After a bicycle accident, Amy Grant discovered a cyst in her throat and had to relearn how to sing

Amy Grant talks about how she had to relearn how to sing after a cyst was discovered in her throat during a bicycle accident.

The singer said in an interview with E! News this week that the trauma of the 2022 accident caused an existing cyst in her neck to develop into a “hypergrowth” that required surgery.

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

“I had this five-hour operation and they removed it. So I had to learn to sing again,” said Grant, 63.

She told the outlet that doctors offered her a facelift during the surgery, which she declined, but when she woke up after the surgery, her “neck was a little tighter.”

“I felt like an old, beat-up car that had been repainted and had the dents removed,” the singer said of the operation. “It’s a gift.”

The accident also caused lingering problems, including her short-term memory and balance. “I can’t remember anything I can’t remember,” she said. “Sometimes I walk around like I’m drunk and just laugh at everything.”

Her recovery has necessitated the postponement of a tour. She also shared that she is hesitant to get back on the bike, but she is not afraid to tour again in 2023, with scattered dates across the country, followed by her traditional Christmas concerts with husband Vince Gill in December.

Vince Gill, Amy Grant Celebrate the 100th Ryman Christmas performance with Nate Bargatze, more

“Oh my God, I’ve enjoyed being out and about again so much,” she told USA TODAY in May. “Being sick made me realize how much I depend on being OK most of the time. I don’t know if that’s a post-COVID thing, but I find that the longer you enjoy something – whether it’s music, a sporting event or a walk in the woods – the more you appreciate being able to do those things over time.”

She expressed similar enthusiasm for her future performances to E! News: “I feel the love and my reasons for touring are – I don’t go on stage because I need applause; I’ve always loved creating spaces and I think it feels like that continues to be important,” she said.

Contributors: Melissa Ruggieri

Amy Grant gives update after health scare, shares first new songs in years: “So blessed”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Amy Grant’s bike accident led to surgery for a laryngeal cyst and relearning how to sing