Amy Grant Shares How Vince Gill Helped Her Embrace Life After Brain Injury

A devoted partner is an anchor during life’s most turbulent moments. For contemporary Christian music icon Amy Grant, country legend Vince Gill served as that steadfast source of strength as she navigated the difficult aftermath of a severe brain injury sustained in 2022.

In a candid conversation on the April 30 episode of NPR’s Wild Card With Rachel Martin, Grant detailed the patient, analog process of her recovery. Eschewing digital distractions, she focused on grounding herself. “I spent my time in the backyard, barefoot in the grass, writing and attempting to piece memories back together,” she shared, reflecting on the 2022 bicycle accident that left her unconscious and suffering from a traumatic brain injury. “It wasn’t until two years had passed that I felt ready to write songs again. I hadn’t intended to craft an entire album, but I began writing one piece at a time. ‘The Me That Remains’ was the first to emerge.”

“The Me That Remains” serves as the title track for Grant’s upcoming record, her first full-length project in a decade. During the creative process, she often wrestled with insecurity, comparing her current capabilities to her past self. It was during these moments of self-doubt that Gill offered invaluable perspective.

“He simply told me, ‘Amy, life happens to all of us every day,’” she recounted on the podcast. “‘A virtuoso could suffer a stroke and suddenly lose the ability to play their instrument. You just have to embrace the hand you’ve been dealt and live the life you have right now.’”

Empowered by that wisdom, Grant found the courage to return to songwriting, posing a pivotal question to herself: “Am I failing to share the truth of my current experience by not writing about it?” The result is a 10-track collection, The Me That Remains, which includes a touching collaboration with Gill, her husband of 25 years.

Arriving May 8 via Thirty Tigers, this project marks a significant milestone for Grant, following her 2016 holiday album, Tennessee Christmas. Throughout her storied five-decade career, Grant has remained a powerhouse, securing three Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 and achieving two chart-topping hits on the Billboard Hot 100 with “The Next Time I Fall” and the enduring classic “Baby Baby.”

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