<P> "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 . </P> <P> The song was originally recorded by Roger Whittaker in 1982, as well as by Sheena Easton and Lee Greenwood . The song appeared very shortly thereafter in charted versions by Colleen Hewett (1982), Lou Rawls (1983), Gladys Knight & The Pips (1983), and Gary Morris (1983). 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 . </P> <P> In a 2002 UK poll, "Wind Beneath My Wings" was found to be the most - played song at British funerals . </P>

Who sang the wind beneath my wings first