Kathie Lee Gifford's tribute to late husband Frank, 'He Saw Jesus,' debuts at No. 1 on Christian chart

TV star Kathie Lee Gifford charts her first entry on Billboard's multi-metric Hot Christian Songs chart, as "He Saw Jesus" debuts at No. 20 on the Oct. 28-dated tally. Powering its start, the ballad launched at No. 1 on Christian Digital Song Sales, with 5,000 downloads sold, according to Nielsen Music.

Inspired by her late husband Frank Gifford, the host of NBC's Today performed the song (which she co-wrote with country songwriter Brett James) on the show the morning of Oct. 12, marking her first Today musical performance since 2008.

Hoda Kotb, Gifford's Today co-host, announced that all proceeds from sales of the song will go to the international relief organization Samaritan's Purse.

Frank Gifford, who played in the NFL for 12 years, all with the New York Giants, and who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977, went on to a secondary high-profile career as an announcer and commentator on ABC's Monday Night Football for 27 years. He passed away in 2015 at age 84 after suffering from degenerative brain disease.

Kathie Lee Gifford had last appeared on a Billboard chart nearly 17 years ago, when Heart of a Woman debuted and peaked at No. 170 on the Billboard 200, dated Nov. 11, 2000. She charted three prior titles on the survey: Born for You (No. 139, 2000); It's Christmas Time (No. 125, 1994); and Sentimental (a career-best No. 108, 1993).

She's charted two sets on Top Christian Albums: Born for You (No. 6, 2000) and Christmas Carols (No. 17, 1994).

Watch her performance of "He Saw Jesus" below: