Amy Grant says 5-hour surgery to remove throat cyst forced her to relearn singing

Amy Grant is opening up about relearning to sing after a bike accident led to the discovery of a cyst in her throat.

The singer, in an interview with E! News this week, said the trauma from the 2022 accident caused an existing cyst in her throat to become a "hypergrowth" that required surgery.

In July 2022, Grant was hospitalized after a serious bike accident in which she hit a pothole and was knocked unconscious near her home in Nashville, Tennessee.

"I had this five-hour surgery and they took it out. So I actually had to learn to sing again," Grant, 63, said.

She told the outlet that doctors offered a facelift during the surgery, which she declined. But when she woke up post-surgery, her "neck was a little tighter."

"I just felt like an old, beat-up car that went in and got a paint job and had the dents knocked out," the singer said of the surgery. "That's a gift."

The accident also caused ongoing issues, including her short-term memory and balance. "I can't remember what I can't remember," she said. "Sometimes I walk around like I'm drunk and I just have to laugh about all of it."

Her recovery forced the postponement of a tour. She also shared hesitation about getting back on her bike, but there was no trepidation about returning to touring in 2023, with scattered dates throughout the country followed by her traditional Christmas concerts with husband Vince Gill in December.

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"Oh my goodness, I have enjoyed being back on the road so much,” she told USA TODAY in May. "Being sick made me realize how much I count on feeling good most of the time. I don’t know if it’s a post-COVID thing, too, but I find the longer you enjoy something – either music or a sporting event or a walk in the woods – with time, that level of appreciation to still get to do those things increases."

She shared similar excitement with E! News about continuing to perform: "I do feel the love, and my reasons for touring are — I don't get on stage because I need to hear applause; I have always loved creating spaces, and I do think that it feels like that continues to matter," she said.

Contributing: Melissa Ruggieri

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