Although she’s been called the “Queen of Christian Pop,” that’s something Grammy-winning singer Amy Grant has never called herself.
In fact, Grant, 63 — who lives in Nashville, TN with her husband and fellow singer
Vince Gill — laughed at that, even though she put contemporary Christian music (CCM)
on the map and became the first CCM artist to have a record go platinum.
“I just describe myself as a singer/songwriter. The fact that I’m still doing this in
my 60s, golly — what a gift to continue enjoying something I’ve enjoyed my whole life!” said Grant. “Being from Nashville, it feels like everybody in this town makes music. It can be the person parking your car, it can be the person taking your order at the sandwich shop. So being called the queen of anything, I just roll my eyes at that. There’s a vast population here that encourages creativity. I’m just one dot in a huge pointillism landscape.”
Grant will perform at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at
7:30 p.m.
“It will be a lovely evening of walking down memory lane with songs,” she said. “There’ll be eight of us onstage; I have a fantastic band, great singers. We’ll sing songs of the last four decades of making music.”
Lori Stratton of The Stratton Setlist has been a fan of Grant since 1986 with the release “The Next Time I Fall,” the duet Grant sang with Peter Cetera. This upcoming concert marks the first time she’s seen Grant live.
“My late mother, Carolyn, was a big fan of Amy Grant and Vince Gill, so I’m going to the show with my husband, Brian, and my father, Tom, in honor of her,” said Stratton.
A native of Georgia, Grant is the youngest of four daughters. In 1967, her family settled in Nashville. In 1976, Grant wrote her first song and performed in public for the first time — and she hasn’t stopped since. She was offered a recording contract before she turned 16 and released her first album, which was self-titled, in 1978 — one month before she graduated from high school.
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In the mid-late 1980s, Grant crossed over into pop music. Grant cemented herself as a mainstream voice in contemporary pop music with her Grammy-nominated song, “Baby Baby,” from her 1991 album “Heart in Motion,” which became a No. 1 hit.
“I’ve always loved pop music. I cut my teeth on pop music,” she said. “I grew up enjoying everybody who was making records in the late 1960s/early 1970s: Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Carol King, Joni Mitchell, Three Dog Night so much great music. All along, I just loved songs that express all parts of life.”
With three multi-platinum albums, six platinum albums and four gold albums, Grant’s total career album sales have exceeded $30 million. Grant’s chart success has been consistent throughout her career with six No. 1 hits, 10 Top 40 pop singles, 17 Top 40 Adult Contemporary tracks, and multiple CCM chart-toppers. In addition to her six Grammys, she has earned 26 Dove Awards (including four Artist of the Year Awards) and has been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as well as the Music City Walk of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2022, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts included Grant as one of its five distinguished honorees to receive the 45th Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievements.
“I like how Amy Grant has released both CCM and pop music albums throughout her career. I’m a big fan of artists who embrace different genres across their catalogs. She has continued to prove that she can release timeless and heartfelt music, whether it’s CCM, gospel, or pop,” said Stratton.
Grant — who is also a published author — has also established herself as an iconic Christmas artist. She has become synonymous with the holiday with not only millions of Christmas albums sold, but also her annual Christmas Tours with Michael W. Smith, Marc Martel, Jordan Sparks, and many others. For nearly 20 years, she and Gill perform an annual 2-week residency at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville with their “Christmas at the Ryman” shows.
Grant has written and performed the 1992 Christmas song “Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Story),” which has become a holiday favorite. The lyrics portray Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, as a frightened young girl, attempting to come to grips with the circumstances of giving birth to the Son of God. Despite her doubts, Mary’s belief in God’s mercy remains and helps her deal with the unique situation she finds herself in, her faith greater than her fear.
“I was inspired by the young woman, Mary, the mother of Jesus. In her story, we all find our story: Life presents us with situations and circumstances that are beyond all of us. I feel that’s where we actually connect with each other, with God, with love,” explained Grant. “I can’t tell you exactly what I was thinking when writing every line except I was just trying to tell my story. I will say that I have had some amazing experiences singing that song, knowing the stories of the different people in the audience because the chorus of that song can be sung by any of us in any time of our lives.”
After her annual Christmas residency, Grant will be working on a new record at the start of 2025. She asked Mac McAnally, who produced songs for the late Jimmy Buffet, to produce a couple of songs for her, which she’s excited about. For now, she’s excited about coming to Ann Arbor.
“We have worked very hard to put together a wonderful musical experience,” she said. “We’ve set the table to include everybody. To me, music is transformative, and I
just want to invite people to come – come however you are and come get changed
along with all of us.”
The Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor. Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range between $59-$75. For questions or more information, contact (734) 668-8397 or info@marquee-arts.org.
