"There Was Jesus" is a song written by Christian rock musician Zach Williams, Jonathan Smith, and country music songwriter Casey Beathard. A Williams duet with

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...

legend

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

, it was released on October 3, 2019, as the second single from his album, '' Rescue Story''. It won a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song at the

2021 Grammy Awards The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles on March 14, 2021. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from September 1, 201 ...

. "There Was Jesus" received nominations for the

GMA Dove Award A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Awards ...

Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year at the 2021 GMA Dove Awards.

Background

Williams wrote "There Was Jesus" with Casey Beathard and Jonathan Smith, who also produced the song. About the song's inspiration, Williams said the song is about "looking back at 20 years ago when I had no idea that God was in the moment, that He was even with me through some of the hard things that have gone on in my life. Now I can see that He had His hand in everything I was doing." He said he knew the moment they finished writing the song he wanted to see if Parton would consider recording it with him. Williams's team reached out to Parton's manager. When Parton heard the song she loved it. Arrangements were made for the duo to meet in the studio a few weeks later to record it. In a press release Williams recalled, "It was a really cool moment, just to have the privilege to record a song with Dolly Parton. Working with Dolly was a true honor. She has a way of making you feel like you are the only person in the room. She is so down-to-earth and genuine, and I can't wait for people to hear that in the song."

Live performances

Williams and Parton performed the song live for the first time at the 53rd Annual

CMA Awards The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards or CMAs, are presented to country music artists and broadcasters to recognize outstanding achievement in the country music industry. The televised annual presentation ceremony f ...

Background

Live performances

Accolades

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References