Commonwealth Network
The February 98 Friends of Amy NewslAmy Grant Productions 1998)
As I write this letter, I am struck with how unique each of our lives
is, how different the experience of a day can be from one person to
another. I had the TV on this morning fixing my first cup of coffee and
the images that came on the screen of all the damage and death in the
wake of El Nino-influenced weather events seemed like another world...
But not for those families who have lost everything...loved
ones...homes... Life can be steady on for one family and total tragedy
for another in the same moment. There doesn't seem to be any sense to
it. Tornados in Orlando killing unsuspecting people while another mom
packs her child's suitcase to fly to Disney World. We do the best we
can - cry when it hurts - bury our loved ones - laugh whenever possible
- and keep on investing in the things we believe in.
So I ask myself again today, "What in my life is worth investing in?"
And then I do what I can.
"Somewhere down the road
There'll be answers to the questions
Somewhere down the road
Though we cannot see it now
Somewhere down the road you will find
Mighty arms reaching for you.
They will hold the answers at the end of the road." *
On a lighter note, rehearsals have begun in earnest for the three and a
half month BEHIND THE EYES Tour. I am so excited about this tour. We
are playing theaters instead of arenas - a great band - less emphasis
on lights and production - total emphasis on music.
I look forward to the closeness with the audience. That closeness will
enable me to exercise more flexibility in the set list - to enjoy the
audience - to take a request - just to let the night unfold as it will.
Here are the members of the band:
drums - Dan Needham
bass - Tommy Sims
guitars - Jerry McPherson and Andrew Ramsey
Hammond B-3 - Mark Harris
keys, accordion and a little guitar - Tim Lauer
backing vocals - Kim Keyes and Tabitha Fair
It's been fun through all the old records and deciding what songs to
work up. What a trip down memory lane...
Next week is our last family "Hoorah" before I hit the road. We've
decided to go to the beach for the kids' Spring Break. I can't wait to
fall asleep on the sand, to ride the waves and look for shells. Last
week, Sarah and I picked over a hundred buttercups. She is very tall
for a five-year-old and has just lost one of her top front teeth. She,
Matt & Millie are a constant reminder that time moves on. Nothing stays
the same. So roll with the punches and enjoy it as it comes.
Until...
(God bless & sig)
-Amy
*"Somewhere Down The Road" by Kirkpatrick & Grant copyright 1997
Age to Age Music, Inc (ASCAP)/Warner-Tamberlane Publishing Corp.
(BMI)/Sell The Cow Music (BMI) from BEHIND THE EYES
(Kurt Markus shot from back cover of TALT CD-ROM - "in an attitude of
prayer")
Inside...
Amy's tour itinerary...
--- Page 2
MEMO
To: Friends of Amy
From: Lori Mc
RE: SIMPLIFY
Amy has felt compelled to take steps to simplify her life in every area
personally and professionally. For FOA, she wants to put the emphasis
back on the newsletter as being the centerpiece of what this service
provides to you. There will not be any backstage passes,
advance ticket purchase opportunities or Christmas Reception this
year. It is Amy's hope that the intimate settings of the
theaters on this year's tour will leave everyone feeling that they've
had a personal visit with her. The backstage areas of the smaller
venues are proportionally limited in size, plus any "meet'n'greet" is
going to be a perk that only a limited number of subscribers can take
advantage of at best. Instead, she plans to offer a specialty item to
be sent as a gift to each subscriber at the end of each year. This is
something new to look forward to!
We will continue to update the Friends of Amy website at
www.amygrant.com on the 1st and the 15th of the month as well as
posting to the emailing list - a free service to anyone with an email
address. At last count - that list numbered 11,109 and grows a bit
each day. REMINDER: You are welcome to leave your notes and comments by
email, but due to the large volume of email, we no longer attempt to
respond to individual messages. If you have a question or a
time-sensitive concern - please write to us the good ole fashioned way
at the address on the front of this newsletter.
The BEHIND THE EYES tour itinerary is included with this issue. (Please
accept our apologies for getting it to you so late.) We hope to have at
least an idea of the cities for Amy's Christmas Tour 98 for our June
issue. She has committed to take the tour West this fall, though there
may be some of the same cities on the itinerary that they visited last
holiday season. There are no plans for a special Nashville Tennessee
Christmas as there has been for the past five years.
As you can see - there are a lot of changes taking place for all of us.
We think that they are positive ones and look forward to the
comparative "rest" we hope to enjoy right up through Christmas and the
end of this year. Here's to being "kinder and gentler" stewards of the
lives we've been given!
-------------------
AMY GRANT
1998 BEHIND THE EYES TOUR
U.S. - THEATER TOUR (posted 3/10/98)
Sponsored by TARGET Stores
www.amygrant.com
-----------
CONGRATS TO OUR CONTEST WINNER!
(Old photo for contest from last newsletter. "Amy along with Billy
Sprague and Dave Durham")
Ellen James of Franklin, Tennessee won our "Identify Those Eyes"
contest. She and a guest will attend Amy's Nashville tour stop at The
Ryman Auditorium May 8, 1998.
We had no idea just how difficult we had made the question until we
realized how few correct answers there were. (Congratulations to our
only other winner - Tim Holder of Little Rock, Arkansas!) We did get
quite a kick out of some of the guesses, though...
Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon, Kathy Harrell, Michelle Wagner (?!), Leon
Patillo and Russ Taff!
Since we did not have enough right answers from which to award all our
other prizes, we randomly chose ten winners from our mailbag - five new
subscribers and five renewing subscribers to each receive a copy of the
"Somewhere Down The Road" CD single from Myrrh Records including Amy's
"Soul2Soul" radio interview.
David Choiniere in Massachussets
Jill Craft in California
Cyndi Holcombe in Florida
Kimberly Lysen in Illinois
Ernest Meditz in New York
Phil Porter in Thailand
Clair Quaiver in Illinois
Glenna Shealy in South Carolina
Mandy Snyder in Pennsylvania
Linda Stringer in Nepal
-----------
(Photo of Kevin Costner & Amy in the studio working on the recording of
"You Didn't Have To Be So Nice" from the movie soundtrack for "The
Postman" released 12/97.)
(Photo: "A highlight of my golfing career occurred on The Bob Hope
Classic this past January when I enjoyed 18 holes with Arnold Palmer
and my pal, Vince (Gill).")
------------ Page 3
Q & A for Amy:
1. "We loved being able to see your Tennessee Christmas tour! Have you
ever considered recording it as a television Christmas special?"
-Lotsa folks
As a matter of fact, we filmed almost every night of the Christmas tour
this past year. We had 6 cameras at work for each performance to
provide images on the big screens. Since we were in arenas, most of the
audience was too far away from the stage to enjoy facial expressions,
etc. As of yet, we have no plans to televise the Christmas shows.
2. "How many more albums is Amy contracted for?
Will she continue to tour?
Whatever happened to the Springer Spaniels Reggie and Sadie?"
-Yvonne in Groton,South Dakota
First things first - Reggie & Sadie both died quite a few years back
and are buried on our farm. They were remarkable dogs with very
distinct personalities. Here are some old photos that still hang on the
wall outside my office.
(Photos of Amy holding Reggie (Download) and Sadie in the sunglasses.
Both by Mark Tucker.)
My recording contract with A&M Records & Myrrh records (simultaneously)
calls for 3 more studio albums and one "best of" type collection. That
amount of work should take me through the year 2005 at least.
3. "Any plans to release other new songs as singles? (Or any other
way?)"
-Shauna in Whitehorse, Yukon CANADA
The current singles being promoted are "Like I Love You" by A&M and
"Turn This World Around" by Myrrh.
4. "Why does Millie always have short hair in the pictures? Does she
like it short?"
- Liz in Hillsboro, Missouri
Millie is incredibly tender-headed, so brushing out tangles is really
agonizing for her. At this point, our goal is to grow out her bangs.
5. "When and how did you realize you had a beautiful singing voice and
a talent for song-writing?"
-Walt in El Cajon, California
My voice sounds as strange to my ears as your voice probably sounds to
you when you hear yours recorded. I am accustomed to it now, but it
took me a long time to feel confident about the sound of my own voice.
I prefer other voices than my own, but I love to sing. So, I'm
glad...no, thrilled... That some listeners prefer my voice. I think
that a lot of people have a talent for writing, but just don't take the
time to develop it. When I feel people react to a song that I have
written, then I am inspired to keep working on my song writing.
6. "Do you ever plan on collaborating with your sister, Mimi, again
like you did on "Galileo" (HEART IN MOTION)?"
-Adam in Petoskey, Michigan
Mimi and I sort of fell into writing "Galileo" because we were on a
road trip. Long drives are a great time to write songs. I did try to
write a song for the HOUSE OF LOVE record with all my sisters, but we
did a lot more visiting that we did writing.
------
Amy's career in advertising
from the ridiculous to the sublime...
(Photo of Amy "walking on water".)
Annie Leibovitz shot this photo for an American Express Ad in April
1987. I was four months along with Matt.
(Photo of Amy missing 2 front teeth.)
This photo was shot in January 1998 for Nashville's hockey team - the
Predators. Matt is now 10 1/2 years old and yes - I do still have my
teeth.
--------
AMY MADE THE FUNNY PAPERS!
In the December 31, 1997 issue of our local Nashville paper, we were
delighted to find that Amy had made a cameo appearance with the
loveable comic strip character - Nancy. We had no idea she was a fan!
We made her an honorary "Friends of Amy" subscriber and contacted her
creator to find out more...
>Q: What made you decide to put Amy Grant in your "Nancy" comic strip?
>A: I like to pay tribute to the artists that do things for the
community, and for children. Amy's involved in so many wonderful causes, and
she's a super role model for children.
>Q: Why did you pick that particular album cover "Heart In Motion" to
draw?
>A: That's an album that my daughter Lauren, 18 has had for a long,
long time. When Lauren was growing up, Amy's music was on her stereo
constantly. Every Christmas, all our Amy Christmas albums come out
again.
>Our entire family has enjoyed Amy's music for years. This strip is my
way of saying "Thank-You Amy."
AUTOGRAPHED COPIES AVAILABLE!
"Nancy Comic Strip Reproductions are on sale for $14.95.
They are 11" x 17", printed on high quality paper and look beautiful
framed. Guy will personalize and autograph them if you would like.
Many celebrities have been included in the comic and they get many
requests to purchase the comics. The originals go to the celebrity
and now they are making reproductions of any comic Guy has drawn
available to you."
This and other items from Guy Gilchrist can be viewed and purchased
through the Studio Store or the T-Shirt Shop - both located on their
home page.
http://www.gilchriststudios.com/main.asp
(A reprint of the strip and a photo of Guy Gilchrist are included)
--------- Pages 4 & 5
FULL COLOR CENTERSPREAD!
AMY GRANT CHRISTMAS/FRIENDS OF AMY CHRISTMAS RECEPTION
A snowflake montage of photos including -
Shots of Amy performing, the whole Chapman clan backstage, a group shot
of performers after the Nashville show, Amy backstage making a call
home on a pay phone wearing her white "Cinderella dress", Amy at the
Wildhorse, in the photo taking line at the reception, Amy on stage with
her guitar, two guests enjoying the food tables, Amy in front of The
Wildhorse logo and Amy posing with her full-size standup from the
"unguarded" album. Also - the gorgeous cover of the tour program.
MANY THANKS to Steve Hill, Steve Lowry and Can Gokceatam for these
lovely photographs!
A view of The Wildhorse Reception from a Music City Insider...
(Scan of newsletter header)
We were so pleased to get a mention in Jeannie Johnson's THE NASHVILLE
NEWSLETTER (a weekly music industry update publication). Jeannie also
manages the mail service at "9 Music Square South" and is a part of the
Friends of Amy correspondence team. With her permission, I'd like to
reprint this excerpt from her December 8, 1997 Volume IV, Issue 46
letter:
"We went down to the Wildhorse Saloon this week to join Amy and her fan
club, appropriately named "Friends of Amy" (FOA), to celebrate the
Christmas season. The food was served buffet style: red, white and blue
tortilla chips with several choices of dip, freshly made salsa;
sandwiches of ham, turkey and roast beef; tossed green salad and fresh
veggies; and Christie Cookies (they're made in Nashville) for dessert.
Entertainment was provided by Amy as she sang parts of many of her hits
- just Amy and her guitar. She began with "Takes A Little Time" and
went through several hits. When she forgot the words to songs she'd
written, her fans prompted her with the lines. Clearly, most people
were there to have a photo made with their favorite star. The line for
photos wound completely around the interior of the Wildhorse. Amy was
gracious and fans were patient for hours. As far as fan clubs go, FOA
is one of the best in this business. Their attention to their members
pays off as is evidenced by the participation in this kind of event."
(Jeannie's sig)
(Photo - FOA team group shot. Top Row: Georgia Woodall, Behi Hamidy,
Amy, Stephen & Lori Mc. 2Nd Row: Jeannie Johnson, Mary Chapman, Jeri
Melton and Paul Elliot. Photo by Otter Imaging)
IT TAKES A VILLAGE...
We would like to highlight the contributions of all those involved in
bringing Friends of Amy to you in its many forms. We were so pleased to
pose for this group shot at The Wildhorse (it was the first time some
of these folks had met!), but there are also some faces missing. Below
is a listing of the awesome people behind Amy's correspondence.
Amy Grant Chapman - of course!
Lori McAlister, Director of Fan Relations
Jeri Melton, Operations Manager
Mary Chapman, Correspondence Assistant
Deanna Hemby & Scott Gray (Riverstone), general homefront support &
celebrity auction requests
Linda Berens (Fabry Studios) - photo printing
Chuck Hargett (Creative Director at Word) - graphic design
Behi Hamidy (Printing, Inc.) - newsletter and info books printing
Paul Elliot (Elliot Printing) - stationery, all other info design and
printing
Marc Drumm - FOA internet webmaster
Steve Hill & Steve Lowry - professional photographic coverage
Jeannie Johnson & Georgia Woodall - FOA mail service address
-------------Page 6
NOTES FROM THE ROAD - CHRISTMAS 97
by Deanna Hemby, Amy's Personal Assistant
(Photo of Dee & Amy (no caption needed. Photo by Steve Lowry)
We flew to Orlando on November 20th. It was fun seeing all of this
come down and I didn't have to do it. What a change for me, not to be
in charge. I think I love it. Anyway, 70 some folks boarded Southwest
Airlines. Excitement was in the air. Boarding went smoothly and off
we went. We practically had the whole plane.
(Photo of Amy, Bev, Smitty, Ronn working on the plane. Photo by Dee
Hemby.)
We arrived and Amy, Beverly and the symphony went to work. They had to
get two rehearsals under their belt today. I went to lunch with
Beverly Bartsch, Terri Rion and then we all three went to work.
Beverly worked with the tour accountant, Terri on travel arrangements
and I set up Amy's dressing room. We went back to the hotel that night
close to 11:30 pm. What a day. The excitement is now taking its toll.
My feet are killing me. Make a note to get different shoes.
Day two, I take off and make a quick dash through a mall with some
friends then head back for dress rehearsal. This was the big one -
figuring out what gowns worked the best to change into and where she
was going to make these changes. I am afraid my nerves are a little
rattled. But we figured it out and the concert that night was the
smoothest opening night that we have experienced. We are all thrilled!
We head for our buses. I am on the same tour bus as my husband, Tom.
He is in the rhythm section and plays the guitar. Craig has never
traveled on a tour bus before and neither has Pat . Now I find out the
David and Alberto are rookies also. Oh boy, Tom, David Huff and myself
are the only ones that have done this before. Let's just say the first
night was a long night. I did OK I'm happy to say.
We woke up in Charlotte. I get up immediately and go find my hotel
room. My room key doesn't work. How nice. Nothing like walking
around with a bed head. I sleep until 11:30 or so. Tom and I go down
and have a brunch sort of thing with Craig and David Hamilton. Catch
the bus around 3:00 and start everything all over again. There was a
truck that broke down over night so we are running about 15 minutes
behind. The crew works miracles. Things go off without a hitch. The
crew guys are wonderful. They have the hardest job. They are the last
to tear down and the first into the city to put it all together again.
I gain a new respect for people who do this for a living. I have made
a new friend. Her name is Liz Mahon, the Production Assistant. She is
the woman who gets things done. She is small but carries a strong
punch. No one messes with her but no one wants to. She is strong yet
very caring for everyone out on the road. I want her to come out on
the Spring tour but she will be out with Billy Joel. I hope he knows
how lucky he is to have her. I plan to keep in touch with her.
We are in Landover, MD and I'm not in any big hurry to get out of bed.
Amy has promised that she will let me know when she goes over to the
hall. So after lunch around 1:30 I head over to the hall with Bill
Thompson, Beverly Darnall and Amy. There we find Lori already set up
with make-up and curling irons hot. Amy likes to get there in plenty
of time to play soothing music and just enjoy the experience.
(Photo of Amy in red robe. Photo by Dee Hemby.)
I have never seen her so relaxed. I'm glad we're here. CeCe comes
into the dressing room to talk. I sense girl talk coming on and I'm not
in the mood so I venture off and go and bug Liz and Bill Thompson.
Just before concert time, Michael, CeCe, the Katinas and backup singers
come into the dressing room and Michael reads a word of encouragement,
says a prayer, then they sing. Wow, that was worth the whole trip to
just hear that! Jesus is alive and well and living in the hearts of
these people. Everyone scatters and heads back to their dressing
rooms. At half time I go in and tell Amy that Chaz has arranged a
special meet 'n'greet. She wasn't happy because the break isn't long.
So Lori fixes her up and she changes and we head out backstage. The
whole string section starts playing "Happy Birthday" to her. She stops
and puts her hand on her heart and even gets a little misty. I don't
blame her, it sounded beautiful. After they finished Amy went over to
the cake and explained what the old tradition was. She takes her hand
and sticks it into the cake and brings it around to take a bite. All I
could think of was, "Watch the dress, watch the dress!" After the show
we all gathered for a toast to the end of the first week of the tour.
I was glad that I had been able to experience it.
I didn't join back in until the two Nashville concerts and then St.
Louis and Chicago. When we left Nashville for St. Louis, we ran into
really bad weather just outside of Nashville. The wind blew hard and
it snowed. The bus drivers were exhausted. Wind and snow and ice are
not welcomed. We really didn't sleep that well that night because of
the wind. Well, Tom can sleep through anything.
I saw my Aunt and Uncle in St. Louis and several friends from Illinois
and Missouri came. The only thing that happened that was funny in St.
Louis was that Tom and I took a cab to go across the street to the
mall. It cost us 5 bucks. We couldn't understand the cab driver. He
wasn't from around there. Scott and Nicole came up and had family
members attending the concert. He helped Bill and Amy with the Green
Room meet'n'greet. One really cool thing is that Tony LaRussa, his
boss (the general manager for the St. Louis Cardinals), the trainer and
the team owner all showed up. I am a huge fan of the Cardinals and
this was a fun experience for me.
When we left St. Louis we went across the river and entered Illinois
-my home ground. I had traveled this route many times as a child and
the road felt so familiar. I felt like I was home. We pulled into
Chicago really early and it was really cold.
(Bev & Amy. Photo by Dee Hemby)
Amy and Bev went downtown to Michigan Avenue but I had no desire to
travel into the city yet. I slept in and then met up with my brother
and his family around 11:00. I have fallen in love. We went to an
incredible restaurant in Oak Brook called Maggiano's. I thought I had
died and gone to heaven. Now I smell like garlic but so does Tom. I
have a special friend that comes to the show tonight. Patti Olson is
an old and dear friend and suffers from ALS. She shows up at the hotel
and we visit. Then I head off to the hall and they will follow. I am
glad that I can share Amy with her and make her feel special. Amy is
always so kind to her and that means so much to me.
Chicago will probably be one of my last concerts to attend. They have
now hired a wardrobe/seamstress person and she has everything under
control.
(Photo of wardrobe by Dee Hemby . No caption needed.)
I have my girls at home that need me. I feel blessed to have had the
chance to experience the time that I was out on the road. My hats off
to the folks that do it all the time. I will say this, everyone got
along beautifully. God was certainly in charge. He had put together
some very special people that were very capable of doing their job and
an incredible tour manager that allowed them the chance to do their job
well.
(Photo: Chaz Corzine, Amy and Tour Manager Bill Thompson admiring Pat
McCaskey's Super Bowl ring backstage in Chicago. Pat is Chicago Bears
Football team Director of Community Involvement. Photo by Lynn
Gunnarson Dahlstrom)
(Dee's heart & sig)
------------Page 7
LIVING THE GOOD LIFE
Greetings from your long absent F.O.A. Health/fitness contributor! Last
year at this time I was furiously writing to meet a book deadline -
today that book, The Good Life (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1998) is in
stores, and my lifestyle is by comparison, leisurely. So, I am
delighted to be back to provide all of you with some inspiration for
your early Spring exercise programs.
Over the years I have heard from many of you via mail (I do write back,
but it takes awhile) and the predominant question I receive is, "How
does Amy stay in shape?" So, with her consent, I am devoting this
month's column to a description of Amy's basic exercise routine, and
her general approach to fitting it into her challenging schedule.
Anyone pursuing a healthier lifestyle will get the best results when
all the components - strength training, cardiovascular exercise,
nutrition, sufficient rest and sleep, plenty of water and emotional and
spiritual balance - are working together. I hasten to point out that
few people - myself and Amy included - are able to maximize these areas
of wellness all the time. However, we can have great success by simply
being aware of the components of wellness and making an ongoing effort
to honor them in some way, for a lifetime. In this sense, Amy is a good
example for all of us because she has had to accept that the ideal
regimen is going to be the exception rather than the rule, with her
lifestyle. She has learned that for long stretches of time, it might be
as limited as drinking plenty of water, walking whenever possible and
maybe doing a few push-ups now and then. Amy knows that even a limited
investment in this area of life will provide her with a foundation of
wellness that is worth whatever effort she makes.
During the weeks that Amy is home and in a routine of sorts, I will
show up at the farm and coach her through a strength and flexibility
workout. This routine, which I have done myself and taught to others
for years, consists of basic strength exercises that develop and
maintain the major muscles of the body. These exercises are standard
strength training fare: push-ups, standing lunges, crunches, back
extensions, back flyes, modified pull-ups, biceps curls, triceps
extensions and a handful of range of motion exercises done with
surgical tubing. You can learn strength conditioning from a certified
personal trainer at your local fitness center or through instructional
videos. Muscle toning workouts with Karen Voight or Kathy Smith would
be excellent choices and their videos are widely available. (Some, but
not all, of the exercises mentioned above are thoroughly described in
my book.) The beauty of strength conditioning is that the body's
ability to function in all areas of life (not just while working out)
is enhanced, and developing muscle mass increases the metabolism of the
body. Amy has benefitted from these strength exercises with overall
improvement in body composition (more lean muscle, less fat) better
muscle tone (especially noticeable in arms and legs) and increased
stamina.
When she is not traveling, I also encourage Amy to log some
cardiovascular exercise hours as well. That means (for her) walking
and/or running on the treadmill or outside for 20 to 30 minutes at a
time. Cardiovascular exercise includes any continuous physical activity
that elevates the heart rate and requires oxygen for fuel. Walking,
running, hiking, biking and swimming all fall in the category of
cardiovascular exercise. Sometimes (though not as much as I would like)
Amy gets into a nice groove with her walking and running - and when
teamed with regular strength workouts, she gets great results.
Perhaps the most valuable insights you can take away from what Amy does
for her wellness would be three main points. First, despite not always
being consistent, and having a less than ideal schedule for working
out, Amy has made health and fitness a priority in her life. She writes
it into her schedule and puts up with my company on an ongoing basis,
which is no small feat. Blocking out time for exercise and being
accountable to someone, like a walking partner, is something we all can
do. Second, Amy has never fixated on the body beautiful for motivation
to exercise. She is realistic about her figure potential, and honors
this area of life mainly because of the way it makes her feel. I love
her attitude - it is refreshing to see someone in the public eye who is
not obsessed with every little body part. We can all treat ourselves
with respect by exercising first and foremost for our well-being.
Finally, I have learned as much from Amy about living life with zest
and joy as she has learned from me about wellness. Amy grabs each day
with enthusiasm and lives it to the fullest. She gets a lot of natural
exercise playing golf, doing things with her children and jumping into
all sorts of activities whether she's good at them or not. We need to
remember that spontaneously enjoying life - whether it's hiking in the
woods with a friend or jumping on a trampoline with a child - is in
fact our best source of exercise.
To sum up, I will share a quote from The Good Life:
"This is ultimately what our quest for wellness boils down to: How well
can we live each day we are given on this earth? What can we do on a
daily basis to enhance our personal well-being? What simple, practical
choices can we make to get the most out of life? How can we honor our
physical, emotional and spiritual health and in doing so, honor God?"
(Ruth's sig, new press shot, scan of book cover)
----------------
My dear friends and fellow correspondents...
(McAlister Fam shot - small. L-R The McAlisters: Stephanie, Lori,
Madeline, Stephen and Lillian. Photo by Wendy McFadden-Jones.)
It is with a great deal of mixed emotion that I announce to you my
plans to retire as Amy's Director of Fan Relations at the end of April.
I cannot tell you what an honor it has been to support the work and
person of Amy Grant. To have received so much from her songs and her
example - as I know many of you have - and then to have the opportunity
to give back in some small measure by working alongside her in
communicating with you is nothing short of a dream come true for me.
Who would have ever thought that helping Amy read a handful of letters
back in 1985 would have turned into a 12+ year career!
As a group - you are some of the most responsive and supportive fans
anywhere. Individually - I have made some dear friends among you. There
have been many days that a sweet story, a kind word or the promise of
prayer included in your letter has touched my heart and kept me going
long hours at my desk.
My experience with Friends of Amy will always be a part of me that I
will carry wherever I go. At present, it appears that my family and I
will be moving back to my home state of Nebraska to be near my mother
following the death of my father in January. Just as surely as I heard
God's call when I came to Nashville, so I hear Him now calling me out.
One season is drawing to a close and another is about to begin.
I am pleased to introduce Jeri Melton to you as my successor. She has
been my able assistant for one year and a dear friend since I first
arrived in Nashville. Jeri's experience with Amy and her music goes
back to their days at Belmont Church in the late 70's and Jeri's work
with Koinonia Book Store/Coffee House in the 80's and early 90's. She
has a heart for this mission and I am thankful to have her in place to
"carry the baton".
I am also pleased to say that I will be creating the remaining
newsletters for 1998 - the June and October issues - so I do get to
come back to Nashville and back to you in print! The June issue will be
my 3rd in a series of anniversary issues as '98 marks 20 years since
the release of Amy's first album.
I wish each one of you God's very best and highest for your life. With
much love,
-Lori Mc (sig)
------Page 8 (cover)
On the front cover is another lovely Steve Hill Christmas shot on Amy
on stage.
There is also an order form on the back of our newsletter that can be
found at our Friends of Amy website at www.amygrant.com
Two things I would point out - we are having a "blow out" on the Nickel
Tour books. This will be your last chance to order them before they are
discontinued. The price is $3/US $4/foreign. The limit is 3 per person.
It is a self-guided tour in booklet form highlighting points of
interest from Amy's perspective.
We will also have a BRAND NEW trivia card (to replace the trivia
sheet). Features updated/condensed Amy trivia and all of her 15 album
covers to date.
Friends of Amy is pleased to be an affiliate of the International Fan
Club Organization.http://www.ifco.org
For information on how to receive the hard copy version of this
newsletter - send a "dummy" email to this auto response address:
[email protected]
Check out our website,
Or write to:
FOA
9 Music Square South
Suite 214
Nashville, TN 37203-3203
-------------------------------------------The End.