Larry Joel Henley (June 30, 1937 – December 18, 2014) was an American singer and songwriter, best known for co-writing (with Jeff Silbar) the 1989 hit record " Wind Beneath My Wings".

Early life

Henley was born to Carl Henley and Helen Quinn in Odessa, Texas on June 30, 1937. He grew up in Odessa, Texas with three sisters, Barbara Henley, Jeanette Henley Chisholm and Pam Lutrell as well as a younger brother, Reggie Henley. He had originally planned on an acting career before becoming a singer and songwriter.

Career

He was the lead singer of the pop group the Newbeats, formed in 1964, singing in a distinctive falsetto. The group had three hits that charted in the top 20 of Billboard magazine, with one of them, " Bread and Butter", reaching No. 2 on the Billboard charts and selling over a million copies. They toured Australia and New Zealand with Roy Orbison, Ray Columbus and the Invaders and the

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on the "Big Beat '65" tour. The group's last single was released in 1974. Henley had a solo album, ''Piece a Cake'', released in 1975. He co-wrote with Red Lane " 'Til I Get It Right" for Tammy Wynette, a 1973 #1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles, later covered by

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...

and

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (born Kenneth Donald Rogers) (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer and songwriter. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particul ...

. Other #1 country hits were his songs " Is It Still Over?" (performed by Randy Travis), " Lizzie and the Rainman" (performed by Tanya Tucker), and " He's a Heartache (Looking for a Place to Happen)" (performed by Janie Fricke). Other songs included "Shotgun Rider" for Delbert McClinton; "You're Welcome to Tonight" by Lynn Anderson and Gary Morris; and " The World Needs a Melody" by The Carter Family with

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...

. He was a staff songwriter for Tree International Publishing in Nashville. Henley was a friend of Bobby Goldsboro and it was because of Henley's urging that Goldsboro sang the song "

Honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of pl ...

". He was a 2012 inductee into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. "Bread and Butter" has been used in Sunbeam Bread advertisements and multiple films, while "Wind Beneath My Wings" was part of the soundtrack for '' Beaches'' (1988). "Love Is on the Air" written by Henley with Jim Hurt and Johnny Slate, performed by Lou Rawls was used in The Cannonball Run. The song " Wind Beneath My Wings" (written by Henley and Jeff Silbar) was a U.S. #1 hit for Bette Midler and has since totaled around 6 million radio air plays. The song earned Henley and Silbar the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for 1989, and Bette Midler the Record of the Year award. The song was originally recorded by Roger Whittaker in 1982 and has since been covered by numerous artists.

Death

On December 18, 2014, Henley died of Lewy Body Dementia in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

at age 77. He had been suffering from Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. He is buried at Kelsey Cemetery in Gilmer, Texas.

References

External links

Official website
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Henley, Larry 1937 births 2014 deaths American countertenors Songwriters from Texas People from Arp, Texas Deaths from Parkinson's disease in the United States Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in Tennessee Neurological disease deaths in Tennessee People from Odessa, Texas