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BEGIN PART 3 of 3 of the FOA June 97 Issue #31
What mom remembers...
I remember when Word sent a man to our house to get Amy and her father's
signature on a contract. I believe the man was Buddy Huie. He was coming for
lunch and I remember when Burton met him at the door, the first thing he
asked was, "Have you ever heard Amy sing in person?" When the man answered
that he had not, Burton said, "And you still want us to sign a contract?"
The contract was signed, but there were some family rules to adhere to. She
could not record during school hours nor late at night. Because of that, she
was forever getting "bumped" on the studio schedule.
I also remember the night that Brown called Amy to tell her about the offer
from Word in the first place. Brown had played her little demo tape over the
phone to someone at Word, but Amy didn't know anything about it. Burton was
upstairs telling the girls that it was time for bed. Amy had just gotten on
the phone and kept saying, "But Daddy, it's Brown and he's trying to tell
me...", but Burton would just cut her off and say, "Lights out!" He said it
about three times before Amy finally hung up the phone and Brown had to call
her back the next day to tell her that she had been offered a record
contract!
>From Gloria Grant
(Photo: Amy re-signing her album contract with Word. (Nobody captured that
first sign on film).Front: Stan Moser, Amy, Dan Harrell. Back: Word attorney,
Dan Pleitz, Amy's attorney, Randy Smith
---PAGE 9
Dear Amy,
In reflecting upon the 20th Anniversary of your recording career I think
about tow decades of memories we have shared both personally and
professionally.
Stars rise and fall on the horizon, but some burn brightly forever.
Congratulations, Amy!
Love,
(sig)
Dan Harrell, brother-in-law and manager
Blanton/Harrell Entertainment
(pic: Circa 1981. Dan Harrell, Carol Pigg, Amy and Mike Blanton)
Dear Amy,
It's overwhelming to try and put into a statement what being, working and
having experienced life with you has meant for the last twenty years. There
is no way I can do it justice. However, the longer I think about it, I
realize the fulfillment or the essence of anyone's life is to enjoy life and
have some sense of satisfaction in knowing God used you to impact peoples
lives, whether it be for two, tow thousand or two million people. Without a
shadow of a doubt, the greatest satisfaction I have in my life is the work
that I've been able to do with you over the last two decades.
I've been reflecting upon our growth process over the last twenty years and
marvel at how my life paralleled yours. Beginning with the Youth Group over
twenty years ago to the advent of record projects; watching ever album
unfold; creating tour project; raising a family; laughing and weeping with
you through probably every phase of your lief. It's almost been like sharing
the same pant leg, because I feel like we have walked so closely together.
Through it all, there is this huge satisfaction in knowing that God has used
your walk and our walk together, in spite of our mistakes and some real ups
and downs, to touch, effect and encourage thousands of people. The
satisfaction I derive from that, and the great appreciation of knowing not
only did you allow me to walk with you, but that we were chosen to do this
together, is just overwhelming to me.
To that note, after twenty years (which feels like two months at times) it
has been a tremendously gratifying experience and I anxiously await the next
twenty years.
With all my love,
(sig)
Michael Blanton
Friend and manager, Blanton/Harrell Entertainment
***
"When I think about Amy Grant, my mind and emotions just go back to wonderful
times and events such as:
Elliston Place and squash casserole
Harpeth Hall mini skirts, socks and saddle oxfords
HOME SWEET HOME
Bible study & playing new songs you'd just written
Koinonia and leather bible covers
Being friends and having "SIMPLE FUN"
Goldmine
Brown and that funky toothbrush in his pocket
Your parents house...my two sons...swimming
Being a kid and not growing up too fast...right mom?
The days at Vanderbilt
All the questions to ask and decisions to make
Loving, laughing, and growing up with each other and above all...
Praying with each other.
(Hand-written: I love you, sig)
Carol Thomas Pigg
Friend and background vocalist on Amy's
first band tour 1981
***
Amy -
The beginning of a great career in advertising can be tracked back to 1977,
playing kazoo and laughing myself silly on "Grape, Grape Joy In Jesus".
Thanks for all you do, all you have done, and may the best memories of the
past be the worst of the future.
(sig)
Gary Glover, President The Glover Group
(Photo: Amy, Gary and Brown Bannister in the studio working on the Target
Christmas Ad campaign 1992)
***
I flew to Nashville from Texas 20 years ago... April 1977. I went straight
from the airport to Goldmine Studio in Brentwood to see Brown Bannister. He
and I had both gone to Abilene Christian University (then "College") in
Abilene, Texas.
I came to Nashville to look for a job and got one immediately - sort of. I
was invited to jump in the group and sing background vocals on a record that
Brown was producing and engineering on a 16 year old girl. I thought she'd
probably do one album...go to school...get married...have a tribe of
children...and live a nice, peaceful life in the burbs.
WRONG! Boy, was I wrong! Oh well... I loose the bet! Well, Amy, how much do
I owe thee?
I have great memories of 1977 - Belmont Church, Dogwood, Koinonia Bookstore,
Finto, Fireworks, WWGM Radio, Music Row, church lasting sometimes three hours
and having hardly a care in the world. Oh, yeah...and Amy with her acoustic
guitar.
The best to you, girl and hopes for 20 more!
(Scan "Love, Chris Harris)
Producer, player, vocalist and all-around music guy in Nashville
-----PAGE 10
Amy... on her father...
My father is a quiet man. Well, maybe "quiet" isn't the right word. He
doesn't waste a lot of words. He chokes up easily when expressing his
gratitude for the good things in life...his children...his grandchildren...my
mom.
When my dad gets tickled about something, he laughs on and on just like a
kid. He likes his Mexican food burning hot. He never looks over your shoulder
during a conversation to see who else walked into the party.
My childhood senses remember well the smell of his car, the feel of his
armchair, the look of his wingtips on a Sunday morning. I remember the feel
of my hand wrapped around one of his fingers as we walked.
There was a stretch of my life when the wheels fell off -
quietly...privately. The phone call home was difficult for me. I expressed a
fear that I would somehow, some way hurt and embarrass my family because of
my own pain.
To all of my confusion my father said, "Amy, you could never do anything to
bring shame on me; on your family. Life is hard. If the whole deck of cards
that we hold flies into the air and falls to the ground, I'll be there to
help you pick them all up and we'll just learn how to play the next hand."
I love you, too, Daddy.
--
Essay and photo used by permission of Bill Hanson. They will appear in his
book, "A SHOULDER TO LEAN ON, A Celebration of Fatherhood With Their
Children". To be released September 1997 published by Bright Books.
-------
A Daughter's Tribute
"The song I sang for my mother ont he Oprah Winfrey Show..."
AFTER THE FIRE
After the fire is over
After the ashes cool
After the smoke has blown away
I will be here for you.
After the stillness finds you
After the winds of change
All that is good and true between us
This will remain the same
Slowly, slowly we turn the page of life
Growing, knowing comes at quite a price.
(Partial lyric posted by permission)
Words & Music by Amy Grant
c 1997 Age to Age Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
Administered by Blanton Harrell. Please contact the publisher for permission
to reprint lyrics
615/327-9300
----------
The John Lennon Song writing Contest
Categories:
Rock, Country, Jazz, Pop, World, Gospel/Inspirational, Rhythm & Blues,
Hip-Hop, latin , Dance, Folk and Children's
Grand Prize winners for each category:
$15,000 for "Song of the Year" courtesy of Maxell
$60,000 in EMI Music Publishing Contracts
$60,000 in Yamaha Project Studio Equipment
Over $200,000 in Cash Awards and Prizes
A total of 120 Winners!
And Amy is one of the judges!
To receive a contest application a rules,
Write to: John Lennon Song writing Contest
One Haynes Avenue, Suite 116
Newark, NJ 07114
Call: 1-800-932-0001 Ext. 693 (compliments of Yamaha)
On the web: http://www.jlsc.com
--------Page 11
The long-lost survey results:
The Results of the
FRIENDS OF AMY
Survey from 10/95
707 Responses from both the printed newsletter and the internet
Ages of respondents:
0-5 1 (.15%)
10-15 21 (3 %)
15-20 93 (14%)
20-25 134 (19%)
25-30 156 (22%)
30-35 141 (20%)
35-40 104 (15%)
40-45 40 (5.7%)
45-50 14 (2%)
50-55 1 (.15%)
55-60 2 (.29%)
506 female (71.6%)
201 male (28.4%)
321 indicated they did have internet access (46 %)
305 indicated they had a CD ROM (44 %)
Top 3 Albums:
House of Love #1 428 votes
Heart In Motion #2 397 votes
Lead Me On #3 386 votes
(*While LMO placed 3rd by virtue of number of votes, it was most likely to
show up in the 1st column when people listed it as a favorite.)
Top 5 Songs:
Lead Me On #1 165 votes
El Shaddai #2 156 votes
Baby Baby #3 146 votes
Breath of Heaven #4 129 votes
House of Love tied for #5 111 votes
Oh, How The Years Go By tied for #5 110 votes
---------
We do not have a Tennessee Christmas Tour itinerary at this time. We will
mail one to our subscribers when it becomes available. These are the cities
(in no particular order) where dates are currently being confirmed:
Houston
Dallas
Oklahoma City
Kansas City
Indianapolis
Detroit
Cleveland
Minneapolis
St Louis
Chicago
Cincinnati
Washington DC
Charlotte
Philadelphia
Pittsburg
---
The remainder of this page has two coupons on it for requesting advance
ticket order forms for Amy's Tennessee Christmas Show tickets and for
requesting attendance of our Friends of Amy - Tennessee Christmas Reception.
These are available to subscribers only.
If you would like to subscribe to the FOA newsletter which is sent 3 times
each year - February, June and October, you can send your complete name and
mailing address along with the proper amount in US FUNDS ONLY to Friends of
Amy*9 Music Square South*Suite 214*Nashville, Tennessee 37203-3203. Three
issues for $10/US -- $12/Canada -- $15/everywhere else
The End!--------------------------------
--
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