Zach Williams and Dolly Parton’s “There Was Jesus” Became a Grammy-Winning Duet of Faith and Hope
When Zach Williams finished writing “There Was Jesus,” he had no idea the song would eventually bring him into the studio with Dolly Parton. The idea of pairing the Christian artist with one of country music’s most recognizable voices seemed ambitious at first. Yet the collaboration came together, and the result became one of Williams’ most successful songs.
Released in 2019 as part of Williams’ album Rescue Story, “There Was Jesus” connected country and contemporary Christian music through a message centered on faith, hardship, and redemption. The song later reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart and earned Williams and Parton a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021.
How Dolly Parton Became Part of the Song
Williams wrote “There Was Jesus” with Casey Beathard and Jonathan Smith. The song grew out of Williams’ reflection on difficult periods in his life and the realization that, even when he did not recognize it at the time, God had been present through those experiences.
Its central idea is simple: looking back on the valleys, mistakes, lonely roads, and moments when everything seemed to be falling apart, Williams sees a constant presence through it all.
“Every time I tried to make it on my own / Every time I tried to stand and start to fall / All those lonely roads that I have traveled on / There was Jesus.”
The connection with Parton began almost by accident. When Williams received the demo from his producer, he heard a female harmony that immediately brought Dolly Parton to mind.
The suggestion was a long shot, but Williams and his team decided to contact Parton’s management. She listened to the song and quickly expressed interest in taking part. The Gospel Music Association reported that Williams knew soon after writing the song that he wanted Parton to sing it, and arrangements were made for the two artists to record together.
Parton later explained that she was drawn to the song because she considered it one of the best songs she had heard and was looking for an opportunity to do something uplifting. She described the collaboration as a “Godsend.”
Four Hours in a Nashville Studio
Parton did not simply add her name to the recording. She spent four hours in a Nashville studio working on her vocals, carefully shaping her performance and asking Williams for direction so that her part would fit the song as intended.
For Williams, the experience was memorable for another reason. He described Parton as warm, approachable, and grounded, comparing her to the kind of aunt who brings laughter to a family gathering.
“She feels like that aunt you run into at Christmas that has everybody laughing,” Williams said. “She’s really down to earth and hasn’t forgotten where she came from.”
That personal connection became part of what made the collaboration work. Williams brought the perspective of an artist whose music was rooted in contemporary Christian rock, while Parton brought decades of experience in country, gospel, and popular music.
The pairing gave “There Was Jesus” a sound that could move comfortably between Christian and country audiences.
From 2019 Release to a Major Christian Music Hit
“There Was Jesus” was released on October 3, 2019, as the second single from Williams’ Rescue Story album.
The song quickly established itself on Christian radio. It ultimately reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart, giving Parton her first No. 1 on a Billboard Christian chart. It also reached No. 1 on the Christian AC chart.
Its performance was particularly notable because the song reached listeners beyond Williams’ existing Christian music audience. Parton’s involvement gave the recording additional visibility, while the song itself introduced new listeners to Williams and his faith-centered music.
Williams recognized the role Parton’s name played in attracting people who might otherwise have overlooked the track. But he also believed that what kept people listening was the message behind the song: the idea that God can remain present through hardship and help transform a person’s life.
A CMA Awards Performance Introduced the Duet to an Even Wider Audience
The collaboration received another major moment when Williams and Parton performed “There Was Jesus” at the 53rd Annual CMA Awards on November 13, 2019.
The performance was part of a faith-focused medley led by Parton. She first performed “God Only Knows” with For King & Country before Williams joined her for “There Was Jesus.”
The televised appearance gave the song exposure to a much broader country music audience. It also helped establish the pairing of Williams and Parton as more than a studio collaboration.
By April 2020, the official music video had been released, and the song was being promoted to both Christian and country radio. Provident Label Group described the track as having gained substantial momentum following the CMA performance.
The Grammy Recognition Came in 2021
The song’s biggest award arrived two years after its original release.
At the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021, “There Was Jesus” won Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song. The award recognized Zach Williams, Dolly Parton, Casey Beathard, and Jonathan Smith.
For Williams, the Grammy represented his second career Grammy win. His first came for Chain Breaker in 2018. For Parton, the award added another major honor to an already extensive career.
The recognition also underscored the song’s unusual ability to bridge different corners of the music world. What began as a reflection on Williams’ personal journey had grown into a collaboration involving one of country music’s most celebrated artists and a song that found a substantial audience on Christian radio.
Why “There Was Jesus” Continues to Resonate
At its heart, “There Was Jesus” is built around a retrospective message. The narrator looks back at moments of struggle and realizes that he was not facing them alone.
That theme gave the song an emotional quality that reached beyond its genre. Its country influence made the recording familiar to one audience, while its explicitly Christian message spoke directly to another.
Parton’s voice added another dimension. Her long association with country and gospel music made her a natural fit for a song built around faith, while Williams’ delivery kept the performance closely tied to his own musical identity.
The success of the duet ultimately came from the combination of those elements: a personal story, a straightforward message of faith, and two distinctive voices meeting in the same recording.
“There Was Jesus” went from a song Williams wrote with Casey Beathard and Jonathan Smith to a Grammy-winning collaboration with Dolly Parton. It topped Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart, reached audiences through the CMA Awards, and became one of Williams’ defining recordings.
More than the awards or chart positions, though, the song remains centered on the message that inspired it: when someone looks back on the hardest roads they have traveled, they may recognize a presence and source of hope that was there all along.
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