he was given to a ballad. Silbar and Henley then offered the song to many artists, which eventually resulted in Roger Whittaker becoming the first to release the song commercially. It appears on his 1982 studio album, also titled The Wind Beneath My Wings. The song was 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 No. 52 on Australia's Kent Music Report chart. 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. Gladys Knight & the Pips also released a recording of the song in 1983 under the title "Hero". Their version peaked at No. 64 on Billboards Hot Black Singles chart while also reaching No. 23 on Billboards Adult Contemporary chart. Singer Gary Morris released a country version of the song in 1983. Morris's version of the song peaked at No. 4 on Billboards Hot Country Singles chart and later won both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association awards for Song of the Year. Lou Rawls version Lou Rawls was the first to land the song on a music chart in the US. The up-tempo version by Rawls was released in March 1983 on Epic 34-03758. It was backed with "Midnight Sunshine". It appeared on his album, When the Night Comes.<ref>AllMusic - [https://www.allmusic.com/album/when-the-night-comes-mw0000869337 Lou Rawls, '"When the Night Comes AllMusic Review by Andrew Hamilton]</ref> It spent six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and on April 16, 1983, it peaked at no. 65. It also got to no. 60 on the R&B chart. Rawls once performed a twelve-minute live version of the song at a concert in Elgin, Illinois. Charts Gary Morris version "Wind Beneath My Wings" was recorded by American country music artist Gary Morris and reached the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. It was named Song