Excerpt of a live interview/transcript in which Amy Grant answers an audience question about how her public image and 'brand' changed after personal events (divorce) and reflects on creative resurgence and the positives of aging. She describes reduced radio play, renewed songwriting inspiration, family caregiving responsibilities, and a sense of creative stillness and freedom that comes with getting older.
Chapters
Hi, Amy. So I was, I'm actually very close to you in age and I was one of the faith based folks that used. I bought all your records, still buy them, and went through a divorce the same time you did. And I wonder if it was. I mean, certainly my brand changed, whatever little brand I had. But I wonder how you felt about that big brand change and what you ended up having as a brand after that happened.
Well, interesting question because I don't really think of myself in terms of a brand. I feel like that's more of my manager's job. But I did because I am a public person. Not as public as a lot of people, but public. More public than my three sisters. I always avoided anything that, you know, I didn't ever read a rag magazine, even if I was on the COVID of it. I just sort of said people are entitled to their opinions. A lot of radio stations stopped playing my music and I just said, well, you know, I exercised my choices and they're exercising theirs. And that's what how the world turns. But oddly enough, from a creative standpoint, I have felt very inspired as a songwriter in the last few years. And I don't know if this is going to come to pass or not, but I feel like that personally I had a time of being very out there and in this new configuration of life with still a very active listening music community and not very many spokeswomen in their 50s making music. There are some, but not that many. And so as I'm writing and contemplating going back into the studio. Life is so crazy right now. Both my parents have dementia, I have one of my sister's kids in recovery living with me. And what I feel right now is a creative stillness. It's kind of like a moth in a cocoon. But I welcome whatever the next stage is because I'll be doing the nursing home circuit. I mean, I'm never going to quit making music. You gotta talk about this group. You mean I'm 31? No, but you know, it's interesting because I have been approached by two different people saying, we're writing a book and we're going to include you. And one of them is my ex husband and another is a guy from Hollywood that really had a thing for me that was never acted upon. And I'm sitting there going, I was talking to my manager on the flight going, man, I have always flown so far under the radar and you know, what is this all about? Well, it might turn into nothing, but it's so funny how you never really know, in the entertainment world where the spotlight is going to fall and all you can do is kind of be ready for it and actively engaged in creating if lightning strikes again. So I think the best thing about getting older is you have the freedom to be yourself and not believe what people say. And it's such a better use of energy. And so I say that to myself and to you. Just, it's great to do what you do with fewer distractions. We have time for one more question.
