LeAnn Rimes has marked many career milestones over the years, but the time she performed for a Pope surely stands out in her mind.
Rimes was just 17 years old when she hit the stage on Nov. 25, 1999, to perform as part of the lineup for a special Thanksgiving Day concert in Rome. The young star had just released a self-titled album consisting primarily of classic country standards, but the song that she performed for Pope John Paul II was titled “I Believe in You.” Dan Muckala and Ty Lacy wrote the song, which later appeared as the title song for a four-hour television movie titled Jesus.
The epic miniseries featured an impressive cast headed up by Gary Oldman, Will & Grace star Debra Messing, Jacqueline Bisset, Armin Mueller-Stahl, David O’Hara and Jeremy Sisto. According to MTV, Rimes joined Sisto and Bisset at a special reception with the Pope in Rome after a press screening of the film, where the religious leader expressed gratitude to the filmmakers for choosing religious subject matter.
“My strongest hope is that such films will contribute to give the men of our times a better knowledge of the revealed message, by giving a satisfactory answer to the questions and doubts they have in their hearts,” Pope John Paul II said.
Rimes included “I Believe in You” on her I Need You album in 2001. The title track of that album also appeared on the album Jesus: Music From and Inspired By the Epic Mini-Series.
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