Just four months ago, Amy Grant was hospitalized after a bicycle accident in her hometown of Nashville, Tenn.
While a lot happened when Grant recovered, it was actually an extremely slow time for her. She had to cancel some show dates in the fall and only resumed touring in the last week.
“It was the quietest season of my life,” she said Washington Post in an interview published Tuesday to promote his upcoming appearance at the Kennedy Center Honors on Dec. 4. It’s a big deal, not only because it’s the first time since the accident that she’s attended something so important — the red carpet, the photographers, the whole thing — but because she’s one of the icons being honored. (The others are actor/director George Clooney; singer Gladys Knight; songwriter Tania León; and members of the band U2.)
But back to the accident. The Christian singer was wearing a helmet when it happened, which made her story have a happier ending, but she still struggled with the effects, including memory loss. That led her to create a journal she called “Write to Remember.”
“I was just trying to remember people’s names, like my extended family,” she said. “Every conversation would start with ‘Are they dead or alive?’
The 62-year-old said she doesn’t even remember exactly what happened after the accident, during which she lost consciousness for about 10 minutes, or about a week she spent being treated in hospital.
So she’s grateful for the time she’s had to recover.
“The timing of this … really gave me an opportunity to look at most of my life,” Grant said. “And I kind of, I don’t know — just wrap my arms around the whole thing. I mean, this is a gift for anyone.”
Although it wasn’t always easy.
“There are times in our lives when we can be so busy that you’re present, but you’re also checking off the to-do list,” Grant said. “Or someone sits down for a conversation and you’re giving 100 percent attention, but you can’t even make the next thing on the calendar completely disappear. That was the biggest adjustment.”
Country music star Vince Gill, Grant’s husband of 22 years, was by her side throughout, providing updates on her condition.
Later this month, he is scheduled to perform with her at their annual holiday residency at Music City’s Ryman Auditorium.