| Amy
Grant: Giving as good as she gets | | |
| Bankrate: You've broken
down so many barriers, but often with controversy. You drew jeers from conservatives
for wearing a leopard print jacket during a performance or for not making direct
references to Jesus in your songs. How did you feel about all of that?
Amy Grant: That jacket
was a gift, and I just didn't really think about it. To me, it was just clothes.
I mean, who cares? And the references to Jesus -- over the years there have been
many references, but I just try to write and sing well-written songs appropriate
to whatever is being communicated. I may not use a lot of church lingo, but the
message is there. I just prefer to use normal words. Bankrate:
Your latest album was labeled a comeback by reviewers. Was it hard getting back
to work after everything, bad and good, that's happened in your personal life? Amy
Grant: A little bit. As a woman in music -- I'm 42, almost 43 -- I think
I wondered if I still had a place here. There was a level of insecurity. I mean,
you can't compete with all the pierced belly buttons. I mean, where do I fit,
and do I fit? And also because of all the changes in my life, for the first time
in my life, I was fine if it never came back. Bankrate:
Have you felt upset or let down in a way by Christian listeners, because they
essentially turned their backs on you when you were going through such a painful
time? Amy Grant: No, I never
had a beef with that. I feel like change is really hard, divorce is awful. Opinions
were flying. But the fact is, it's an awful thing to put anybody through. Bankrate:
Recently, you've been more open about your divorce. Is it an effort to seek forgiveness
from your Christian fans? Amy Grant:
From people I've never met, no. But for people who knew me, it was really important
for me to apologize and ask for forgiveness. And as I've experienced forgiveness,
I've been a little less protective of myself. It's been five years; it's time
to move on. Bankrate: What about
Christian bookstores and radio stations. Are they more willing to give you air
time? Amy Grant: Some yes, some
no. But I don't even ask. I just think some information does not help you live
your life better. Bankrate:
What about your finances? How much planning did it take to start a new life for
you and your new family? Amy Grant:
To dissolve a family, everybody takes a financial beating. You sort of start over
with a remnant of the life you knew before. I am still working. Vince and I have
separate financial lives. He was like, "Let's just throw it all in one big
pot, and I'll take care of everybody." But the stubborn woman in me thought,
"I have three older children, and I've worked all my life." And it is
different getting married later. I was 39 and he was 42. You're just wiser. Bankrate:
Are you actively involved in your finances? Amy
Grant: I have had a business manager for many, many years. And he's a good
friend. Nothing that I do is high risk, and the only real estate ventures I've
had are very modest. I'm not in the stock market. But I'll tell you something
else. I was given some advice when I was in high school: to learn to give it away
as soon as you make it. I grew up in a Christian family, and to me, giving was
just as important as getting. People look at me and my albums and think that I
must have really deep pockets. But the truth is I'm not sitting on a big egg.
I give it as I get it. I've enjoyed unbelievable things in my life -- limos, five-star
hotels, always at someone else's expense -- and I always look at what I've made,
and ask what I can do for somebody else. It's just made for a very spiritually
rich life for me. | 
