Who Sings 'I Drove All Night' In The Jeep Commercial With Derek Jeter?
One doesn't necessarily think of affection or romantic passion when they think of Jeeps, but a certain commercial featuring former New York Yankee Derek Jeter includes a famous ballad that's all about untamable desire. As Jeter drives long-distance to reach his family in a Grand Wagoneer, safely avoiding the hazards kicked up by a storm that has grounded his private plane, a balladic version of "I Drove All Night" can be heard in the background. This cover of the song features lead vocals by Francesca Blanchard, a musician who is no stranger to creating new takes on famous classics. And it joins Shaggy's "Electric Boogie" as a toe-tapping pop hit featured in a Jeep commercial.
To wit, Blanchard released a version of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" in 2023, and she has performed her own versions of "White Flag," "Streets of Philadelphia," "River," and multiple other tunes. Unfortunately, a full version of the song is currently unavailable; while Blanchard admits that she hasn't created a full-length version of "I Drove All Night" yet, and all that exists is the shortened version you hear in the commercial, she's open to adding it to her repertoire.
"I Drove All Night" itself, meanwhile, has become something of a power ballad standard after several very famous faces released covers of it over the past few decades.
I Drove All Night has seen multiple successful cover renditions
"I Drove All Night" has attracted the cream of the crop when it comes to pop artists with big voices. The song was written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly and recorded by music legend Roy Orbison. His version of the tune was released posthumously in 1992, and it made an impact on the UK Singles charts, hitting #7.
Cyndi Lauper would have the honor of bringing "I Drove All Night" to the American pop charts, beating Orbison's version to the market by three years. Her take on the tune — the lead single from her album "A Night to Remember" — hit #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989 and was also a top 50 hit on the Adult Contemporary chart. Her take on the tune was also a #7 hit in the United Kingdom.
Decades later, Celine Dion would cover the song for her album "One Heart." Dion's rendition turns "I Drove All Night" into a thumping mid-tempo club anthem, and Dion fittingly signed a deal with Chrysler to appear in commercials for their car line to cross-promote the tune. Dion's version was a #2 hit on the Billboard Dance Club charts and made it to #45 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was a #1 hit in Dion's native country of Canada, and it was also a hit in the Netherlands and Sweden.
It's safe to say the song has quite the pedigree — one that Francesca Blanchard has only added to.