Honestly, if you told a music executive ten years ago that a bearded, former rock-band frontman and the undisputed Queen of Country would win a Grammy together for a song about Jesus, they might’ve laughed you out of the room. It sounds like a Nashville fever dream. But the collaboration between Zach Williams and Dolly Parton wasn't just a PR stunt or a lucky break. It was a "God-thing," as Zach likes to call it, that changed both of their careers in ways people still don't quite realize.
Most people know the song. You've heard it in grocery stores, at church, or maybe you saw that viral American Idol audition where a contestant met her birth family after singing it. But the story of how a guy who used to live the "sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll" lifestyle ended up in a studio with a living legend is way more interesting than just a chart-topping statistic.
The Long Shot That Actually Worked
When Zach Williams sat down to write "There Was Jesus," he wasn't thinking about Dolly Parton. He was thinking about his own mess. He was looking back at twenty years of his life—the years spent touring in rock bands, the seasons of addiction, and the moments he felt completely alone. He realized, in hindsight, that he wasn't alone at all.
He wrote the track with Casey Beathard and Jonathan Smith. It was raw. It was southern. It had this grit to it.
When they finished the demo, Zach turned to his producer and said something along the lines of, "Man, wouldn't it be cool if we could get Dolly Parton on this?" They both laughed. It was a joke. I mean, it’s Dolly. She’s busy running theme parks, funding vaccines, and being an icon. You don't just "get" Dolly.
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But the demo singer had this specific tone that just screamed Dolly. Zach’s team decided to take the leap. They sent the song to her manager. A few weeks later, the word came back: She loved it.
Recording with a Legend
Dolly didn't just mail in her vocals from a remote studio, which is how a lot of modern duets happen. She showed up. She spent four hours in a Nashville studio with Zach, working through the harmonies.
Zach has talked about how she walked in and basically said she heard the first verse and half the chorus and knew she had to do it. She told him, "I took my headphones off and wanted to sing on the song with you." For a guy who was just a few years removed from playing dive bars, that’s a heavy moment.
Why Zach Williams and Dolly Parton Mattered to the Charts
This wasn't just a "nice" song. It was a juggernaut. We're talking about a track that didn't just sit on the Christian radio charts—it dominated them.
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- Grammy Gold: The pair took home the award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021.
- The First Timer: Believe it or not, this was Dolly Parton’s first No. 1 on the Christian Billboard charts. After decades in the industry, she found a new "first."
- Platinum Status: The RIAA eventually certified it Platinum. In an era where streaming makes certifications harder to get, that’s a massive deal.
What's really wild is how it crossed over. It’s one of those rare songs that you’ll hear on a country station right after a Carrie Underwood track, and then on a worship playlist right before "Amazing Grace." It broke the "religious music" box.
It Wasn't a One-Hit Wonder
A lot of people think they just did that one song and went their separate ways. That’s actually wrong. They formed a genuine bond. Zach has mentioned that working with her felt like catching up with a family member.
Fast forward to 2024, and they did it again. Zach released an extended edition of his album A Hundred Highways, and tucked away on there is a second collaboration called "Lookin' For You." The story goes that they were on the set of Dolly’s Christmas special in 2022. Zach was playing some of his new stuff on his phone. Dolly heard "Lookin' For You" and basically called him out. She joked, "Did you forget to ask me to sing on this with you?" You don't say no to that.
Misconceptions About the "Rescue Story"
There’s a common misconception that Zach Williams was always a "Christian artist." He wasn't. He spent years in a band called Zach Williams & The Reformation. He was living the stereotypical rock life until 2012.
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He was 33, on a tour bus, and heard a Big Daddy Weave song called "Redeemed." It hit him like a freight train. He quit the band, went home, and started working in construction. He didn't even want to do music anymore. He just wanted to be a better dad and husband.
The fact that he ended up singing with Dolly Parton isn't just a career highlight; it’s the "full circle" moment of that change. When you hear them sing "In the waiting, in the searching," they aren't just reading lyrics. Dolly grew up in the church in the Smokies; Zach found his way back to it in his thirties. They’re both singing from the same place of experience.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Musicians
If you’re looking to dive deeper into this collaboration or you're a songwriter looking for that same "magic," here’s what you can actually do:
- Listen Beyond the Radio Edit: Go find the acoustic versions or the live CMA performance. The raw chemistry between their voices—his raspy, soulful grit and her clear, vibrato-rich soprano—is much more evident when the production is stripped back.
- Check Out "Lookin' For You": If you only know "There Was Jesus," you’re missing half the story. Their second collab is more up-tempo but carries that same "searching" theme.
- Study the Songwriting Structure: For the musicians out there, notice how the song uses a "reflection" narrative. It doesn't start with the answer; it starts with the struggle. That's why it resonates. It meets people where they are before trying to give them hope.
- Watch the Music Video: The behind-the-scenes footage shows them in the studio. It’s a masterclass in professional humility. You see Dolly Parton, a global superstar, asking a relatively new artist for direction on how he wants the song to feel.
The partnership between Zach Williams and Dolly Parton is a reminder that the best music usually happens when you stop trying to follow a formula and start telling a real story. It wasn't about the Grammy—though the gold looks nice on the shelf—it was about two people from different generations finding common ground in a song that meant something to both of them.