I would use Green board in that area of the kitchen not regular paper backed drywall.

Google Green board and read the reasons for using it in your kitchen

Actually regular drywall would be better. I'm not sure of the reason why, but I'm told thinset will bond better to regular whiteboard drywall than greenboard. Just for the record, I can't remember the last time I saw greenboard in a kitchen. ANYWHERE in a kitchen.

Bill, I don't know tiling from anything... but my thought on the greenboard, is:

I beleive that greenboard has a wax coating on it, which I would think wouldn't be as receptive to thinset as plain paper.

Thanks for the advice. I guess we'll be okay.

Could be. One way or the other it's obviously something that gives it its water resistant properties. I don't know for sure, though. What I DO know is that thinset will bond much better to plain old white sheetrock.

As for the original question, I don't see any problem with putting glass over sheetrock.

A moment of panic here! My carpenter is a tile/carpet layer and he used plain old white sheet rock all over my kitchen today. I couldn't imagine he used the wrong thing! Thank you, Bill!