Daddy's Hands

Last updated
"Daddy's Hands"
Single by Holly Dunn
from the album Holly Dunn
B-side "Hideaway Heart"
ReleasedAugust 23, 1986
Genre Country
Length3:29
Label MTM
Songwriter(s) Holly Dunn
Producer(s) Tommy West
Holly Dunn singles chronology
"Two Too Many"
(1986)
"Daddy's Hands"
(1986)
"A Face in the Crowd"
(1987)

"Daddy's Hands" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Holly Dunn. It was released in August 1986 as the third and final single from the album Holly Dunn . The song reached #7 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. [1]

Contents

Content

The song is a tribute to Dunn's father, who was a minister. [2] The song is composed in the key of D major with a moderate tempo in cut time. The main chord pattern is D-A-Bm-G, with a vocal range of A3 to B4. [3] Dunn noted that she did not seek to make anything beyond a Father's Day gift for her father, but she "tapped into a well of emotion". She also noted that the song received very positive reception from fans and listeners, and observed from the song's success that "people like hearing about a family relationship that's stable and loving." [4]

Dunn received two Grammy Award nominations in 1987 for the song: for Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, and for Grammy Award for Best Country Song. [5]

The song was also recorded by The Whites on their 1985 album Whole New World. [4] [6]

Chart performance

Chart (1986)Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [7] 7

Related Research Articles

Dolly Parton American singer, songwriter and actress

Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actress, author, businesswoman, and humanitarian, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album debut in 1967 with Hello, I'm Dolly, which led to success during the remainder of the 1960s, before her sales and chart peak came during the 1970s and continued into the 1980s. Parton's albums in the 1990s did not sell as well, but she achieved commercial success again in the new millennium and has released albums on various independent labels since 2000, including her own label, Dolly Records. She has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

Nanci Griffith American singer-songwriter (1953–2021)

Nanci Caroline Griffith was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter, raised in Austin, Texas, who lived in Nashville, Tennessee. Griffith appeared many times on the PBS music program Austin City Limits starting in 1985. In 1994 she won a Grammy Award for the album Other Voices, Other Rooms.

Brooks & Dunn American country music duo

Brooks & Dunn is an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, both of whom are vocalists and songwriters. The duo was founded in 1990 through the suggestion of Tim DuBois. Before the foundation, both members were solo recording artists. Both members charted two solo singles apiece in the 1980s, with Brooks also releasing an album for Capitol Records in 1989 and writing hit singles for other artists.

<i>Whitney Houston</i> (album) 1985 studio album by Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston is the self-titled debut studio album by American singer Whitney Houston. It was released on February 14, 1985, by Arista Records. The album initially had a slow commercial response, but began getting more popular in the summer of 1985. It eventually topped the Billboard 200 for 14 weeks in 1986, generating three number-one singles—"Saving All My Love for You", "How Will I Know" and "Greatest Love of All" —on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, which made it both the first debut album and the first album by a solo female artist to produce three number-one singles.

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1987.

<i>Trio</i> (1987 album) 1987 studio album by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris

Trio is the first collaborative studio album by singers Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris. It was released on March 2, 1987, by Warner Bros. Records. The album has platinum certification in the US for sales of one million copies, and has total worldwide sales of approximately two million.

Kathy Mattea American musician, activist (born 1959)

Kathleen Alice Mattea is an American country music and bluegrass singer. Active since 1984 as a recording artist, she has charted more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including four that reached No. 1: "Goin' Gone", "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses", "Come from the Heart", and "Burnin' Old Memories", plus 12 more that charted within the top ten. She has released 14 studio albums, two Christmas albums, and one greatest hits album. Most of her material was recorded for Universal Music Group Nashville's Mercury Records Nashville division between 1984 and 2000, with later albums being issued on Narada Productions, her own Captain Potato label, and Sugar Hill Records. Among her albums, she has received five gold certifications and one platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). She has collaborated with Dolly Parton, Michael McDonald, Tim O'Brien, and her husband, Jon Vezner. Mattea is also a two-time Grammy Award winner: in 1990 for "Where've You Been", and in 1993 for her Christmas album Good News. Her style is defined by traditional country, bluegrass, folk, and Celtic music influences.

Steve Wariner American country music singer

Steven Noel Wariner is an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Initially a backing musician for Dottie West, he also worked with Bob Luman and Chet Atkins before beginning a solo career in the late 1970s. He has released eighteen studio albums and over fifty singles for several different record labels.

The Forester Sisters American country music vocal group

The Forester Sisters were an American country music vocal group consisting of sisters Kathy, June, Kim, and Christy Forester. Having performed together locally in their native Lookout Mountain, Georgia, since the 1970s, the four sisters began singing full-time in the 1980s and signed to Warner Records Nashville in 1984. Their greatest commercial success came between then and 1991, when they charted fifteen top-ten hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, five of which went to number one: "I Fell in Love Again Last Night", "Just in Case", "Mama's Never Seen Those Eyes", "Too Much Is Not Enough", and "You Again". They won the Academy of Country Music Group of the Year award in 1986 and were nominated three times for a Grammy Award. In addition to their country music albums, they released multiple albums of gospel music and one of Christmas music.

Holly Dunn American singer-songwriter (1957–2016)

Holly Suzette Dunn was an American country music singer and songwriter. Dunn recorded for MTM Records between 1985 and 1988, Warner Bros. Records between 1988 and 1993, and River North Records between 1995 and 1997. She released 10 albums and charted 19 singles, plus two duets on the Hot Country Songs charts. Two of her single releases, "Are You Ever Gonna Love Me" and "You Really Had Me Going", went to No. 1 on that chart. Other songs for which she is known include "Daddy's Hands" and "Maybe I Mean Yes". Dunn's brother, Chris Waters, is a songwriter and record producer, having worked with both his sister and other artists in these capacities. Dunn retired from music in 2003, and died of ovarian cancer in 2016.

Jennifer Nettles American singer, record producer and actress

Jennifer Odessa Nettles is an American singer, songwriter, actress and record producer. She is the lead vocalist of the duo Sugarland alongside Kristian Bush, and prior to this she fronted the Atlanta-based bands Soul Miner's Daughter and Jennifer Nettles Band. She also charted as a duet partner on the country version of rock band Bon Jovi's 2006 single "Who Says You Can't Go Home", a number-one hit on the Billboard country chart.

<i>Once More</i> (Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton album) 1970 studio album by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton

Once More is the fifth collaborative studio album by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton. It was released on August 3, 1970, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Bob Ferguson. It peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 191 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album's single, "Daddy Was an Old Time Preacher Man", peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and was nominated for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group at the 13th Annual Grammy Awards.

The Whites

The Whites is an American country music vocal group from Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It consists of sisters Sharon White and Cheryl White, and their father, Buck White. Formed in 1972, the trio has recorded multiple albums and charted multiple songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. They are also known as frequent collaborators of country and bluegrass musician Ricky Skaggs, who is Sharon's husband.

My Maria

"My Maria" is a song co-written by B. W. Stevenson and Daniel Moore. Stevenson released "My Maria" as a single in August 1973, and the song became a Top 10 hit, peaking at number 9 on the US pop chart. It remained in the Top 40 for twelve weeks. In addition, "My Maria" spent one week at number 1 on the US adult contemporary chart. The guitar portion of the track was played by Larry Carlton. A cover version by Brooks & Dunn reached number 1 on the US country music chart and won the 1997 Grammy for Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Better as a Memory 2008 single by Kenny Chesney

"Better as a Memory" is a song written by Scooter Carusoe and Lady Goodman and recorded by American country music artist Kenny Chesney. It was released in March 2008 as the fourth and final single from Chesney's 2007 album Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates. With a two-week stay, it became Chesney's fourteenth number one hit on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of June 28, 2008.

The discography of American country music artist Holly Dunn contains nine studio albums, one compilation album, 26 singles and 12 music videos. Originally a songwriter for MTM Records, she signed with the same label as a recording artist in 1985. Her debut single was 1985's "Praying for Keeps", which became a minor hit. In the same year she issued her self-titled debut album, her single "Daddy's Hands" became a major hit. The single peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. In 1987, her second album Cornerstone was issued. The record spawned three top ten country hits: "Love Someone Like Me", "Only When I Love" and "Strangers Again".

"Building Bridges" is a song written and originally recorded by American country music singer-songwriter Larry Willoughby, co-written with Hank DeVito. Willoughby's version peaked at #55 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1984.

The House That Built Me 2010 single by Miranda Lambert

"The House That Built Me" is a song written by Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin, and recorded by American country music artist Miranda Lambert. Blake Shelton was originally set to record the song, but when Lambert heard it, she emotionally reacted to the lyrics, and immediately wanted to record it for herself. It was released in March 2010 as the third single from her third studio album, Revolution. It is the fastest-rising single of her career, reaching the Top 20 in its eighth week. For the chart week of June 12, 2010, the song became Lambert's first number one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and held its place at the top for four consecutive weeks. It is also Lambert's first single of her career that she did not have a hand in writing. Additionally, it was her second single to receive a platinum certification from the RIAA on January 31, 2011.

Travelin Prayer 1974 single by Billy Joel

"Travelin' Prayer" is a song written and performed by singer Billy Joel, and released as the first single from his 1973 album Piano Man. The song is "urgent" and "banjo-fueled". It reached number No. 77 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 34 on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1974. It was a slightly bigger hit in Canada, where it reached No. 61.

References

  1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 19044-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 113.
  2. Stambler, Irwin; Laudon, Grelon (14 July 2000). Country Music: The Encyclopedia. p. 144. ISBN   9780312264871.
  3. "'Daddy's Hands' sheet music". MusicNotes. 13 March 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  4. 1 2 "'Daddy's Hands' lifting up Holly Dunn". The Tennessean . November 8, 1986. pp. D1. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  5. "Country Summary" (PDF). Gavin Report : 49. January 30, 1987.
  6. "Whole New World". Allmusic. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  7. "Holly Dunn Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.