The Amy Grant Story chronicles Amy’s early days, to her exploding on the music scene becoming a household name.
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Remember the Music | Amy Grant: Friends Forever | Remember the Music | November 17, 2025
- >> amy grant: we were little rascals, yeah!
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- And making music was just the framework in which we enjoyed
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- Our friendship.
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- >> mike blanton: that's good. well said.
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- [music]
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- >> jaci velasquez: hello, my name is jaci velasquez, and i'd
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- Like to welcome you to this brand-new series, "remember the
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- Music." this episode is called
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- "friends forever,"
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- And it features my friend amy grant.
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- Amy and i had the great privilege of sharing the stage
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- With more than 30 of the greatest ccm artists of all time
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- As ccm united celebrated 40 years of contemporary christian
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- Music. it was a tremendous night of
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- Music and friendship, and later you'll get to hear some of
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- Amy's classics that i know have a special place in your heart
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- And sweet memories. you know, if i had to name one
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- Person who really was a radical trailblazer for ccm, it would
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- Have to be the amazing amy grant.
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- Amy grew up in nashville, tennessee, and went to youth
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- Group at belmont church of christ.
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- It's funny that church of christ doesn't allow musical
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- Instruments in their worship, because amy's whole musical team
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- Came out of belmont church, and her records were among the first
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- To incorporate pop music styles into christian music.
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- Amy, her producer, brown bannister, and managers mike
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- Blanton and dan harrell, were all on fire, sold out for jesus,
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- Believers, and with their pastor, don finto's blessing
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- That you could be a strong believer and be in the cultural
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- World of the arts and entertainment, they set out to
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- Do just that.
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- Pastor don told them to pay attention to the word, pay
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- Attention to their prayers, and pay attention to their families.
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- This was sound advice for where they were heading.
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- They were about to get on the fastest roller-coaster ride of
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- Their lives. amy was only 16 years old when
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- She signed with stan moser of word records and started
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- Recording her first album with chris christian.
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- She wasn't lookin' to become a recording artist, but god had
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- Other plans.
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- >> amy grant: the experience that i had in christian music
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- Happened in the context of great friends.
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- I was a youth group kid that started writing songs, and my
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- Brother-in-law became my manager.
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- The guy that used to date my older sister, became his
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- Partner.
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- My youth group leader became my producer.
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- It felt like we were all just experiencing life.
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- We were celebrating our faith through things that we loved.
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- It never occurred to us that i would sell a record.
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- It didn't even matter. we would get to travel to go do
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- Something with music, and we think, "oh, what restaurants are
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- In that town? i wonder who we're gonna meet?"
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- But it was always just about the experience of sharing life.
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- >> brown bannister: i was a youth pastor at belmont,
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- And amy's family just transferred to that radical
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- Belmont church of christ on music row, and we were on a
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- Youth retreat, and she came up to me at that youth retreat, and
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- She said, "hey, i just wanna play you a couple songs."
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- And so she played, and, of course, i was struck with
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- The same thing everybody is struck by: it's just
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- Her charisma. you know, she sang like a very
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- Young girl, you know, but, just, her charisma, and she wanted me
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- To help her make a tape, a cassette, of her songs for her
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- Parents, i think.
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- >> amy: i was writing songs, and he said, "hey, i have 2 free
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- Hours in the college studio. do you wanna go?"
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- And i said, "yeah, it sounds fascinating!"
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- >> brown: you know, i just helped her get that done, and i
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- Just took that to chris 'cause he was, like, looking for
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- Talent.
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- >> chris christian: she was not trying to be an artist.
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- >> brown: amy was not looking. it was not on her radar.
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- So i brought this tape to chris, and, literally,
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- I remember you listening to the tape, right then, and then
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- Calling stan.
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- >> chris christian: so i called stan, and i said, "stan, okay, i
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- Got the next artist,"
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- And then we played somethin' over the phone with stan, and
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- Then stan--
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- >> brown: stan's like, "great."
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- >> chris: he didn't know.
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- >> brown: let's sign her!"
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- >> amy: because it was so much about trying to capture
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- Experiences of our faith in music,
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- And then share it with each other and remind each other
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- About it. you know, i think about that
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- Song, "faith-walking people." all of us had a relationship
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- Before music came along. to me, that was the most-- that
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- Was the context in which all the music happens.
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- The friendship was already there.
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- >> roma downey: welcome to the greatest night in the history of
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- Contemporary christian music. ladies and gentlemen, amy grant.
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- [music]
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- ♪ sing your praise to the lord ♪ ♪ come on, everybody,
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- ♪ stand up and sing ♪ one more hallelujah
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- ♪ sing your praise to the lord ♪ i can never tell you
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- ♪ just how much good ♪ that it's gonna do ya
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- ♪ just to sing anew
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- ♪ the song your heart learned ♪ to sing
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- ♪ when he first gave his life ♪ to you, oh,
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- ♪ the life goes on, ♪ and so must the song
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- ♪ you gotta sing again the song ♪ born in your soul when you
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- First gave your heart to him ♪ ♪ sing your praises once more
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- ♪ sing your praise to the lord ♪ come on, everybody,
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- Stand up and sing one more hallelujah ♪
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- ♪ sing your praise to the lord ♪ i can never tell you just how
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- Much good that it's gonna do ya ♪
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- ♪ just to sing aloud the song that someone is dying to hear, ♪
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- ♪ down in the maddening crowd, ♪ as we once were before we
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- Heard the song ♪ ♪ you gotta let them know the
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- Truth is a light to shine upon the way ♪
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- ♪ so maybe they can go sing your praises once more ♪
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- ♪ sing your praise to the lord ♪ come on, everybody,
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- Stand up and sing one more hallelujah ♪
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- ♪ sing your praise to the lord ♪ i can never tell you just how
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- Much good that it's gonna do ya ♪
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- ♪ just to sing, sing, sing ♪ come on, sing, sing, sing
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- ♪ sing your praise to the lord ♪ ♪ sing your praise to the lord
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- [music]
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- [music]
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- >> jaci: welcome back. putting faith into music was a
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- Whole new adventure, and amy was up to the challenge.
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- She recorded a progression of three successful studio albums
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- Before doing two live records with the consummate rock band
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- Degarmo & key. let me set the stage here.
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- 1981, estes park, amy is performing with degarmo & key,
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- 2,000 people in the audience, a female singing with a rock band,
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- And christian music had never happened before.
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- It just didn't happen. she plays the first song, and
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- There is no applause. her managers are standing in the
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- Back, saying, "this cannot be happening!"
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- She's singin' the next song, and there's no applause.
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- Her managers are thinking, "we need to get out of here."
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- By the next song, amy got a little weepy on stage,
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- And then started telling her story about her dream, about
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- What she wanted to do, and by the grace of god and
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- Her incredible ability to tell a story, she won that group of
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- People over and turned the whole thing around.
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- Meanwhile, her managers are back at their hotel for an emergency
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- Meeting. they looked at each other and
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- Said, "are we crazy? are we doing what we're supposed
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- To be doing? did we miss it?"
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- And out of that meeting came amy's next album, "age to age."
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- Out of that, came michael w. smith.
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- Out of that, came reunion records.
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- What came out of that moment, a failure was a moment that really
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- Reset god in all this. they heard, "just move forward
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- And go do what you got to do." after that, things began to
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- Explode wide open. from that bleak night when it
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- Looked like all was lost and this was never gonna work, it
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- Took a little time to get the titanic to turn around, but as
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- We all know, it did.
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- >> dan harrell: well, "age to age" exploded.
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- I mean, the first platinum record ever by a solo artist in
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- Christian music.
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- So there was a progression of albums that had all done well
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- And were sellin' very well, and her concerts were doin' well,
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- But that was kind of the--
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- >> mike blanton: that was the takeoff.
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- >> dan: -- new level.
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- >> amy: the right song and the right time can be a total game
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- Changer. i have a dear friend who-- she's
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- Been a cheerleader for me, you know, "oh, so glad.
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- Let me hear what you're doing," but she would never listen to a
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- Channel on the radio to play gospel music.
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- I mean, she's like, "i don't do that," which is fine.
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- She showed up at my house after i had known her for decades, and
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- I opened the door. i didn't expect she was gonna be
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- There, but she had been in the car with one of her children,
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- And i don't know what was going on in her life at the time, but
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- I guess he was flipping the radio dial, or she was, and a
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- Song came on that she so desperately needed, and she was
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- Undone, and she was showing up at my house to apologize, like,
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- "i was wrong. the whole world needs this!"
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- [laughing] i said, there's no
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- Right or wrong. it's just such a great reminder
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- That the right song at the right moment, any kind of music, can
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- Change a person's feeling about living.
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- >> dan: the hunger came from the church in young people.
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- So many churches have vital worship programs and worship
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- Leaders and worship bands, and they write their own music, and
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- Then they play the music for other people, and you can do it
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- There for free with the people you love, and that didn't really
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- Exist when these guys started makin' it.
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- They took that faith-based music to places where kids couldn't
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- Get it. it wasn't in church.
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- It wasn't there.
- 00:10:40.118 --> 00:10:41.419
- >> amy: makin' music, it's the most joyful thing i've ever been
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- A part of, you know, and feeling it and going, "man, that was
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- Great. god is crazy, you know, to love
- 00:10:47.292 --> 00:10:50.795
- Us, as messed up as we all are." i mean, go figure that.
- 00:10:50.795 --> 00:10:57.602
- I just found, everywhere i went, that-- and i still find this:
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- Everybody wants to believe that they're loved.
- 00:11:02.040 --> 00:11:08.379
- You know, we're all desperate for that, and it doesn't matter
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- What lifestyle, how much you have or don't have, whether you
- 00:11:15.086 --> 00:11:19.724
- Profess any kind of faith or not, i mean, that's just the
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- Human condition.
- 00:11:23.595 --> 00:11:25.363
- >> brown: that's the thing. we just have gotten to do this
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- Music that it's just-- i mean, it just drills down to the
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- Depths of the human soul, and what an honor to do that.
- 00:11:33.638 --> 00:11:38.676
- [music] ♪ el shaddai, el shaddai,
- 00:11:38.676 --> 00:11:44.149
- ♪ el elyon na adonai, ♪ age to age
- 00:11:44.149 --> 00:11:48.586
- ♪ you're still the same, ♪ by the power of the name
- 00:11:48.586 --> 00:11:54.726
- ♪ el shaddai, el shaddai, ♪ erkamka na adonai,
- 00:11:54.726 --> 00:12:03.334
- ♪ i'll praise and lift you high, el shaddai ♪
- 00:12:03.334 --> 00:12:11.643
- ♪ through your love and through the ram, ♪
- 00:12:11.643 --> 00:12:15.647
- ♪ you saved the son of abraham ♪ through the power of your
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- Hand, ♪ ♪ you turned the sea into dry
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- Land ♪ ♪ to the outcast on her knees,
- 00:12:26.157 --> 00:12:32.263
- ♪ you were the god who really sees, ♪
- 00:12:32.263 --> 00:12:37.402
- ♪ and by your might, ♪ you set your children free
- 00:12:37.402 --> 00:12:45.510
- ♪ through the years, you've made it clear ♪
- 00:12:45.510 --> 00:12:49.881
- ♪ that the time of christ was near, ♪
- 00:12:49.881 --> 00:12:54.018
- ♪ though the people couldn't see ♪ what messiah ought to be
- 00:12:54.018 --> 00:13:01.359
- ♪ though your word contained the plan, ♪
- 00:13:01.359 --> 00:13:06.531
- ♪ we just did not understand ♪ your most awesome work was
- 00:13:06.531 --> 00:13:12.604
- Done ♪ ♪ through the frailty of your
- 00:13:12.604 --> 00:13:16.040
- Son ♪ ♪ el shaddai, el shaddai,
- 00:13:16.040 --> 00:13:25.483
- ♪ el elyon na adonai, ♪ age to age you're still the
- 00:13:25.483 --> 00:13:32.257
- Same, ♪ ♪ by the power of the name
- 00:13:32.257 --> 00:13:38.463
- ♪ el shaddai, el shaddai, ♪ erkamka na adonai,
- 00:13:38.463 --> 00:13:46.337
- ♪ we will praise you till we die, ♪
- 00:13:46.337 --> 00:13:51.709
- ♪ el shaddai ♪ i will praise you till i die,
- 00:13:51.709 --> 00:13:59.817
- ♪ el shaddai ♪ we'll praise and lift you
- 00:13:59.817 --> 00:14:06.057
- High, ♪ ♪ el shaddai
- 00:14:06.057 --> 00:14:15.767
- [music]
- 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:24.475
- >> jaci: the incredible community that amy had
- 00:14:25.376 --> 00:14:27.712
- Experienced at church had a profound effect on her.
- 00:14:27.712 --> 00:14:30.615
- She determined to create community in her professional
- 00:14:30.615 --> 00:14:32.884
- Life as well. amy was getting ready to record
- 00:14:32.884 --> 00:14:36.721
- "age to age," the first solo christian album that shot to
- 00:14:36.721 --> 00:14:40.058
- Platinum status and helped her become known as the queen of
- 00:14:40.058 --> 00:14:43.494
- Christian pop. caribou ranch was built in a
- 00:14:43.494 --> 00:14:47.031
- Converted barn on ranch property in the rocky mountains of
- 00:14:47.031 --> 00:14:50.435
- Colorado: 4,000 acres, recording studio, cabins, horseback
- 00:14:50.435 --> 00:14:55.506
- Riding, it had it all. amy's manager mike blanton knew
- 00:14:55.506 --> 00:14:59.477
- About it for all the famous groups that had recorded there:
- 00:14:59.477 --> 00:15:02.113
- Chicago, elton john, dan fogelberg, just to name a few.
- 00:15:02.113 --> 00:15:05.049
- For amy, it was the next natural progression to foster community
- 00:15:05.049 --> 00:15:08.953
- And create some great memories.
- 00:15:08.953 --> 00:15:13.891
- >> amy: and so it was like, "hey, let's take the party to
- 00:15:13.891 --> 00:15:15.126
- Caribou!" our first week of recording, the
- 00:15:15.126 --> 00:15:16.561
- Aspen trees were in bloom. the weather was beautiful.
- 00:15:16.561 --> 00:15:20.999
- We had invited all the musicians who were gonna play on the
- 00:15:20.999 --> 00:15:24.502
- Session and their wives and children to come to caribou, and
- 00:15:24.502 --> 00:15:28.406
- Then they all left, and the second week, my whole family
- 00:15:28.406 --> 00:15:30.141
- Came up. oh, my gosh, here's a full-color
- 00:15:30.141 --> 00:15:33.011
- Spread. that little cabin is where the
- 00:15:33.011 --> 00:15:34.679
- Lyrics to "thy word," the verses to "thy word" were written.
- 00:15:34.679 --> 00:15:37.882
- But it was those memories because it wasn't just us.
- 00:15:38.883 --> 00:15:41.119
- We shared them with our family,
- 00:15:41.119 --> 00:15:44.288
- And so, you know, that's the thing: it was always about the
- 00:15:45.456 --> 00:15:48.026
- Shared memories, and music was part of it, but music was not
- 00:15:48.026 --> 00:15:51.095
- The focus of it. life was the focus of it, and it
- 00:15:51.095 --> 00:15:57.301
- Was kind of like that we all just kept goin'.
- 00:15:57.301 --> 00:16:03.441
- You know, we were just so glad that the opportunity kept
- 00:16:03.441 --> 00:16:04.776
- Continuing.
- 00:16:04.776 --> 00:16:07.078
- >> brown: i remember walking into some arena somewhere, and
- 00:16:07.078 --> 00:16:11.315
- There, he's playing, and amy's singing "thy word," and i look
- 00:16:11.315 --> 00:16:15.720
- Around the arena, and, i mean, everybody, it was just, like,
- 00:16:15.720 --> 00:16:19.657
- 10,000 people, however many thousand, it was a lot of
- 00:16:19.657 --> 00:16:22.527
- People, just hands up in the air, and it's just-- that was
- 00:16:22.527 --> 00:16:25.663
- Before, kind of, like, that ever happened, and, man, i just wept,
- 00:16:25.663 --> 00:16:31.002
- I wept, and it was like, "really?
- 00:16:31.002 --> 00:16:34.372
- I get to be a part of this? this is just amazing."
- 00:16:34.372 --> 00:16:40.044
- >> mike: eleven years later after we started, and "baby,
- 00:16:40.044 --> 00:16:41.579
- Baby" exploded-- and it was the explosion.
- 00:16:41.579 --> 00:16:45.783
- I don't-- i'll never see that happen again.
- 00:16:45.783 --> 00:16:47.018
- And she looked at us, and she said-- and, i mean, it's like
- 00:16:47.018 --> 00:16:49.020
- We're getting phone calls from everywhere, and she's truly
- 00:16:49.020 --> 00:16:52.457
- Being pursued everywhere, and she said,
- 00:16:52.457 --> 00:16:56.027
- "you know, the journey, getting here with all of you guys,
- 00:16:56.027 --> 00:16:57.228
- Has been more fun than the arrival at this point.
- 00:16:57.228 --> 00:17:01.299
- As big as this is, that 11 years of getting here has been more
- 00:17:01.299 --> 00:17:04.068
- Fulfilling," and she summed it up.
- 00:17:04.068 --> 00:17:07.705
- She basically summed it up for all of us that that really said
- 00:17:07.705 --> 00:17:10.441
- It all at that moment.
- 00:17:10.441 --> 00:17:13.344
- >> amy: you know, the things in life that you really pay
- 00:17:13.344 --> 00:17:15.446
- Attention to, the things, the mantras you say over and over
- 00:17:15.446 --> 00:17:19.584
- Again or, in my case, the songs that you sing, the things you
- 00:17:19.584 --> 00:17:22.120
- Fill your life with, do shape your life, and i just felt a lot
- 00:17:22.120 --> 00:17:29.494
- Of gratitude today because i know that the songs that i have
- 00:17:29.494 --> 00:17:35.266
- Sung didn't make me immune from pain in life or adventure or
- 00:17:35.266 --> 00:17:43.574
- Failure, but they, in the midst of all that, they were an
- 00:17:43.574 --> 00:17:49.514
- Anchor-- not the songs, but the message, and so i'm just feeling
- 00:17:49.514 --> 00:17:53.050
- A lot of gratitude.
- 00:17:53.050 --> 00:17:54.552
- [music] ♪ thy word is a lamp unto
- 00:17:55.253 --> 00:17:58.222
- My feet ♪ ♪ and a light unto my path
- 00:17:58.222 --> 00:18:06.430
- ♪ hey, thy word is a lamp unto my feet ♪
- 00:18:06.430 --> 00:18:11.669
- ♪ and a light unto my path ♪ when i feel afraid,
- 00:18:11.669 --> 00:18:20.311
- ♪ think i've lost my way, ♪ still you're there
- 00:18:20.311 --> 00:18:26.651
- Right beside me ♪ ♪ and nothing will i fear
- 00:18:26.651 --> 00:18:33.224
- ♪ as long as you are near ♪ please be near me to the end
- 00:18:33.224 --> 00:18:44.135
- ♪ oh, thy word is a lamp unto my feet ♪
- 00:18:44.135 --> 00:18:50.575
- ♪ and a light unto my path ♪ hey, thy word is a lamp unto
- 00:18:50.575 --> 00:18:59.050
- My feet ♪ ♪ and a light unto my path
- 00:18:59.050 --> 00:19:08.426
- ♪ and i will not forget your love for me, ♪
- 00:19:08.426 --> 00:19:14.165
- ♪ and, yet my heart forever is wandering ♪
- 00:19:14.165 --> 00:19:22.073
- ♪ jesus be my guide and hold me to your side, ♪
- 00:19:22.073 --> 00:19:28.212
- ♪ and i will love you to the end ♪
- 00:19:28.212 --> 00:19:48.599
- ♪ thy word is a lamp unto my feet ♪
- 00:19:49.367 --> 00:19:54.905
- ♪ and a light unto my path, ♪ and a light unto my path
- 00:19:54.905 --> 00:20:07.852
- >> jaci: amy's career continued to soar on wings like eagles: 6
- 00:20:07.852 --> 00:20:09.253
- Grammy awards, 22 dove awards. she was honored with a star on
- 00:20:09.253 --> 00:20:13.724
- The hollywood walk of fame and has sold more than 30 million
- 00:20:13.724 --> 00:20:17.361
- Albums, worldwide. not bad for a youth group kid
- 00:20:17.361 --> 00:20:21.299
- Who grew up singin' hymns and learning harmony.
- 00:20:21.299 --> 00:20:24.468
- Amy and michael w. smith started writing songs
- 00:20:24.468 --> 00:20:26.504
- Together back in 1981. michael was in amy's band before
- 00:20:26.504 --> 00:20:29.273
- Launching his own career. michael and his beautiful wife
- 00:20:29.273 --> 00:20:32.443
- Debbie wrote a song called "friends" that ended up on his
- 00:20:32.443 --> 00:20:35.146
- First album. michael became amy's opening
- 00:20:35.146 --> 00:20:38.816
- Act, and one fateful evening, amy invited her dear friend on
- 00:20:38.816 --> 00:20:42.853
- Stage to sing "friends" together with her at the end of her show,
- 00:20:42.853 --> 00:20:48.259
- And they've been singin' it ever since.
- 00:20:48.259 --> 00:20:49.960
- Michael said sharing the stage with amy recently and walking on
- 00:20:49.960 --> 00:20:53.197
- Stage to his sold-out show at target center was unbelievable.
- 00:20:53.197 --> 00:20:57.768
- Now, 33 years later, their friendship and the song
- 00:20:57.768 --> 00:21:00.938
- "friends" is still livin' on. thank you for joining us.
- 00:21:00.938 --> 00:21:04.108
- [music]
- 00:21:04.342 --> 00:21:06.877
- >> michael w. smith: we are friends with god,
- 00:21:06.877 --> 00:21:09.280
- Aren't we? a lot of friendships in the
- 00:21:09.280 --> 00:21:11.349
- House tonight.
- 00:21:11.349 --> 00:21:13.884
- [music]
- 00:21:14.118 --> 00:21:16.354
- ♪ packing up the dreams god planted ♪
- 00:21:17.121 --> 00:21:22.393
- ♪ in the fertile soil of you ♪ i can't believe the hopes he's
- 00:21:22.393 --> 00:21:29.367
- Granted ♪ ♪ means a chapter in your
- 00:21:29.367 --> 00:21:35.406
- Life is through, ♪ ♪ but we'll keep
- 00:21:35.406 --> 00:21:41.645
- Ya close as always ♪ ♪ it won't even seem you've gone
- 00:21:41.645 --> 00:21:52.256
- ♪ 'cause our hearts, in big and small ways, ♪
- 00:21:53.157 --> 00:21:59.163
- ♪ will keep the love that keeps us strong ♪
- 00:21:59.163 --> 00:22:08.939
- ♪ and friends are friends forever ♪
- 00:22:09.673 --> 00:22:11.809
- ♪ if the lord's the lord of them,
- 00:22:11.809 --> 00:22:14.845
- ♪ and a friend will not say never ♪
- 00:22:14.845 --> 00:22:18.682
- ♪ 'cause the welcome will not end ♪
- 00:22:18.682 --> 00:22:22.353
- ♪ though it's hard to let you go, ♪
- 00:22:22.353 --> 00:22:24.021
- ♪ in the father's hands we know ♪ that a lifetime's not too long
- 00:22:24.021 --> 00:22:32.963
- To live as friends ♪ ♪ and friends are friends
- 00:22:32.963 --> 00:22:39.069
- Forever ♪ ♪ if the lord's the lord of
- 00:22:39.069 --> 00:22:42.573
- Them, ♪ ♪ and a friend will not say
- 00:22:42.573 --> 00:22:45.342
- Never ♪ ♪ 'cause the welcome will not
- 00:22:45.342 --> 00:22:49.547
- End ♪ ♪ though it's hard to let you
- 00:22:49.547 --> 00:22:54.251
- Go, ♪ ♪ in the father's hands we know
- 00:22:54.251 --> 00:22:57.688
- ♪ that a lifetime's not too long to live as friends ♪
- 00:22:57.688 --> 00:23:06.030
- ♪ no, a lifetime's not too long to live as friends ♪
- 00:23:06.030 --> 00:23:16.841
- [cheers and applause]
- 00:23:17.308 --> 00:23:18.209
- >> woo!
- 00:23:18.209 --> 00:23:18.209
