Reminiscing with Amy
Amy Grant, winner of multiple awards and seller of 24 million records, looks back over her storied career—including her smashing success as a crossover artist and her love of touring over the Christmas season.
by Andy Argyrakis | posted 12/20/2004
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Since signing a record deal over 25 years ago, Amy Grant has been the undisputed Queen of Crossover, from contemporary Christian music into mainstream pop. She's broken records on both sides of the fence, from cumulative sales of nearly 24 million albums to five No. 1 secular smashes to a spot in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Most recently, she's released Greatest Hits 1986-2004, which includes cornerstones like "The Next Time I Fall" (a duet with ex-Chicago singer Peter Cetera) "Baby, Baby" and "House of Love" (with husband Vince Gill). Though Grant and Gill are currently on the couple's annual Christmas tour, she took time out to talk about her legacy, some previously untold tidbits and how her family celebrates the holidays.
What was your input level and impression of the new retrospective collection?
Amy Grant There was no decision making on my part. Those were all the charting singles that A&M released and they didn't have to pick and choose one or another. Though the downside to me is that it doesn't include any of the singles Word did, which were more faith-oriented. As soon as the dust settles and contractual agreements clear, hopefully we'll be able to rectify that situation. [The collection as it stands] is about half the picture of those years, because a lot of songs talked about faith.
The songs are compiled in chronological order. How's that make you feel?
Grant Boy, the time flies! It feels like it was just yesterday when I was in the studio with Michael Omartian or staying up late talking on the road all night with Wayne Kirkpatrick for what would become "Takes a Little Time." I've found that music allows years to fold like an accordion over each other, so I guess you don't feel the passage of time as much.
How have your kids reacted to all of this?
Grant These songs are all brand new to my youngest daughter. It's funny because when I got the CD, I put it in my car and wanted to hear the sequence. Once would've been enough for me since I do these songs live still, but she is such a music lover she wanted to hear more. Well, it turns out she wants to play the CD all the time and drives her big siblings crazy because they toured that music from the time they were walking! I'll say "No honey, we can't drive into the parking lot blaring 'Every Heartbeat.'" That would look narcissistic!
"The Next Time I Fall" is a nice flashback. Are you still friends with Peter Cetera?
Grant He and I have crossed paths over a half dozen times. He has a daughter and a former wife in Nashville, and they're on great terms. We've also sung the song on a few occasions, like at private parties and on TV. He was great to work with in '86, and as far as my introduction to the world of pop radio, he really gave me a leg up.
How did the fame following that song affect the music you made later?
Grant I feel like I had the most prolific songwriting surges during the making of Heart in Motion and Behind the Eyes, and that's because I just made time to work on my craft. It got really crazy, so I had to do that if I wanted to get something done! Actually, during the making of Heart in Motion I was pregnant and would wake up at dawn and for two or three hours would just write, journal or work on a song's lyrics. I'm so proud of songs like "How Can We See That Far" and also "Ask Me," which I felt were part of a really important surge even though they were never big singles. Around Behind the Eyes, the record company as I knew it started dismantling, so then the last couple records released at that point were like limping across the finish line. I knew increasingly fewer people [at Word] as it went on and when Simple Things was released last year, I couldn't get a returned phone call.
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