“Jesus, Take the Wheel” is a Grammy Award-winning song written by Brett James, Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson. It is the first single from Carrie Underwood’s debut album, Some Hearts. The song was nominated for Song of the Year, and won Best Female Country Vocal Performance as well as Best Country Song at the Grammy Awards.
“Jesus, Take the Wheel” was certified Platinum by the RIAA in April 2006.
The song was at #39 on the Billboard US country charts in its very first week, marking the first time in that chart’s history that a singer’s debut single was already Top 40 in its first week.
The song spent six weeks as number 1 on the Billboard Country Singles chart, tying Faith Hill’s Breathe as a runner-up for longest-running number-one by a solo female artist, a record held by Connie Smith. Smith’s “Once a Day” had an eight-week run at number one in 1964-65.
It proved to be a crossover hit, eventually making it to number twenty on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and selling around 914,153 digital downloads.
During the fifth season of American Idol Carrie Underwood went back to the show to perform the song.
Proving the song’s success, at the 41st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, “Jesus, Take the Wheel” was named Single of the Year.
On December 11, 2006, Oprah Winfrey held an “iTunes” concert featuring Carrie Underwood, Josh Groban, Michael Buble, and Tony Bennet. Carrie performed “Jesus, Take the Wheel” there.
On April 17, 2007, American Idol season 6 contestant LaKisha Jones performed this song during the “Country” theme week, but received poor reviews from the judges. This marked the second time an American Idol winner’s song was covered on the show with the first being Lisa Tucker on season 5 covering Kelly Clarkson’s “Because of You.”
