Biography:
Amy Grant has taken Christian music and the Christian message to a wider audience and broader platform than any other artist in the contemporary Christian genre. She's opened doors for others to enter by demonstrating the far-reaching appeal of great music with a positive message. That appeal has come from her accessibility and her artistry. Amy has always had a special gift for writing and performing songs that reflect her rich life experiences as a Christian, a wife, a friend and a mother.

Family has always been an important part of Amy's life. The youngest of four daughters, she was born in Augusta, Georgia, but grew up in Nashville in a strong Christian home that instilled faith and family values. It was also a family that nurtured their youngest daughter's creative gifts. By the time she was 16, Amy had released her first album and was well on her way to becoming one of the dominant voices of the contemporary Christian music movement. She had a vulnerability in her voice that turned her heartfelt songs of faith and hope into prayers everyone wanted to make their own.

Amy's accessibility forged a bond with her audience. That audience has continued to be a part of her musical journey as the talented teen has matured into a wife, mother and, with the release of her last project, a pop music phenomenon. Amy's album, "Heart in Motion," has been certified quadruple platinum, signifying sales of over four million copies. The project spent 52 weeks on Billboard's Top 200 album chart, spawning four Top 5 hits including "Baby, Baby," which topped both the Billboard and R&R charts simultaneously. One of the most highly lauded musical releases of 1991, Heart in Motion garnered four Grammy nominations, including Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Pop Performance by a Female and Album of the Year.

The success of Heart in Motion took Amy's career to an even higher level and generated tremendous exposure including appearances on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Later with Bob Costas, The Grammy Awards, Arsenio Hall, The Prince's Trust Concert, The Tonight Show, The American Music Awards, Christmas in Washington, and numerous other shows and special events. Though Heart in Motion would seem a difficult act to follow, Amy succeeds in creating a worthy successor with House of Love. It contains the same catchy melodies and insightful lyrics that made Heart in Motion so affecting, but also has a more organic, guitar-driven sound that harkens back to her successful Lead Me On project. Amy draws on her own experiences in writing and recording songs that explore the intricacies of modern relationships.

Amy doesn't limit her encouragement and support of others strictly to her musical endeavors. She participates in Nashville's Leadership Music Program and meets with terminally ill children as part of the "Make-a-Wish" Foundation. She even played right field in Nashville's City of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge, and has shown her skills on the green by participating in celebrity golf tournaments to aid various causes. She has hosted benefits for the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, Habitat for Humanity and the Nashville Symphony, and has recruited for these shows such luminaries as James Taylor, Robin Williams, Vince Gill and Michael W. Smith.

In her community service, her family life, and her music, Amy Grant displays commitment to caring about her fellowman and a heart always eager to lift up those around her. The greatest expression of those gifts can be found in her music. Yes, it is polished pop music, very '90s in its excellent production quality and professional approach, but at the heart of it is Amy's desire to communicate God's love. "I feel so fortunate and so blessed to get to do music for a career," she relates. "It's very gratifying to be invited into other people's lives as the result of having done something that came very naturally to you. The girls at the school I spoke at the other night were coming up and telling me about their lives and things that had happened to them. They just opened up because my music had created a reason for us to communicate. That's very gratifying." But perhaps the most gratifying thing for Amy Grant is how her personal and professional lives meld together. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and a photo taken in the studio on her farm while she was recording "House of Love" is a perfect example. "I'm standing on a rug singing, and Millie is lying on her stomach, coloring at my feet," Amy says squinting against the afternoon sun as it hits her grandmother's rocking chairs, now at home on Amy's front porch. "I loved having that photograph because you know, it's the real picture. That's what it's really like."

Albums:
1994 - House Of Love
1991 - Heart In Motion
1988 - Lead Me On
1986 - The Collection
1985 - Unguarded
1984 - Straight Ahead
1983 - A Christmas Album
1982 - Age To Age
1981 - In Concert Volume 2
1980 - In Concert
1980 - Never Alone
1979 - My Father's Eyes
1977 - Amy Grant

Links:
Official Amy Grant Web Site

amygrant.org

John's Amy Grant Site

Amy Grant (LadySixString)

Amy Grant at Artist Direct

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