'Heavenly' Andy Griggs Song Resonates Deeply as Single Leaps Into Top 10

NASHVILLE, TN. (RCA) - It takes a soulful interpretation to bring a truly great song to life, and listeners have found just that combination in Andy Griggs' latest single, the powerful 'If Heaven,' which moves into the country Top 10 this week (No 8 R&R, No 9 Billboard). From Griggs' RCA Nashville album, This I Gotta See, 'If Heaven' was penned by noted songwriter Gretchen Peters ('Independence Day,' 'You Don't Even Know Who I Am') and finds its voice in Griggs, whose warm, earthy delivery captures the sweetly majestic spirit of Peters' composition in a way that's drawn standing ovations in concert and testimonials from across the country.

The track's themes of home and loss, coping and peace have struck a particular chord among listeners who, faced with personal tragedy, have written to say how much comfort they've found in the song. Some have told of 'If Heaven' being played as a tribute at memorial services, while others describe the healing beauty of personal listening, with one woman offering, 'I find it soothing. [Andy] has an incredible knack for picking those songs that move people and touch us right where we are.' Another person shared, 'I just wanted you all to know how much 'If Heaven' means to me. …
Thank you for putting my feelings to words [and] thanks for making the best music!'

The response to the song has been especially gratifying to Andy, who relates, ''If Heaven' is not about losing as much as it is about giving. I believe in faith, I believe in God, and yes, I believe in Heaven. This is the first song I've heard that ministers to a soul with colorful aspects of how I feel Heaven really is. Because of that, I had to record it for me. I was the first one it ministered to.

'I've always wanted to impact people's lives through my music,' Andy continues, 'the way that music impacted mine. What an honor it is to be a part of a song that's touching people in such a deep way. I prayed it would affect one person out there, but the response is flooding in. What do you say when people come up to you and tell you of a tragedy and that your current single was played at the funeral? Or that it has brought somebody from a valley to a mountaintop? You smile, hug their neck, and say, 'Here's to Heaven.'