"Wings of a Dove' is a gospel song written by Bob Ferguson

Bob Ferguson (music)

Robert Bruce "Bob" Ferguson Sr was an American songwriter, record producer who was instrumental in establishing Nashville, Tennessee as a center of country music; movie producer, and Choctaw Indian historian. Ferguson wrote the bestselling songs "On the Wings of a Dove" and "The Carroll County...

. "Wings of a Dove" was most popular when it was recorded by Ferlin Husky

Ferlin Husky

Ferlin Eugene Husky was an early American country music singer who was equally adept at the genres of traditional honky honk, ballads, spoken recitations, and rockabilly pop tunes...

 in 1960. The Ferlin Husky recording went to number one on the country charts for ten non consecutive weeks. It became Ferlin Husky's third and final number one on the country chart spending nine months on the chart. "Wings of a Dove" was successful on the pop charts as well, peaking at number twelve on the Hot 100. In 1987, Broadcast Music Incorporated

Broadcast Music Incorporated

Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...

 (BMI) awarded Ferguson with the "million air" plays for the "Wings of a Dove."

Chart performance

Chart (1960–1961)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot C&W Sides	1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	12

Covers

The song has also covered by many artists including Bonnie Guitar

Bonnie Guitar

Bonnie Guitar is an American Country-Pop Singer. She is best remembered for her 1957 Country-Pop crossover hit "Dark Moon"...

, The Jordanaires

The Jordanaires

The Jordanaires are an American vocal quartet, which formed as a gospel group in 1948. They are best known for providing vocal background for Elvis Presley, in live appearances and recordings from 1956 to 1972...

, Hal Ketchum

Hal Ketchum

Hal Michael Ketchum is an American country music artist. He has released ten studio albums since 1986, including nine for the Curb and Asylum-Curb labels. Ketchum's 1991 album Past the Point of Rescue is his most commercially successful, having been certified gold by the Recording Industry...

, Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn is an American country music singer-songwriter, author and philanthropist. Born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky to a coal miner father, Lynn married at 13 years old, was a mother soon after, and moved to Washington with her husband, Oliver Lynn. Their marriage was sometimes tumultuous; he...

, Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton

Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...

, Ricky Skaggs

Ricky Skaggs

Rickie Lee "Ricky" Skaggs is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo.-Early career:...

 and the Whites

The Whites

The Whites is an American country music vocal group consisting of lead singer Sharon White, her sister Cheryl , and their father Buck...

, The Wilders, and Jim Witter

Jim Witter

Jim Witter, born November 2, 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, is an award winning country music and Christian music singer/songwriter. Ten of Witter's songs reached the top 10 on Canadian country radio.-Biography:...

 among others. Nanci Griffith

Nanci Griffith

Nanci Griffith, is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter from Austin, Texas.-Biography:...

 and Lucinda Williams

Lucinda Williams

Lucinda Williams is an American rock, folk, blues and country music singer and songwriter. She recorded her first albums in 1978 and 1980 in a traditional country and blues style and received very little attention from radio, the media, or the public. In 1988, she released her self-titled album,...

 recorded a duet version of the song for Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful)

Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful)

Other Voices, Too is a 1998 album by Nanci Griffith. Following on from the Grammy Award winning album Other Voices, Other Rooms, Other Voices, Too is a second album of cover songs penned by a wide variety of singer/songwriters...

. Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette

Tammy Wynette

Virginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette , was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of the genre's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists....

, and Loretta Lynn covered the song on their 1993 album Honky Tonk Angels

Honky Tonk Angels

-Personnel:*Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette: Lead, Backing & Harmony Vocals*Patsy Cline, Kitty Wells: Guest Vocals*Drums: Eddie Bayers, Buddy Harman*Percussion: Farrell Moris*Bass: Roy Huskey, Jr., Bob Moore, Tom Robb...

.

Film

Robert Duvall

Robert Duvall

Robert Selden Duvall is an American actor and director. He has won an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and a BAFTA over the course of his career....

 sang the tune in the 1983 movie Tender Mercies

Tender Mercies

Tender Mercies is a 1983 American drama film directed by Bruce Beresford. The screenplay by Horton Foote focuses on Mac Sledge, a recovering alcoholic country music singer who seeks to turn his life around through his relationship with a young widow and her son in rural Texas...

. The movie's soundtrack included a version sung by Duval and Gail Youngs. A version of the song by Point of Grace

Point of Grace

Point of Grace is an all-female Contemporary Christian music group. The trio consists of Shelley Breen, Denise Jones, and Leigh Cappillino. The group started out as a quartet in 1991, with original members Breen and Jones, as well as Terry Jones and Heather Payne...

 appeared on the 2002 soundtrack of the movie Joshua

Joshua (2002 film)

Joshua is a 2002 film based on the novel of the same name by Joseph F. Girzone. The movie was produced by Crusader Entertainment LLC and directed by Joseph Purdy....

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