Anne Wilson's hit single My Jesus has topped the charts and won awards, and now it can be credited with saving a life.
The song, written after the tragic death of her older brother Jacob in a car accident, won a 2022 K-LOVE Fan Award for Breakout Single and helped Wilson win Female Artist of the Year, too.
It is up for Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year at the 53rd-annual Dove Awards, which will be broadcast Friday on TBN. (Wilson herself has been nominated for six Dove Awards.)
"There is a lady that came up to me at the show the other week, she was struggling with cancer and lost all her hair. ... She said she was ready to commit suicide and end her life," Wilson told Christian Headlines. "But she was in the car, and she heard My Jesus come on the radio, and she decided to give her life to Jesus and let go of those thoughts. And now she's living free in Jesus – still fighting cancer, but knows that she has a purpose and a reason for being here."
Wilson said the woman's testimony is a testimony to music's impact.
"There's so much power in music, especially music that glorifies Jesus," Wilson said. "And so just thinking back on when I wrote that song, and then to now see how many lives it's impacted, it's an honor, and I'm so grateful," she said.
My Jesus was No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Airplay Chart for seven weeks.
Wilson's new book, My Jesus: From Heartache to Hope, reveals how God rescued her from depression after the death of her brother. It releases on Oct. 25.
"When I started to see how God was using that song, I really saw the importance of sharing the story behind it," Wilson said of the book. "... I wanted to share the story moment by moment, page by page, chapter by chapter [and] share with people what God did in my life and how he brought me to where I am today so that I can stand on the stage and can sing about my Jesus. … Our testimonies are so important."
Related:
Katy Nichole, Anne Wilson, For King and Country among American Music Awards Nominees
‘I’m So Honored’: Anne Wilson Nominated for Six Dove Awards, Including Songwriter of the Year
Anne Wilson Feels 'Called' to Take Her Christian-Country Music 'Outside of the Christian Market'
Photo courtesy: ©Jason Davis Photography for K-LOVE Fan Awards
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
