Vince Gill
Born: Vincent Grant Gill
April 12, 1957
Birthplace: Norman, OK
"I can sit and analyze everything and beat myself up and say you don't quite sing as good as you used to, you're writing better songs maybe than you used to, but to me it's just the journey."
~Vince Gill
All Time Grammy Award Winner is Going on Tour
Michael Holloway and
Shelli Carlisle
Great news, the man who has won more Grammy Awards than any other performer in history (14 beating out Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, and Ella Fitzgerald, who each won 13 Grammys), plus 17 Country Music Awards, which ties his record to his dear friend, the late Chet Atkins, for the most ever won by a country artist is going on tour.
The band, Nickel Creek, who sometimes opens for this multi-talent said, "I bet you guys are wishing that you could just skip the first part of the show and get on with Vince? We do too, 'cuz Vince is just awesome, only since we are the first part, we can't skip it."
Music reviewer, Jessica Phillips of Country Standard Time said of this country music icon that he has a pitch-perfect, crystalline tenor voice.
And, the musician himself loves playing live. He said, "This is fun. I feel like Elvis. Except I'm a little thinner."
Not Just Amy's Husband Although, Vince Gill is sometimes referred to as Amy Grant's husband, his illustrious career started years before he met his lovely wife.
When Gill was young, his father encouraged him to learn to play the guitar and banjo. Gill also picked up the bass, mandolin, dobro, and fiddle. In high school he joined a local bluegrass band. In 1979 he became lead singer for Pure Prairie League and recorded three albums with them.
In 1983, Gill moved with his first-wife, Janis and daughter Jenny, to Nashville to pursue his dream of being a country music artist. His debut mini-album Turn Me Loose was released in 1984 followed by his first full album The Things That Matter released later that year.
In 1987 he achieved his first top five single, Cinderella, from the album The Way Back Home.
Gill has joked he prefers sad, moody, cheatin' songs; songs with a story. And, that some of his songs are about his life, while others are just big fat lies.
1989 saw the release, When I Call Your Name, which earned Gill his first CMA Award (Single of the Year) and his first Grammy Award (Best Male Country Vocal Performance) in 1990. The album went Platinum by selling more than one million copies.
Next was Pocket Full of Gold in 1991, which also became Platinum. That year he also earned his first CMA Vocal Event of the Year Award for his performance with Mark O’Connor and the New Nashville Cats (featuring Gill, Ricky Skaggs and Steve Wariner).
Gill has a great sense of humor, he said of When I Call Your Name, the song that he won the award for, "This song bought me a home I can no longer afford to live in."
In 1992, Gill co-hosted the Country Music Awards, which started a reign of 12 consecutive years. He earned a great reputation for the respect he gave to his peers and the audience. He also displayed his quick ad-libs and gentle humor.
Gill then recorded and released his first Christmas album Let There Be Peace on Earth in 1993 and in 1994 When Love Finds You, which sold over four million copies. In 1994 Gill sang with Grant on House of Love and with Dolly Parton on a duet version of her signature I Will Always Love You. It earned the duo the CMA Vocal Event of the Year Award in 1996.
Wow, These Days
Each individual album in the These Days set explores a different musical mood; traditional country, ballads, contemporary/up-tempo, and acoustic/bluegrass music.
The set features a variety of guest performers including John Anderson, Guy Clark, Sheryl Crow, Phil Everly, daughter Jenny Gill, Amy Grant, Emmylou Harris, Diana Krall, Michael McDonald, Bonnie Raitt, Leann Rimes, Gretchen Wilson, Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood, and more.
They Make Beautiful Music Together
Discussion of Gill's career inevitably include references to his equally talented wife and her career. Starting in 1994, they made beautiful music together, both before they were a romantic item and after their wedding in 2000. Shortly after their marriage they released Let’s Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye.
In 2001 their daughter Corrine Grant Gill was born.
In 2002, Gill wrote the following accolade for Grant in the liner notes of her Legacy: Hymns and Faith album, where they performed the duet, Nothing But the Blood. 
"To be asked to contribute to this record was a humbling spiritual gift. I received so much more than I gave. To my old musical friends, thanks for always inspiring me. To my precious bride, Amy, thank you for your faith. I saw God in every note you sang, every smile you smiled and in every tear you shed making this record. You are rare and your faith in me gives me peace. I love you so. ~ Vince"
More Duets for ThemFor the 2005 sequel album
Rock of Ages: Hymns and Faith, the couple performed a duet for the title song, shortened to
Rock of Ages. This album went back to the Christian roots they share.
Other duets performed by Gill and Grant over the years include:
The Christmas Waltz from 2001's special compilation
Hallmark Presents The Spirit Of Christmas and Beautiful from Grant's 2003
Simple Things. On his 1998
Breath Of Heaven: A Christmas Collection, Gill even performed a cover of Grant's
Breath Of Heaven (Mary's Song)
from her 1992 album
Home For Christmas. Grant's and Gill's versions of this beautiful song are both sublime, matched only by a cover from Melanie Taylor (formerly of
Bette Midler's Staggering Harlette's troupe) on her 2003
This Christmas.
The Other Women and Frogs
Grant was not the only artist Gill wrote songs or performed duets with. In 2002, he performed with
Beth Nielsen Chapman on the title song of her
Deeper Still album. Other duets include:
If It Weren't for Him with
Rosanne Cash,
Oklahoma Swing and
The Heart Won't Lie with
Reba McEntire,
If You Ever Leave Me with Barbra Streisand,
I Will Always Love You with
Dolly Parton,
Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing with Gladys Knight,
No Place that Far with Sara Evans,
High Lonesome Sound with Alison Krauss,
My Kind of Woman/My Kind Of Man with Patty Loveless,
Not Me with Emmylou Harris, and
What You Give Away with Sheryl Crow. Gill even performed
Daydream with none other than Kermit the Frog. Yes, you read that correctly.
Happy Birthday Mrs. Lee
In her book Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far, Grant shared a story showing Gill's tender side.
Grant picked up a note with a name and phone number sent to them by a fan.
It said "It's my mother's 89th birthday, would you please call her?"
While driving around Nashville that night, she remembered the note and showed it to her husband. Gill said let's honor the fan's request. They called her home several times only to get a busy signal. Gill suggested they drive to the woman's home for a surprise visit. Just as they turned on her street their call went through.
Gill said, "Hey, I understand somebody in this house is having a birthday. This is Vince Gill and I just called to say hi...No, really, it is me...Yes, it is...That's right. And if you're not too busy, my wife and I thought we'd stop by and say hi.
Humanitarian Causes
Gill is regarded as one of Country Music’s best known humanitarians, participating in hundreds of charitable events throughout his career.
One of his and Grant's favorite charities is
The Stars Go Blue, a new fund-raising concert for colon cancer research.
At a recent fundraiser Gill delighted fans by performing his classic
It's Hard to Kiss the Lips at Night that Chew Your Ass Out All Day Long.
An avid golfer, Gill helped create the annual Vince Gill Pro-Celebrity Invitational Golf Tournament, 'The Vinny,' in 1993 in order to help support junior golf programs throughout Tennessee.
"Vince Gill is quite simply a living prism refracting all that is good in country music. He uses the crystal planes of his songwriting, his playing, and his singing to give us a musical rainbow that embraces all men and spans all seasons."
~Kyle Young, from the Country Music Foundation on Vince's induction to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
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