Sounds of Praise: He's Got The Whole World in His Hands (1976)

 Despite the fact that he was a heel (villain) for most of his career, Windham Rotunda, aka Bray Wyatt, who passed away last week at 36, was likely a Christian off-camera. Why else would Wyatt, playing the part of a cult leader, use the gospel standard, "He's Got The Whole World in His Hands"?

"World" has its roots, though, in an African-American spiritual, and was first recorded for the US & UK charts by Laurie London in 1958. London hit #1 on the US pop chart, making "World" the only gospel record to "strike the summit" of the pop chart. 

In 1976, on her self-titled syndicated variety show, Dolly Parton teamed with Kenny Rogers for the first time. While Wyatt only recited the chorus over and over again, we get the complete version here, with Rogers & Parton on guitars.