▁ve il ▁and ▁end uring ▁a ▁w ail ing ▁wind . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁Fri zz ell ' s ▁version ▁of ▁" Long ▁Black ▁Ve il " ▁was ▁selected ▁by ▁the ▁Library ▁of ▁Congress ▁for ▁pres ervation ▁in ▁the ▁National ▁Rec ording ▁Reg istry ▁for ▁being ▁" c ultur ally , ▁histor ically , ▁or ▁a est het ically ▁significant ". ▁ ▁Background ▁The ▁writers ▁later ▁stated ▁that ▁they ▁drew ▁on ▁three ▁sources ▁for ▁their ▁insp iration : ▁Red ▁F ole y ' s ▁recording ▁of ▁" G od ▁Wal ks ▁These ▁Hills ▁With ▁Me ", ▁a ▁contemporary ▁newspaper ▁report ▁about ▁the ▁un sol ved ▁murder ▁of ▁a ▁priest , ▁and ▁the ▁legend ▁of ▁a ▁myster ious ▁ve iled ▁woman ▁who ▁regularly ▁visited ▁Rud olph ▁Valent ino ' s ▁grave . ▁D ill ▁himself ▁called ▁it ▁an ▁" inst ant ▁fol ks ong ." ▁ ▁Wil kin ▁played ▁piano ▁on ▁the ▁original ▁recording ▁by ▁Fri zz ell . ▁The ▁song ▁was ▁a ▁departure ▁from ▁Fri zz ell ' s ▁previous ▁hon ky ▁ton k ▁style ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁deliber ate ▁move ▁toward ▁the ▁then ▁current ▁popular ity ▁of ▁folk - sty led ▁material ▁and ▁the ▁bur geon ing ▁Nash ville ▁sound . ▁ ▁Success ▁Record ed ▁in ▁Nash ville ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁by ▁Le fty ▁Fri zz ell ▁and ▁produced ▁by ▁Don ▁Law , ▁the ▁single ▁reached ▁No . ▁ 6 ▁on ▁Billboard ▁Hot ▁C & W ▁S ides ▁chart . ▁In ▁the ▁process ,