When you're with Sandi Patty she makes you feel like part of her family. On a sticky fall afternoon she held an intimate lunch in New York City's Rockefeller Center to share some exciting news. But before she got down to business and lunch was served, she carried out a time-honored family tradition her Aunt Faye started by asking everyone, "Aren't we thankful?" Together everyone responded, "Yes, we are." After she listened to her guests tell their stories, Patty was finally ready to share hers.
Starting in February she will launch Forever Grateful: The Farewell Tour, which will reach more than 90 cities across the world and will run through the spring of 2017. She'll also release Forever Grateful, a collection of new songs and old favorites done in a new way.
"I'm at that season in my life where it's time to wind down, and it's time to say goodbye and especially to say thank you," Patty said. "I could never have imagined my career taking me to so many amazing places and meeting so many people who have changed my life forever."
While she's excited about the tour, she said it will be bittersweet.
In her illustrious career Patty has sold over 12 million albums, won five Grammy Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, and over 40 Dove Awards, including their Lifetime Achievement Award.
Interestingly, Patty never set out to be one of Christian music's most renowned superstars. Born in Oklahoma City, her father, Ron, was a minster and her mother, Carolyn, was church pianist. A shy child, Patty would often play the record "I've Got Confidence," longing for the day when she could sing it and really mean it.
Patty went to school for teaching, but shortly after graduating legendary gospel singer Bill Gaither asked if she would go on tour with him as a background singer. During that time Patty released several albums and gained a following in the Christian music community. In 1986 she was catapulted into stardom after ABC aired a special to the rededication of the Statue of Liberty and used her recording of "The Star Spangled Banner." Suddenly Patty was America's sweetheart and there was no stopping her.
Then at the height of her career, she and her first husband divorced. She shocked fans two years later when she revealed that she had an affair with her background singer, now husband, Don Peslis. The church and many of her fans felt betrayed by her choices, but no one was harder on Patty than Patty herself.
"We're all broken," she said. "Our journey is not a stopwatch; it's a compass. My goal is to always be the best Christ follower that I can be."
Slowly the audience and the Christian music industry welcomed her back. Through it all it all she learned how strong she was and finally understood the true meaning behind the lyrics of her favorite song, "His Eye is on the Sparrow." She could've stopped singing professionally -- the thought entered her mind -- but she realized that she truly does sing because she is happy.
As she slows down her music career, she's returning to education. Currently she's a professor at Mid-America Christian University teaching an online course in Worship Arts and Leadership. Not only does she want to teach what it means to worship, she also wants to pass on some of the wisdom she's acquired, which includes to not only have a passion for what you're doing, but to also plan, prepare, practice, and pray.
Patty is looking forward to the next chapter in her life and continues to dream. In addition to focusing on her eight children and 2-year-old grandson, she would love to perform Hello Dolly! on Broadway or voice an animated character for a Disney film. No matter which road she chooses, one thing is certain, she'll be forever grateful.
"I've been able to make a profession out of what I love doing so much," she said. "I think that my kids are grounded and they love each other and want to make the world a better place. It makes me happy to know that I've played a part in making that happen."
For more information on Sandi Patty including tour dates, visit http://www.sandipatty.com/
Betty White
AP
Doesn't it seem like Betty White has been around since David torpedoed Goliath with a slingshot? Our favorite golden girl is only 94 though. Even though Miss Betty White began her career in the 1940s on radio, and later appeared on late night talk shows and game shows (including "Password") in the 50s and 60s, she wasn't really a household name until, at the age of 51, she began playing "The Happy Homemaker" Sue Ann Nivens on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (1973-1977).
Morgan Freeman
Getty
Who doesn't love Morgan Freeman? This Academy Award winner paid his dues and then some. Freeman worked for several years as an actor, but really came into his own playing chauffeur Hoke Colburn in "Driving Miss Daily" at the age of 52 (although he was 50 when he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in the film "Street Smart").
Sharon Osbourne
Getty
Heavy metal vocalist Ozzy Osbourne has been famous for over 40 years as lead singer of the English band Black Sabbath. His wife, Sharon, however, did not become a household name until their family reality show "The Osbournes" premiered on MTV in 2002. Just barely 50, Sharon became a media darling, which opened up many doors. She went on to become a judge on "America's Got Talent" and has been co-host of the CBS daytime show "The Talk" since it debuted in October 2010.
Regis Philbin
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Regis Philbin was comedian Joey Bishop's sidekick on the ABC television show "The Joey Bishop Show" from 1967 to 1969 and hosted his own local talk show -- "A.M. Los Angeles" -- from 1975 to 1983. But his name wasn't exactly on the tip of our collective tongues until he became a daytime staple with Kathie Lee Gifford in 1988 on "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee" when he was 57. His vibrant, caustic, yet fun-loving personality pushed him over the top sometime after the show began to gain in popularity with daytime viewers.
Abe Vigoda
Getty
Born in 1921, Abe Vigoda captured the role of Salvatore Tessio in the film "The Godfather" in 1972 at the age of 51. His next big role came in 1975 when he signed on to play Sgt. Phil Fish on the television series "Barney Miller." And that's when Vigoda -- who passed away in 2016 -- really became a household name.
Tom Bergeron
Getty
Sure, Tom Bergeron became the host of "Hollywood Squares" in 1998 and of "America's Funniest Home Videos" in 2001, but he didn't really become widely known until joining the wildly popular "Dancing With the Stars." The amiable host was 50 when the show premiered in 2005. After more than 20 seasons as host, it appears he's a keeper.
Mike Wallace
Getty
Maybe Mike Wallace was well-known in some hard-core news circles, and perhaps he was on a first-name basis with a few news junkies many moons ago, but it wasn't until he laid his groundwork as a superb gotcha reporter on "60 Minutes" which he did from 1968 (after he turned 50) until 2008 -- that his star really began to shine. This well-respected news journalist sadly passed away on April 7, 2012 at the age of 93.
Samuel L. Jackson
Gabe Ginsberg via Getty Images
Born in 1948, Samuel L. Jackson appeared in more than 100 films before the age of 40. However, it was only after he landed the role of a hitman in "Pulp Fiction" in 1994 that his star really began to shine. For this performance, Jackson received a Best Supporting Actor nomination.
Andy Rooney
Getty
Andy Rooney is another personality that seems to have been around since the beginning of time, and we're all glad to have been the recipients of his off-the-wall satirical takes on human nature. In 1978, at the age of 59, Rooney began his "A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney" segment on the CBS news show "60 Minutes," continuing through 2011. He made us laugh, he made us cry, he made us think. It doesn't get better than that. Rooney died on November 4, 2011 at the age of 92 only a few weeks after his last appearance on the show.
Joy Behar
Getty
Joy Behar was 54 when she was cast as one of the original members of "The View," which made its debut in August 1997. A few years before that, you could catch Behar doing hilarious stand-up comedy on television. But she only became a household name sometime after "The View" became a must-see, daytime television talk show.
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When you're with Sandi Patty she makes you feel like part of her family. On a sticky fall afternoon she held an intimate lunch in New York City's Rockefeller Center to share some exciting news. But before she got down to business and lunch was served, she carried out a time-honored family tradition her Aunt Faye started by asking everyone, "Aren't we thankful?" Together everyone responded, "Yes, we are." After she listened to her guests tell their stories, Patty was finally ready to share hers. 
Slowly the audience and the Christian music industry welcomed her back. Through it all it all she learned how strong she was and finally understood the true meaning behind the lyrics of her favorite song, "His Eye is on the Sparrow." She could've stopped singing professionally -- the thought entered her mind -- but she realized that she truly does sing because she is happy. 
