Amy Grant

=== Early life and career ===

Born in [[Augusta, Georgia]], Grant is the youngest of four sisters. Her family settled in [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] in 1967.<ref name="Mosaic">{{cite book|last=Amy|first=Grant|title=Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far|year=2007|publisher=Flying Dolphin Press|isbn=978-0-385-52289-2|pages=[https://archive.org/details/mosaicpiecesofmy00gran/page/198 198–203]|url=https://archive.org/details/mosaicpiecesofmy00gran/page/198}}</ref> She is a great-granddaughter of Nashville philanthropist [[A. M. Burton]] (founder of Life and Casualty Insurance Company, [[eponym]] of Nashville's [[Life & Casualty Tower]], [[WLAC]] Radio, and [[WLAC-TV]]) and Lillie Burton.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Burton Pinched Pennies, then Gave most of Fortune Away.|last=Carey|first=Bill|date=December 7, 2003|work=The Tennessean|via=ProQuest}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Learn Nashville|last=Zepp|first=George|date=September 6, 2006|work=The Tennessean|via=ProQuest}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=L&C Tower at 40|date=October 30, 1997|work=Nashville Banner|via=ProQuest}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=70 YEARS ALOFT: 1]|last=Loew|first=Karen|date=November 17, 2002|work=The Tennessean|via=ProQuest}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=50 Years of Channel 5 CORRECTION APPENDED]|last=Beck|first=Ken|date=August 4, 2004|work=The Tennessean|via=ProQuest}}</ref> She has acknowledged the influence of the Burtons on her development as a musician, starting with their common membership in Nashville's Ashwood [[Churches of Christ|Church of Christ]].<ref>{{cite news |first = Seth |last = Robertson |url = http://news.vanderbilt.edu/vanderbiltmagazine/amy-grant-82-finds-inspiration-and-purpose-in-the-power-of-community/ |title = Shining through: Amy Grant, '82, finds inspiration and purpose in the power of community |magazine = Vanderbilt Magazine |volume = 96 |date = Winter 2015 |pages = 30–35 |access-date = February 6, 2015 |archive-date = February 7, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150207012803/http://news.vanderbilt.edu/vanderbiltmagazine/amy-grant-82-finds-inspiration-and-purpose-in-the-power-of-community/ |url-status = live }} See esp. p. 32.</ref> According to the Singing Carrots website, based on her recorded songs, Grant has a [[mezzo-soprano]] voice type, also able to perform in the [[soprano]]  and [[contralto]] ranges.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://singingcarrots.com/artist-range?artist=Amy%20Grant |title=Amy Grant vocal range |website=Singing Carrots |access-date=March 26, 2024}}</ref>

In 1976, Grant wrote her first song ("Mountain Top"), performed in public for the first time at [[Harpeth Hall School]], the all-girls school she attended in Nashville. She recorded a demo tape for her parents with church youth-leader [[Brown Bannister]]. While Bannister was dubbing a copy of the tape, [[Chris Christian]], the owner of the recording studio heard the demo and called [[Word Records]]. He played it over the phone and she was offered a recording contract, five weeks before her 16th birthday.

In 1977, she recorded her first album, ''[[Amy Grant (album)|Amy Grant]]'', produced by [[Brown Bannister]], who would also produce her next 11 albums. It was released in early 1978, one month before her high-school graduation. Toward the end of 1978 she performed her first ticketed concert after beginning her first year at [[Furman University]].

In May 1979, while at the album-release party for her second album, ''[[My Father's Eyes (album)|My Father's Eyes]]'', Grant met [[Gary Chapman (musician)|Gary Chapman]], who had written the title track and would become her first husband.  Grant and Chapman toured together in mid-1979. In late 1980, she transferred to [[Vanderbilt University]] where she was a member of the sorority [[Kappa Alpha Theta]].<ref name="Mosaic" /> Grant then made a few more albums before dropping out of college to pursue a career in music—''[[Never Alone (Amy Grant album)|Never Alone]]'', followed by a pair of live albums in 1981 (''[[In Concert (Amy Grant album)|In Concert]]'' and ''[[In Concert Volume Two (Amy Grant album)|In Concert Volume Two]]''), both backed by an augmented edition of the [[DeGarmo and Key|DeGarmo & Key]] band. It was during these early shows that Grant also established one of her concert trademarks: performing barefoot. To date, Grant continues to take off her shoes midway through performances, as she has said, "it is just more comfortable."<ref>''Preston and Steve'' radio show excerpt; May 2008</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://feet.thefuntimesguide.com/celebrity_barefoot_in_public/ |title=When Is It OK To Go Barefoot In Public?
 |date=May 24, 2008|website=Feet and Shoes Guide |publisher=The Fun Times Guide |access-date=June 2, 2022 |archive-date=September 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925231517/https://feet.thefuntimesguide.com/celebrity_barefoot_in_public/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

1982 saw the release of her breakthrough album ''[[Age to Age]]''. The album contains the signature track, "[[El Shaddai (song)|El Shaddai]]" (written by [[Michael Card]]) and the Grant-Chapman penned song, "In a Little While". "El Shaddai" was later awarded one of the "[[Songs of the Century]]" by the [[RIAA]] in 2001. Grant received her first [[Grammy Award]] for Best Contemporary Gospel Performance, as well as two [[GMA Dove Awards]] for Gospel Artist of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year. ''Age to Age'' became the first Christian album by a solo artist to be certified gold (1983) and the first Christian album to be certified platinum (1985).<ref name="cnn"/>

In the mid-1980s, Grant began touring and recording with young up-and-coming songwriter [[Michael W. Smith]]. Grant and Smith continue to have a strong friendship and creative relationship, often writing songs for or contributing vocals to each other's albums, and as of 2019, often touring together annually during November and December putting on Christmas concerts. During the 1980s, Grant was also a backup singer for [[Bill Gaither (gospel singer)|Bill Gaither]].<ref name="billgaither">{{cite web|url=http://www.americanprofile.com/article/5501.html|title=Bill Gaither: The Gospel of Giving|access-date=April 25, 2009|publisher=American Profile|author=Beverly Keel|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090129120135/http://www.americanprofile.com/article/5501.html|archive-date=January 29, 2009}}</ref>

Grant followed this album with the first of her Christmas albums, which would later be the basis for her holiday shows. In 1984, she released another pop-oriented Christian hit, ''[[Straight Ahead (Amy Grant album)|Straight Ahead]]'', earning Grant her first appearance at the [[Grammy Awards]] show in 1985. The head of [[NBC]] took notice of Grant's performance and called her manager to book her for her own Christmas special.<ref name="Mosaic"/>
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