We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. What better way to kick things off than where it all began? Here's a look back at episode one and our conversation with Jim Peterik.

ABOUT JIM PETERIK
Singer, songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist Jim Peterik is best known as a founding member of the band Survivor and the co-writer of their Grammy-winning double platinum #1 hit single, “Eye of the Tiger.” But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Thirty-five of Jim’s songs have appeared on the Billboard Pop chart, including seven Top 10 singles. His first major success came when his original band, Ides of March, took the Peterik-penned “Vehicle” to the #2 position on the Pop chart in 1970, spawning cover versions by Chet Baker and Shirley Bassey. After a stint as a solo artist with Epic Records, Jim formed Survivor in 1979, penning a string of hits for the band, including “I Can’t Hold Back,” “High On You,” “The Search is Over,” “Burning Heart,” and “Is This Love.” While still writing hits for his own group, Jim forged a successful partnership with the members of 38 Special, co-writing classic songs, including “Rockin’ Into the Night,” “Hold On Loosely,” and “Caught Up In You.” Widely respected as a top-notch collaborator, Jim has co-written successful songs with a number of artists, including the Beach Boys, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sammy Hagar, Cheap Trick, the Doobie Brothers, REO Speedwagon, and Mindi Abair. The long list of those who have covered his compositions includes Paul Anka, Gloria Gaynor, Tony Orlando, Reba McEntire, Larry Gatlin, Blackhawk, and The Outlaws. He is the co-author, with Dave Austin, of Songwriting for Dummies.

Songcraft celebrates ten years with a look back at episode highlights and behind-the-scenes stories from our first decade! Plus, a few announcements about what's new in 2025.

Six-time Grammy winner, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer, and Kennedy Center honoree Amy Grant joins us to chat about the pursuit of honesty in songwriting, the stories behind some of her songs, and her catalog of modern day Christmas classics.

PART ONE
Paul and Scott chat about the idea of a "definitive" version of a Christmas song, discuss their favorites, debate about Christmas songs they love and hate, and delve into Scott's elementary school crush on Amy Grant.

PART TWO
Our in-depth interview with Amy Grant

ABOUT AMY GRANT
Perhaps the most influential pioneer of the Contemporary Christian Music genre, Amy Grant released her first album while still in high school. Her fourth album, 1982’s Age to Age, found unprecedented success with hit singles such as “Sing Your Praise to the Lord” and “El Shaddai.” Age to Age topped the Christian album chart for 85 weeks, earned Amy her first Grammy award, and became the first Christian album to be certified Platinum by the RIAA. Her 1984 album Straight Ahead spawned hits with Amy’s original compositions “Thy Word” and “Angels,” and became the first Christian album to land on the Billboard 200. By the mid-1980s, she further crossed over to mainstream success when “Find a Way,” which she wrote with Michael W. Smith, hit the Top 40 on Billboard’s pop chart. The following year, Amy reached the top of the pop chart with “The Next Time I Fall,” a duet with Peter Cetera. Her 1991 album Heart in Motion sold 5 million copies and spawned four Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including the self-penned hits “Baby Baby” and “Every Heartbeat.” That same year, she enjoyed another Top 10 pop hit as a songwriter with Michael W. Smith’s “Place in This World.” Amy continued to find mainstream success in the mid-1990s with singles such as “House of Love,” a duet with her now-husband Vince Gill, as well as the songs “Lucky One” and “Takes a Little Time,” which she wrote with Keith Thomas and Wayne Kirkpatrick, respectively.

Starting with 1983’s A Christmas Album, holiday music has been an important part of Amy Grant’s artistry. She has since released the albums Home for Christmas, which was certified three-times Platinum; A Christmas to Remember; Tennessee Christmas; and The Animals’ Christmas, a collaborative album with Art Garfunkel featuring songs by Jimmy Webb that explore the nativity story from the perspective of the animals. Amy’s original songs “Tennessee Christmas” and “Breath of Heaven” have become modern day holiday standards. Her Christmas concerts, often featuring husband Vince Gill and longtime collaborator Michael W. Smith, have become a holiday tradition.

To date, Amy has released twenty studio albums and has sold over 30 million records worldwide. Seventeen of her albums have reached #1 on Billboard’s Top Christian Albums chart, more than any other artist in history. She has won 6 Grammy awards, 26 Dove awards, and has been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Amy has received honorary doctorates from two universities, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2021. She was a recipient of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievement in 2022.