I went to the Charleston, WV Imagine Tour show on March 7, 2004 & had front row seats. I did not think that the platinum passes were for this show & traveled over 4 hrs so I didn't get to my seats til 10 minutes before the show. To my surprise, I found out that there were VIP platinum passes for the show & that people got to go back stage before the show.

But since I got there so late, I missed the chance to go backstage so I watched Bebo Norman & Amy performed. Bebo performed & was funny. He commented on how he has 3 fake nails on his hand to help him play guitar & that he went to get them done every 2 weeks. While Amy performed, Corrina & one of the sons of someone in her band came out during "Simple Things" & danced & Corrina sang every word & when the words ended she immediately left the stage...it was so cute. Set list is at the botton of the web page.

During Intermission, the guy came back with the nice gift bags for people in the front row & said we�d get to go backstage after the show. My husband, Mike heard him say that Amy would not be at that & told me. I was sad that I�d miss her but went up to him & told him that I�d driven 4 hrs to see Amy & was a big fan & asked if instead of going backstage at the end, if I could go backstage while MercyMe was singing to see Amy. He said he�d have to ask her management about it & I thanked him.

Well, just as MercyMe was about to take the stage, he tapped me on my leg & said �Let�s Go� so I picked up my camera & gift bag & followed him backstage. Amy was standing leaning against the wall eating grapes & he walked up to her & said he had someone who had traveled 4 hrs to see her & asked if it was ok to bring me back & he moved so Amy could see me & she said �Hi� & recognized me. Corrina came up to her & hugged her & I commented on how big she was getting & she said that it was nice since she was potty trained.

I told her I felt bad about her deal with A&M & how when she was talking about it on the chat that I felt bad for her. She said that it was bad even at Word as her friend there called her up the other day & told her she�d gotten fired & wanted Amy to hear it first. She said if you weren�t hip hop or rap that it was hard. I asked if she would ever have another FOA reception like she did years back as I never got to go to one. She talked about what she was doing now with the sound checks & everything & I thanked her for all she does for FOA (letting us backstage/sound checks) & was not trying to be ungrateful, that I just liked the idea of doing a concert & asking questions with just FOA members present & she said she�d think about it. She asked if I was going to watch MercyMe perform & I said yes that I didn�t want to take up too much of her time. She said she wanted to see them perform as this was close to the end of the tour & that MercyMe band members had had around 8 people close to them pass away & that the lead singer, Bart had just got a call 2 hrs before the show informing him that a close member of his family died. Wow, I found that to be a very hard situation & said I was sorry to hear that.

Before I left, I asked Amy to sign my photo of her that was in the gift bag & she felt bad for asking my name. She said that she hoped I know that she knows my face & knows me but can�t remember my name. She knew it was something short. I said it was ok as she has a lot of people that she meets everyday. I said at one time I had hoped she remembered my name but understand that she meets a lot of fans. I told her my name �Jill� & she signed my picture �Jill Jill Bo Bill Banana Bana Fo Fill Fee Fi Fo Fill Jill �I�m Trying God Bless You Amy Grant�
She said that that was a game she played with Corrina to learn & remember names. I thought it was sweet that she did that & that she made a point of saying she did remember me just not my name. She also called me "Brown-Eyed Girl" from the song & I said I loved that song. She said she'd try & remember me that way too.

While she was signing, I asked if she would ever consider recording the �Wallet Song� as I love the chorus & lyrics. Her eyes got really big & she said that just the other day her friend suggested that she record it but she has no lyrics or music to it since she never recorded it. Amy wanted me to sing it for her so she could hear the chorus & remember how the song went... I tried to sing parts of the Wallet song for her but must have sounded bad as I only sang about every other line...I was nervous as I was intimatidated to sing for Amy. The song did sound familiar to her as she knew the first verse but when I tried to sing the chorus...I'd sing a line...hum a line then get flustered and tried to sing a line again ...end up humming a line then get flustered...I told her I had the words to it on my website & that I was totally unprepared to sing the song (let alone did I imagine that I would actually try & sing it in front of her). She leaned in to try & hear me better & that just made me more nervous. I said I had a VHS copy of it from her FOA receptions that I bought off someone that I transferred to CD via my computer & she wrote on the back of my picture the address to send the CD with the music to for the Wallet Song. This was a big thrill for me & when she said her friend just said she should record it, I looked at her & said that it was meant to be that we met this night so that she could get the music to this song. I hope she does record it & that would mean I had a small part in making it happen!

I got my picture taken with Amy & then the guy who was SO nice to let me go back escorted me back to my seat while MercyMe was still playing. I think I was back there for like 3 songs... I thanked him VERY much & enjoyed the rest of the concert.

MercyMe was extremely good & Bart was emotional before singing �Homesick� his follow-up to �Imagine� as he explained about all the deaths the band has had to deal with & how just 2 hrs ago his uncle died & that he was like a father to him. He cried on stage & I cried too. I hope he & the band finds some comfort.