"Delta Dawn" is a song written by musician Larry Collins and country songwriter Alex Harvey. The first notable recording of the song was in 1971 by American singer and actress Bette Midler for her debut album. However it is best known as a 1972 top ten country hit for Tanya Tucker and a 1973 US number one hit for Helen Reddy. Though the song is attributed exclusively to Collins and Harvey, the melody of the chorus is in fact nearly identical to the Christian hymn Amazing Grace. Content The title character is a faded former Southern belle from Brownsville, Tennessee, who, at 41, is obsessed to unreason with the long-ago memory of a suitor who jilted her. The lyrics describe how the woman regularly "walks downtown with a suitcase in her hand / looking for a mysterious dark haired man" who she says will be taking her "to his mansion in the sky." Reddy's recording in particular includes choir-like inspirational overtones. The song's writing Alex Harvey said he wrote the song about his mother: Ten years before Harvey wrote the song, he was performing on TV and told his mother not to come, lest she get drunk and embarrass him. That night she died in a car crash, and Harvey believed it was suicide caused by his rejection. Harvey suffered from guilt over the incident, for years, until a cathartic incident the night he wrote the song. He was at fellow songwriter Larry Collins' house, who was asleep while Harvey noodled around on his guitar. He believed his mother then came to him in a vision: After writing the first few lines of the song, Alex woke Collins and they finished it together. Recording history The first recording of "Delta Dawn" was made by Harvey for his eponymous album released in November 1971. Harvey had performed as the opening act for Helen Reddy at the Troubadour, in January 1972, but at that time Reddy (who also was signed with the Capitol Records label) made no connection with any of Harvey's compositions. Dianne Davidson sang backup for Harvey's recording. She was the first singer after Harvey to record the song and chart in 1971–1972. Tracy Nelson also sang backup on Harvey's recording, and performed "Delta Dawn" in her live act. Bette Midler After hearing Tracy Nelson sing "Delta Dawn" at the Bottom Line in New York City, Bette Midler added the