Amy Grant, Christmas Album Icon, Still At The Top Of Her Game, Releases New Music Video

For someone who has three multi-platinum album, six platinum albums, and four gold albums to her name, you would be hard-pressed to find a more humble singer than Amy Grant. Currently on a Christmas tour with Michael W. Smith and Jordan Smith and promoting her Christmas album, Tennessee Christmas, Grant is showing up everywhere, but for those who know her the best, she is still just Amy.

“I think my faith, the way I understand God’s love is only two rules,” Grant told Fox News.

“Love God and love everybody no matter who they are no matter what they say and to me that’s the most freeing way to live life.”

During her current tour, Grant proudly declares that she is now 56 years of age and hula hoops while singing “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” She admits that her voice is lower now than it was when she released her first holiday record, A Christmas Album, in 1983, and says that she is relying on the backup singers to help her get through “Love Has Come” a hit song from that record. However, with all of the current press attention she is getting from The New York Times to the cover of FIRST for Women, she doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

Today, People magazine exclusively unveiled Grant’s new music video, “To Be Together” which is featured on Tennessee Christmas and shared how the song actually encouraged the singer long after it was written.

“[Songwriter] Chris [Eaton] and I had just finished writing that song when my daughter Sarah and her boyfriend were in an awful automobile accident,” Amy explained.

“During those tough hours in the emergency room and the days that followed in the hospital, that chorus cycled through my brain on repeat. ‘Coming home just the way you are, knowing this is all that really matters, to be together’… it was so comforting to me.”

Mostly known for being a pop Christian music artist, Tennessee Christmas is Amy’s fourth Christmas album, and yet LifeWay Christian Resources, who have always sold her albums in the past, have refused to sell this year’s record. No official reason has been given, but Grant’s manager says that it was because Amy’s album “wasn’t Christian enough,” which took Grant back a bit, but still managed to handle the situation professionally and with respect to the bookstore saying, “We respectfully accept LifeWay’s decision that my new Christmas album didn’t meet their criteria,” and then encouraged her fans to do the same.

“Let’s all move on from that decision without arguing about it. But let’s not stop asking the questions about what it means to live in faith and reflect love to the world around us.”

Fortunately for Grant, the lack of support from LifeWay has not hindered record sells and in a way, freed Grant up a bit. “I owe LifeWay the biggest thank you note,” she told Fox411.

“I have recorded a lot of Christmas music…over the last 30 plus years and I really wanted to make a record that was geared to an audience of one and to take into account that sometimes the holidays are a lonely time.”

Despite having a fairly squeaky clean image, Grant has had her share of other controversies over years beginning when she released her first cross-over album in 1985 and wore a leopard print jacket on the cover, which some fans found unsettling. Then again when she released the single “Baby, Baby” in 1991 and didn’t appear with her then-husband, Gary Chapman, for the music video. (The song was recently revamped with combining new vocals by Tori Kelly) Grant is not a fan of labels.

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“I don’t put labels on anybody. Am I a person of faith? Absolutely. But I think all creativity comes from God, so whether somebody is in a place in their spiritual journey to acknowledge that or not, I just say everybody is artistic in some way and all that comes from God.”

In November, Amy Grant made appearances on Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family: Home for the Holidays and the CMA Country Christmas for ABC where she sang the title song from her album. The song “Tennessee Christmas” actually appeared on Grant’s first album as well, and it still holds a big place in her heart. “I have spent so many Christmas seasons touring from coast to coast, but nothing feels better at Christmas than coming home to Tennessee.” The CMA Country Christmas special will air again this year on Christmas Eve.

[Featured Image by ABC]