Sometimes I get off track at work with all the phone calls, emails, letters, visitors, going out on assignments, etc., etc. Yesterday I really goofed because I forgot about an interview with one of my favorite musical artists, the incomparable Amy Grant. I couldn't believe it! I was waiting for her to call and then I got distracted and missed it. Fortunately, she left a message and called back in five minutes. I apologized but she brushed it off, no big deal.

Amy Grant, to me, is one of the most important musical artists and influences of my time. She singlehandedly brought contemporary Christian music to the fore in the 1980s with progressive, entertaining and, at the same time, inspirational albums, such as "Unguarded" and "Lead Me On."

In concert, she has always had a rocking band (that at one time included a then-unknown Michael W. Smith on keyboards), top-notch lights and sound, and an overall great show. Nobody else in Christian music was performing with that level of excellence and investing so much into the concerts.
To think Amy signed her first record deal at 15 -- I still remember her folky Christian song "My Father's Eyes" -- and has been releasing albums for 30 years is amazing.
I was impressed yesterday with the way she just matter-of-factly volunteered the fact that she was 47 now. Most female artists dodge the age issue even if it is a widely known fact for most celebrities.
I've met Amy Grant a couple of times and interviewed her probably 10 times over the years and she is always a great interview and a kind, considerate person. I only wish I had had more time yesterday to talk to her because she is a deep thinker and incredibly honest and transparent. Over the years, she has admitted her mistakes and the fact that she has stumbled a few times in life, but she never claimed to be perfect. Amy is about as "real" as it gets and I greatly appreciate her honesty and sincerity. I think most Christians can relate to her as a real person and a role model.
Amy Grant will be in concert at the Ritz Theatre in Tiffin, Ohio, on Thursday, May 8, with a six-person band. It will be a great show and I hope I can make it there. I'll be writing about her for the Weekender tab that runs the day of the show.
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I wrote an article yesterday about St. James Catholic Church in Kansas, Ohio, but it was held because there was not much space in today's paper. It'll run tomorrow instead.

Toledo, Ohio
April 30, 2008