Redeeming Amy…
January 11, 2004
[No apologies about this post - it had to be done]
The year…1991. I had my “hope set high” and was coming to realize “that’s what love is for.” I walked into the CD store with a few bucks to spend. And then I saw her. And she was gorgeous to my 11-yr old eyes; and I was in love. Once I heard “Baby Baby” - I was done for. I had to buy Amy Grant’s Heart in Motion album. I listened to it non-stop.
And then I remember glancing at an article, and I realized a sad truth: Amy Grant had…crossed over. It was a sad day as Amy ventured over into the dark side. And then she got [dare I say it...] divorced. So I stopped listening to Amy. An era was finished.
Now, I’ve since then become perfectly okay (in fact, quite elated) with Christian artists “crossing over,” but had since forgotten about Amy Grant, except for an occasional Christmas album I heard. She sang a duet with Fernando Ortega [album :: Storm] on the traditional hymn Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy - and I loved it. Then I ran across a link [thanks Len] to the Larry King interview with Amy and Vince. I actually sat and read through the entire thing. Amy & Vince talk about their friendship-eventually-turned-marriage, their Christian faith and much more.
Now if I could only find that Heart in Motion tape…
Tags: Amy-Grant, Christian-Music, Crossover-Artists
Posted in 
Adam Walker Cleaveland: 
January 11th, 2004 at 6:49 am
Adam, it’s good that put this out there. I mean, I think that many of us, in the name of purity, truth and integrity, can go through rigid, judgmental, fundamentalism. I certainly saw that during my tenure at a Christian college.
My first blog was called: “Digging in Empty Pockets for Change.” It was meant to be a commentary on observed grace, and an acknowledgement that I had nothing to bring to the table, but need. Adam, I felt that, as a Christian, I had a poor understanding of grace because grace was often overshadowed by a knowledge of how things ought to be - or how the Christian life ought to look.The reality, in my mind, is that grace is present in messy lives.
I think that this post of yours is a lived experience of grace.
January 11th, 2004 at 8:33 am
Bro,
I heard the interview with Larry King, and one on Dateline (or one of those investigative news shows). Their humility and honesty was really great, and it was finally nice to hear it all from their lips, after plenty of people talking about it for years. Obviously, I wish divorce never happened to anyone, thinking of God’s heart for family. Indeed, there is grace, even for Amy.
On another note, in the early 90’s, Amy note…the other day I heard a Michael W. Smith song from those days, and got a little misty-eyed. You know when you hear a song that takes you back to the day? That was it for me. Not that I am a huge Michael Smith (doesn’t that sound different without the W.?) fan in recent days, but I can appreciate him for days gone by. Also thinking about that video, “Secret Ambition” — anyone ever see that? I hope Mel Gibson’s “The Passion” will be a bit more quality than that — though I know that Secret Ambition was a huge visual for many of my friends a few years back.
Talk about rambling. Dang it.
January 11th, 2004 at 10:42 am
a d a m-
it takes a big man to publicly admit that they listened to Amy Grant. I know I didn’t, at least not by my choosing, my older sis was into her, so by default I heard a lot, but I swear that I never liked it…**starts humming** baby, baby, you set my heart in motion.
josh-
I remember that Secret Ambition video well, cool visuals, except for Michael walking around in the vests **shudder**
January 11th, 2004 at 12:07 pm
Ah yes…Secret Ambition camera angles were pretty high quality, and MWS pumping his fist (with a vest on, indeed).
I’m sure that in a few years people (including ourselves) will be making fun of Christian artists of today that we love and the subculture that we have created (even those Emergent folk). We’ll just have to deal with it as it comes.
January 11th, 2004 at 12:47 pm
Some of us are already laughing. “That’s what love is for.”
January 12th, 2004 at 12:49 am
Adam,
Thanks for the love and the link. One of my greatest concert memories is being center stage, third row for the “Heart in Motion” tour. :-)
February 16th, 2004 at 4:38 am
“it takes a big man to publicly admit that they listened to Amy Grant”
I’m not sure I understand the comment. Amy has legions of fans — men and women.