Past Internet Chats with Amy Grant

Lifetime TV Chat June 3, 2002
Amy Grant says: Hello everybody and anybody! What you been doin' for the last hour?!? The video was shot in Zion National Park and also a rural part of Tennessee.
gazebo24 in Lifetime_Chats asks: "Lead Me On" is my favorite of your songs. What was the inspiration behind it - any particular scriptures, etc. (and where was the video shot)?
Amy Grant says: And the two verses of the song paint pictures, one was drawn from pre-Civil War America, and the other from events around the Holocaust. The song is an expression of wanting to move beyond man's inhumanity to man and calling on God for that direction.
telegirl7 asks: What is your favorite song that you wrote or recorded?
Amy Grant says: Well, sort of depends on what mood I'm in. I never get tired of singing Breath of Heaven, a song I wrote with Chris Eaton. Each song has a nostalgic place for me at some point in time.
budokanbill asks: Will you do another "Pop Album" anytime soon?
Amy Grant says: I'm almost finished with a record called Simple Things, which is the most pop thing I've done in five years.
faithfan55 asks: Amy, what's being a mother at 40 like?
Amy Grant says: Well, I actually feel more rested now than I did when Sarah, my third child, was a baby. Because I had three little ones at the time. I know how quickly they grow up so my appreciation level is high and I have more patience.
Noellesmom1 asks: I am currently in a ministry band and we are just at the very beginning to start going out more. I have admired you and have followed you since I was a very little girl. What advice can you give me?
Amy Grant says: Don't underestimate your impact, even here at the beginning. The Christian band that had the biggest impact on me never sold many records. It was a band called Dogwood. They played a local coffee house every Saturday night. For all you know, here at the beginning, if you just go out and sing, you might have an amazing impact on somebody's life. Surround yourself with people who have talent and you'll get better. Your voice is a muscle and improves with use.
CMLacy asks: You look so much more at peace than you did 10yrs ago - did you ever think you'd be remarried with another child?
Amy Grant says: Of course not! But I'm glad to be where I am.
PeachesJLee asks: What do you feel are your priorities in life now?
Amy Grant says: My goodness! Well, being with family, finding time to be quiet, to pray and listen. To say "priorities" - it sounds like a stock answer, if I say my priority is "something". Getting the laundry done, making sure everybody's fed, sometimes feels like the biggest priority, even though it really isn't that important. Taking time to enjoy life feels almost like an important part of worship. I never understood that when I was younger.
Manolis_Varnasactor1 asks: Amy have you thought of doing any song with your husband?
Amy Grant says: Vince sings with me on the Legacy record. And I'm singing background on a new record that he's working on. We really enjoy singing with each other.
visibleforce asks: I cried with you when i heard the song "Missing You", was that song about Vince?
Amy Grant says: Well that song was inspired by a lot of things. First, by the first of my nephews to leave home.
VirgoInLove1 asks: What is your favorite song that your husband sings? and why?
Amy Grant says: Oh goodness! Probably the song Go Rest High. It's brilliantly written. And he sounds beautiful. I remember the first time I heard that, I heard it in the studio and I remember the hairs on my arms standing on end.
eeyor26 asks: Are you going on tour soon?
Amy Grant says: I plan to tour most of September and the first couple of weeks of October.
Starcowboy1 asks: Do you feel better coming back to Christian music?
Amy Grant says: Well I think I'll probably always present a mix of musical styles from stage. I feel like the broad spectrum of life experience is more interesting and more like real life.
Noellesmom1 asks: How old were you when you wrote your first song? Even one never published...how old when God started giving you music?
Amy Grant says: I don't know if I would blame this one on God! I was 15 when I wrote my first song. It was called Mountain Man.
TamiGib asks: What is the favorite thing you like to do for fun?
Amy Grant says: I like being out in the country. I have a couple of horses I like to ride. I enjoy being in nature. right now Sarah and I are watching a dozen tadpoles we collected out in the country two weeks ago sprout legs and turn into frogs. I like watching movies late at night. And reading. And I love hearing new music.
Kari_Okie asks: Have you read any good books lately?
Amy Grant says: I'm reading one right now, I know it's not new, and I'd have to run to my bedside table to remember the name of it, I believe it's called The Bell Jar and the Butterfly.
berta590 asks: What genre of music do you like best?
Amy Grant says: Singer songwriters in any genre. I like Keb Mo'. I just discovered Nora Jones. My favorite discovery last year was Eva Cassidy. She has since died, but her voice is worth discovering.
HelenHuntFan01 asks: Your acting performance in A Song From the Heart was amazing, will you be doing anymore acting?
Amy Grant says: I enjoyed acting. It took so much concentration, I felt like the rest of my life was ignored for that month. I don't have any immediate plans to act again, even though it was an enjoyable experience.
erinsturgill asks: When your not in the studio, what is a "typical" day when your "Amy Grant?"
Amy Grant says: Corrina wakes up usually between 6 and 6:30. And I have my first cup of coffee with her. I let Chester the dog out. And I walk outside and see what the weather's like. Day before yesterday I watered the garden. Today I set up a drum kit in the garage. I usually put off my paper work for one day a week, and then I'm looking at a mountain of mail. I work out at the Y. And I hang with my kids and Vince. And spend a lot of time in the kitchen.
wendymelhoward asks: I am glad that you are happy now, what is the funniest thing about being married to Vince Gill? I hear he is a practical joker.
Amy Grant says: He does amazing voices. Like he'll make up characters on the spot and carry on conversations between them. Or talk to me like he doesn't know me, using some engaging voice. Yes, he's very funny, and his voices are an endless source of fun! He's basically always in a good mood.
DrierStudent4 asks: Will you do a live album?
Amy Grant says: I hadn't thought about that! I thought about doing an unplugged something, but I'm not sure. I was approached by VH1 to do one of those stories behind the scenes. That would be the closest thing to a live album that could make sense in the near future.
Familygal_Wolf asks: I have always wanted to thank you, because your music helped me through so many rough times, it literally kept me alive at times. Especially "Arms of Love".
Amy Grant says: Thank you.
JuneInCanada asks: How quickly they grow up indeed! Does Matt being a teenager scare you or WHAT?
Amy Grant says: Well...I'm sure that a part of me wonders what the next five years will bring. I think just take one day at a time and don't stop talking to each other. And stay affectionate. That's my motto.
tuche97 asks: You are still as beautiful as you ever have been, in and out.
DitsyCowgirl25 asks: You are so gorgeous...whats brand of makeup do you use?
Amy Grant says: I don't use base makeup because I feel like it accents the lines in older skin, so I just use a moisturizer and powder. And I use Mac lipstick and whatever else is just available in the drawer. I borrow a lot from my 12 year old daughter Millie.
Lina1962 asks: How would you encourage someone to start singing if they are afraid or self-conscious?
Amy Grant says: Well there has to be some pleasure in singing on some level. If you only get a feeling of anxiety it's not worth doing. I would say focus on the things that give you joy. Sharing an experience, facilitating some experience for another person. I still get butterflies sometimes. And don't be too hard on yourself. If the person on stage is nervous, everybody in the audience is nervous. If you can relax, everyone will relax with you.
budokanbill asks: Are there any plans for a Box set or a Greatest Hits in the future? And How is your golf game?
Amy Grant says: My golf game is slightly ignored, it's kind of a big time requirement, and I seem to be spending my free time riding horses right now. And we are putting together a boxed set to be released next year.
WindierCorpse asks: What can you tell us about your next album, SIMPLE THINGS?
Amy Grant says: Well most of it was produced by Keith Thomas. Brown Bannister and Wayne Kirkpatrick each produced one song. And I'm hoping Vince will do one. Musically it's not unlike Behind The Eyes. But there is more life to it.
DeepARMPIT asks: How can I get an autograph picture of you Amy?
Amy Grant says: Hand write a request to me and sent it to my management company or Word Records or A & M.
pnb1222 asks: I know Joni Mitchell was a big influence in your past, but who do you listen to today (besides Vince, of course)!
Amy Grant says: Bonnie Raitt. Keb Mo'. Sunny Landreth. Nora Jones. I like a lot of popular, what's on the radio, country, pop. But some of the things I have to go look for. Those are some things I like that aren't on the radio.
WyldRoses1 asks: Hello, Amy! Thank You so much for takeing the time to have this chat! Where did you come up with the ideas for the song "Who I Am?"
Amy Grant says: Basically it's autobiographical. That song was recorded by Faith Hill for the TV series with Helen Hunt. For a television soundtrack record. Sonia Isaacs also recorded that.
Wing563 asks: Has any of your children shown any musical gifts or aspirations?
Amy Grant says: Yes. They are all musical. But they are not prodigies. They have a good sense of feel for a song. They enjoy singing. Matt plays the drums a little. They all play piano a little. Nobody is really just wildly pursuing music, but they could.
Tednpen asks: I would faint if I ever met you... who would cause YOU to faint?
Amy Grant says: I don't think I'm the fainting type. I've met some people that I was very excited to meet. And I was pleasantly surprised that they were very normal. But I didn't faint!
eaccola asks: Do you take any voice lessons and how to you improve vocally?
Amy Grant says: I've never taken lessons. I just think singing, the muscles, the more you do it the better you get. I don't have a very wide vocal range, so I work on just stylizing a song, to try and find a texture that communicates the song well, and sing it the same way every time. That might be loud, quiet, breathy, or pointed... Sometimes it helps to hear it recorded, and then you go, "wow, whatever I did sounds really bad, I should try something else". And then you try something else till it sounds good. A lot of people over sing, they think a song sounds better if you sing it really hard, and that's not always the case.
InputDig4 asks: Are there any plans for another Christmas tour this year? I went last year and loved it!!
Amy Grant says: Oh great! No, we're staying home this Christmas, but thank you!
BehindTheEyes2 asks: Amy I think you're so beautiful, have you ever been approached throughout your career by any cosmetic lines to do promotional ads?
Amy Grant says: No! LOL! I haven't! It was very kind of you to say that!
JuneInCanada asks: Did you ever anticipate this kind of stardom?
Amy Grant says: No, and my day to day life feels very normal. So, you know, after all these years even touring or being on TV, seems like my job, just like going to the hospital everyday was my dad's job. I've never been that interested in all the frills of whatever fame brings.
snoopkitty asks: Amy I've always wanted to thank you for being a voice that has gotten me through some pretty tough times, and just wanted to know if there is any artist that you turn to (aside from the obvious) that help you get through tough times?
Amy Grant says: Well there have been songs by different artists that really affected me. Shawn Colvin is an artist whose music has impacted me. And all my growing up years, for decades, I've loved James Taylor. His music has always just felt like a comfortable anchor.
butterfield43 asks: What is your favorite color?
Amy Grant says: Um, probably yellow or green�Green.
JJJTMom asks: Where did you come up with the name Corrina? And how is she doing?
Amy Grant says: Vince named her. And quite honestly for the first 2 or 3 months of her life, I'd be picking her up out of the crib and I'd have to stop and remember what we named her. She was named after an old song, Corrina, Corrina. She's now 15 months old, fat and happy. She has a lot of light brown hair. She scoots instead of walks, and Vince's nickname for her is Lieutenant Dan, from Forrest Gump.
WindierCorpse asks: What musical styles can we expect to hear from SIMPLE THINGS?
Amy Grant says: It's acoustic pop basically. rapping! I haven't morphed into something unrecognizable. It's a lot more commercial sounding than Legacy.
jfrog82 asks: Is it true that you wear glasses?
Amy Grant says: Well I wear contacts. Glasses won't correct my vision.
MissHeatherMS asks: Will you ever consider releasing an autobiography? I know you started one through FOA (the 2 volume spiral bound books).
Amy Grant says: Those were just newsletters I think. That's doesn't really appeal to me right now.
studiopam asks: What kind of dog is Chester?
Amy Grant says: He's a mutt. He looks like a cross between a German shepherd and a Dochshund.
NeutroGuy asks: Do you use the Internet often?
Amy Grant says: I check emails. But I don't really surf the web that much, and I've never entered a chat room. I just don't have a lot of extra time.
bubblyhoo asks: So you like to cook, are you a gourmet cook?
Amy Grant says: No, but I love to eat! And usually a good eater is a pretty decent cook because you know what tastes good!
pcworker122 asks: Any plans on letting your hair grow long again?
Amy Grant says: Um, I haven't really thought about it!
Julymama asks: How has your parenting style changed from your oldest child to your youngest?
Amy Grant says: Gosh, I don't know if I'm objective enough to answer that. I might be slightly more cautious now than I was with Matt. Matt's always been kind of a daring child. So in a way I sort of had to not smother him.
musicadam27 asks: I see that you are friends with Mellissa Etheridge. Is she a musical voice that you find you connect with?
Amy Grant says: I think she's got great passion in her music. I didn't know she was being interviewed for the Intimate Portrait. I think that Intimate Portrait made it seem like a spend a lot of time with Melissa and Wynonna. I know them both in a professional setting. I have a lot of respect for both of them, but our normal life paths do not cross very often.
julesk24 asks: Do your parents still have that original tape you made?
Amy Grant says: I don't think so. had a copy of it for a long time but I think I might have lost it.
Vicki_M_1 asks: Hi, I love your music and I am just wondering if you plan on having more children now that you have found happiness? I love Vince too!
Amy Grant says: I don't think we're going to have any more children.
ChristianMusicLuvrEm12 asks: Your new baby is so cute! How old is she?
Amy Grant says: 15 months.
reftonite asks: My 4 year old daughter would like to know what is your favorite flower?
Amy Grant says: Hmm. Good question. When I was four my favorite flower was a Snap Dragon. Now I would have to say, oh goodness, maybe either buttercups or ...I think buttercups because they are the first sign of spring.
lostinmichigan asks: Hi Amy, Did you ever complete your college degree?
Amy Grant says: As a matter of fact, no, I'm 20 hours short. I have a sort of vague plan once Corrina starts grade school, to finish my degree back at Vanderbilt.
Akatieg asks: What is your favorite food?
Amy Grant says: There are so many it's hard to choose! Spaghetti probably.
amyraccoon asks: What has been your favorite vacation?
Amy Grant says: Maybe this last spring break, Vince and his daughter Jenny, and Matt, MIllie, Corrina and Sarah and I and a few extra family members all went skiing. I hadn't skied in five years, and the kids were all novices at the beginning of the week and experts at the end of the week. We ate like animals. And skied hard for seven days. And it was a blast.
eaccola asks: What does one of your workouts consist of?
Amy Grant says: I basically do six or seven exercises to exhaustion. Squats. Bench press. Bicep curls. Pull downs. Lateral raises. Sit ups. And then I do an exercise for my back, a back extension thing. I keep increasing the weight in increments and then back down. And then jogging 20 or 30 minutes. If I can do it 3 times a week I feel like King of the Mountain. Twice a week is sometimes all I can do. Sometimes I can't do that much, but I try.
gazebo24 asks: Simple question with a potentially simple answer...what's your middle name?
Amy Grant says: Lee. Now I guess it's Grant. Vince's middle name his mother gave him is Grant. His given name is Vincent Grant Lee. I mean Vincent Grant Gill.
karinlynn1 asks: Amy, thank you for your honesty on the lifetime show. I am so excited that you are doing an album of hymns. What do you think of the contempory worship style that is so popular now?
Amy Grant says: I think the contemporary choruses can be incredibly expressive and worshipful. But sometimes in the midst of a lot of new choruses I miss the old hymns.
SecondSoprano1 asks: How is Vince's relationship with your older children?
Amy Grant says: Very peaceful and comfortable.
LiftedDebbie47 asks: When does a busy mom have time to work on songwriting?
Amy Grant says: Good question! I basically write for a record. I don't have a lot of extra-curricular writing time. That might sound like a little mercenary, but honestly, I'm just glad to have an excuse to say to everybody, I have to leave and write because I have a record due.
mpotion asks: Do you have plans to tour the world? In Africa perhaps?
Amy Grant says: Not presently.
Texangirl_21 asks: How do you warm up with your vocals before performing a show each night?
Amy Grant says: I hum a lot. And then I do a lot of kind of, hum low, go high and then come down again. I sing and push air through my lips to make my lips vibrate, so you're singing and pushing air too. It helps to exercise a little bit too. Because if you exercise you already have your body in the pattern of breathing deeply. As opposed to watching TV all day and shallow breathing. It helps to take big full breaths.
ichoose_joy asks: Would you encourage any of your children to go into the music business?
Amy Grant says: Sure! Yeah! I've had a really wonderful experience. It seems as if I've always been surrounded by people with high integrity and great record companies. I've heard horror stories, but I've never really lived through one.
bubblyhoo asks: Do you still enjoy living on the farm?
Amy Grant says: I don't live on a farm anymore. I have a little property out where I keep my horses but there's no house on it. Vince and I live in Nashville.
clehnherr asks: To what extent are you aware of what an inspiration you are to others?
Amy Grant says: I can't say it's something that I spend a lot of time thinking about. I think it would be kind of an odd thought process. The week that the Legacy album was released, Vince and I traveled to 9 cities and put on free concerts and set up an open mike at every one of the shows, where people could come up and tell their stories or ask questions. And I was truly floored by how many people said that they had been encouraged by my music over the years.
telfmann asks: What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Amy Grant says: A few things spring to mind. Being told that life is a process. That was told to me by Mike Blanton. As far as being a woman, my mother always told me when I was a little girl, that a woman's most beautiful years were 35 to 45 so don't feel freaked out if you feel awkward in your teens. Vince has given some good advice, Gracious on the way up, gracious on the way down. And the Golden Rule is still a thought contender! Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Lifetime_Moderator in Lifetime_Chats says: It's the top of the hour, folks. That means that, sadly, our time with Amy Grant is over for tonight. Amy, thank you so much for chatting with us!
JuneInCanada asks: I wish we could talk to you for hours, but I know we can't, so I just want to let you know, I think you're the greatest.
BigAmyFan asks: I just wanted to tell you how much I like Legacy. The Hymn arrangements are beautiful!
Lifetime_Moderator in Lifetime_Chats says: Wasn't that a great chat???
TwoRoommates asks: Yes, it was a great chat. Thanks for airing "Intimate Portrai: Amy Grant"
SpotlessWorm0 asks: Wow, the hour went by quick.
Eliza_Parrot asks: Yeah, she is amazing!
InputDig4 asks: Thanks for the Chat! It was really good!!
scarlett161D asks: We have a great person like Amy in our lives with her music.
This Transcript has not been copyedited. This event has been brought to you by Lifetime Television and MSN! �2002 Lifetime Entertainment Services