Amy Grant says doctor’s blunt advice after traumatic brain injury changed her life
Amy Grant reveals the blunt advice a doctor gave her after her 2022 bike accident brain injury that inspired her deeply personal new album release.
Amy Grant revealed the blunt advice that a doctor gave her after she suffered a traumatic brain injury in a serious bicycle accident.
In 2022, the "Baby, Baby" singer was knocked unconscious for about 10 minutes after falling off her bike. She was later treated at a hospital for a concussion as well as cuts and abrasions.
Grant, 65, has previously shared that her brain injury caused lingering symptoms including short-term memory problems, a slowed response time, balance issues, fatigue and difficulty remembering lyrics. The six-time Grammy Award winner said that she battled depression while enduring a long period of recovery.
VINCE GILL GAVE AMY GRANT A REALITY CHECK DURING RECOVERY FROM BRAIN INJURY
Now, the singer is releasing her new album "The Me That Remains" — her first collection of original music in 13 years — which she has described as her "most personal" record yet.
During a May 13 interview with Fox News Digital at the Covenant House California's "Speak Out" event, Grant explained how a doctor's straightforward guidance became the catalyst for a new chapter in her songwriting career and inspired her to share her story.
"I got involved with writing in a more intentional way a couple of years ago, and I really did it as part of my own healing process," she recalled. "I've just been through a lot, as we all have, but I was two years past a pretty significant head injury and a doctor at the hospital said, 'Here's my advice. Lean in, don't pull back, don't shrink. Lean into the things that you've loved.'"
"And I thought I've always loved writing," Grant continued. "And the first song I wrote was 'The Me That Remains.'"
Grant explained that aging has changed the way that she approaches songwriting, bringing her a new sense of perspective and freedom.
"In the whole record ‘The Me That Remains,’ I feel like I'm just I'm a witness to my life and others' lives," she said. "I find the older, I get the less I'm worried about how it comes out. There's something about time that gives you the freedom to speak the truth. It's not always pretty, but it just is what it is."
"So I don't know that I was holding back before, but I think it's just at 65, it's so lovely just to be a witness and to sing about what I see," Grant added.
Reflecting on the meaning behind the album, Grant said, "For every one of us, ‘The Me That Remains’ is like who you wake up and look at in the mirror. And we've all been through so much, and it's just, you've got to wrap your arms around your own life, welcome yourself, and to the ability you can do that, you have the capacity to welcome other people."
WATCH HERE: AMY GRANT SAYS DOCTOR'S CANDID ADVICE AFTER BRAIN INJURY RESHAPED HER LIFE
In addition to the traumatic brain injury that she sustained in her bike accident, Grant has faced other serious health challenges in the past few years.
During a 2024 interview with People magazine, Grant recalled that after the bike crash, she was working with a vocalist who pointed out that the singer had experienced visible changes in the appearance of her neck.
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She said that doctors later discovered she had a thyroglossal duct cyst in her throat that suddenly enlarged after the trauma. According to the Cleveland Clinic, thyroglossal duct cysts are rare cysts in the throat that are present at birth. The cysts are usually discovered in children 10 years old or younger and rarely found after a person reaches adulthood.
Grant underwent a five-hour surgery in January 2023 to remove the cyst and told People that she had to relearn how to sing following the procedure.
The "Takes A Little Time" singer also experienced a major health scare two years before her bike accident.
In late 2019, Grant accompanied her husband, country singer Vince Gill, to a cardiologist appointment because he had been experiencing shortness of breath. After examining Gill and telling him he was fine, his cardiologist, Dr. John Bright Cage, turned his attention to Grant and suggested that she also get her heart checked.
Testing and scans revealed that Grant had a rare birth defect called partial anomalous pulmonary venous return, or a PAPVR, which improperly circulates blood through the chambers of the heart.
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While speaking with the American Heart Association in 2024, Grant recalled that although Cage outlined the medical details of the condition, it was his frank assessment that gave her a clearer sense of the danger she was facing.
"'Amy,'" she remembered Cage telling her. "You'll be fine, fine, fine … and then catastrophic."
WATCH HERE: AMY GRANT SAYS SHE WOULD ‘HAVE BEEN DEAD’ WITHOUT VINCE GILL CARDIOLOGIST VISIT
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"No one was more surprised than I was that I was living with this," she shared. "There was nothing about my life that said, 'You have a ticking time bomb.' But I do."
"A few months later," Grant said. "I had open heart surgery that saved my life."
During her interview with Fox News Digital, Grant candidly reflected on what might have happened if she had not accompanied Gill to his doctor's visit on that fateful day.
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"I'd have been dead," she said. "I mean, there are no guarantees ever."
While reflecting on whether her serious health challenges had changed her perspective on fame and success, Grant explained that her family has always kept her grounded.
"I think the most helpful thing that has tempered my life from the beginning is that I'm from a big family and if I had something big happen to me career-wise, you know, selling out the Forum or something, I would call home [ and say] 'Guess what happened?' And I'd be three sentences in and then I'd hear about my nephew's basketball game. I go, 'Ok, how many points did he get?,'" Grant told Fox News Digital. "Life is always in context with everything."
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"What I feel now is that there's a lot less of life ahead of me than behind me," she continued. "I'm grateful. Every day I wake up, I go, 'Oh my gosh, I've got another day, I have another day.' And I think until some pretty serious things happen to me physically, I never thought about not having another day and now, every day's a gift. Even the hard stuff, because you kind of go, 'How do we navigate?'"
"And what I really feel a sense of is all of our connectedness to each other," Grant added. "I could not have survived any of those things without community."
WATCH HERE: AMY GRANT SHARES WHAT IT MEANT TO HER TO HEADLINE COVENANT HOUSE CALIFORNIA'S ‘SPEAK OUT’ EVENT
Grant shared that she and her family have gained a greater appreciation for the time that they have together.
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"We had a big family gathering down from Nashville and my three sisters, all of our kids, our grandkids at Easter." she recalled. "And we got out in the yard, and we made a big circle, just kind of a shape where everybody's holding hands, and we just said, 'Just look around. Just look at the gift of each other, because there's not ever a guarantee that the next time we gather, we'll all be here.' And that's just part of recognizing the gift of each day."
WATCH HERE: AMY GRANT REFLECTS ON HER NEW ALBUM ‘THE ME THAT REMAINS’
The "Every Heartbeat" hitmaker spoke with Fox News Digital ahead of her headlining performance at Covenant House California’s inaugural "Speak Out," a ticketed live music event that was held at the iconic Troubadour on May 13 and benefited California’s homeless youth.
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Covenant House is an international nonprofit charity that provides safe housing, food, and holistic care for young people experiencing homelessness and survivors of human trafficking.
The event also featured testimonies and performances from young people who have transitioned from homelessness to independence through the nonprofit’s programs.
While speaking with Fox News Digital, Grant said that she was "honored" that she was asked to perform at the event and shared what participating in it meant to her.
"I love all of the different youth that are singing. I was up there in the balcony going, 'Oh my gosh, every voice represents a lifetime.' And I think some of these kids have seen more in their life and overcome hurdles that I can only imagine," she said. "And to be a part of supporting this community is a gift to me."
