Zach Williams realized a dream when he recorded “There Was Jesus,” the second single from his acclaimed album, Rescue Story. After penning the country-tinged track with Casey Beathard and Jonathan Smith, Williams received the demo back from his producer containing a female vocal that immediately reminded him of Dolly Parton.
Taking a leap of faith, the three-time K-LOVE Fan Award winner and his management team reached out to Parton, who, much to their surprise, listened to the song and immediately wanted to be a part of it.
The revered songstress spent four hours in a Nashville studio with Williams thoughtfully tracking her vocals, asking for Williams’ direction along the way in an effort to get her part just right. The legendary recording artist and beloved philanthropist also appears in the song’s official music video.
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“Since day one, she’s just been a big champion for the song. I can see why everybody loves her, because she’s so easy to talk to and work with, and she just makes you feel so comfortable. She feels like that aunt you run into at Christmas that has everybody laughing. She’s really down to earth and hasn’t forgotten where she came from,” Williams shares of collaborating with the iconic country singer. “I believe having her be a part of this song has honestly given it the reach it’s had, because there are a lot of people who wouldn’t have checked out the song had they not seen Dolly’s name. Now they’re getting to hear this message of God turning lives around.”
The duo performed the No. 1 hit at the 2019 CMA Awards. In addition to topping the charts, “There Was Jesus” earned Williams his second GRAMMY® and upped Parton’s tally to ten.
Ticket packages for the 2022 K-LOVE Fan Awards Weekend are now on sale. Next year’s event will take place May 27-29, 2022 in Nashville.
