Dennis Quaid reveals an inspiring story behind 'On My Way to Heaven'

The 63-year-old actor wrote a gospel song as a tribute to his mother.

As reported by Faith Tap, Dennis Quaid wrote On My Way to Heaven for his mother, but it went unfinished for more than two decades until he was picked to star in the movie, I Can Only Imagine.

Quaid, who rose to fame in the 1980s, is best known for a wide variety of dramatic and comedic roles. He was a boy with big dreams in life before he became a high-profile actor in Hollywood.

Quaid was born in Houston, Texas on April 9, 1954. He's the son of Juanita Quaid, a real estate agent, and William Rudy Quaid, an electrician. He is the younger brother of Randy Quaid, an actor.

"I grew up in a Baptist church, went to Sunday school, and then I got baptized when I was nine and made the decision the same day as my brother," Quaid once said about his decision to live a devout life.

Though Quaid was accepted into the University of Houston, he realized that college life wasn't for him. He later decided to drop out before graduating and moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career.

He had trouble finding work at first but he started to gain attention when he starred in the movie, Breaking Away, in 1979. He also earned good reviews for his role in The Right Stuff in 1983.

From there, Quaid had starring roles in several films, including Jaws 3-D, Enemy Mine, Innerspace, and The Big Easy.

But his career lost steam after he fought anorexia and kicked a drug addiction as well. Obviously, the actor forgot about God and faith after gaining fame.

In the late 1990s, Quaid's career rebounded after he overcame his addiction to drugs and eating disorder.

Quaid had the chance to travel the world in his late 20s. During that time, he finally began to rediscover who God really was and he said that it's Jesus.

That was also the time when he wrote On My Way to Heaven for his mother, who has always been there for him through thick and thin.

But Quaid couldn't figure out the appropriate bridge for the song so it went unfinished. After 25 years, he completed the song just in time for his mother's 91st birthday when he landed the role in I Can Only Imagine.

"What moved me about finishing it really was my character of Arthur and how he found grace. That's the beautiful thing about the good news that Jesus was talking about," he said.