Vince Gill

### Associated Acts

Billy Perry's Bluegrass Jam • Mountain Smoke • Sundance • Bluegrass Alliance • The Eagles • The Notorious Cherry Bombs • Pure Prairie League • The Time Jumpers

## Listen

**Vince Gill** is a solo artist who started in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

## 1973—1983: Oklahoma Bluegrass Roots & National Exposure

After being discovered in high school and joining the band Mountain Smoke, Vince went on to play in The Bluegrass Revue, where he won multiple awards for his bluegrass music. After graduating from high school, he moved to Louisville, Kentucky to join the band Bluegrass Alliance. Afterwards, he spent a brief amount of time in Ricky Skaggs's Boone Creek band before moving to Los Angeles to join Sundance, a bluegrass group fronted by fiddler Byron Berline.

Gill debuted on the national scene with the country rock band Pure Prairie League in 1979, appearing on that band's album Can't Hold Back. Gill left Pure Prairie League in 1981 to join Cherry Bombs, later known as The Notorious Cherry Bombs. There he worked with Tony Brown and Emory Gordy Jr., both of whom would later produce many of his albums. He recorded a bluegrass album, *Here Today*, with David Grisman and friends before signing a solo deal with RCA.

## 1984—1992 :Early Years & Success with MCA Nashville Records

With RCA, he achieved some success including the singles, "Victim of Life's Circumstance" (U.S. Country Top 40) and Country Top Ten with "If It Weren't for Him", "Oklahoma Borderline" and "Cinderella". However, his albums achieved only moderate sales and in 1989, Gill left RCA to sign with MCA Nashville Records. Here, reunited with Tony Brown as producer, he sold over a million copies of his label debut, 1989's *When I Call Your Name*, of which several songs, including the title track, made the U.S. Country charts' Top Ten / Top Twenty. This was followed by the similarly successful albums, *Pocket Full of Gold* (1991) and *I Still Believe in You*, of which the title track went to U.S. Country No. 1. On August 10, 1991 Gill joined the Grand Ole Opry.

## 1993—2011: Continued Success & Side Projects

Throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s Gill continued to release highly successful albums, capitalizing on the virtuoso quality of his electric and acoustic guitar playing, his pure, high and soulful tenor voice, and the excellent quality of his songwriting. According to his biography on AllMusic, Gill has won more CMA Awards than any performer in history, and as of 2018 has also won 21 Grammy Awards, which represents the most ever by a country artist.

In 2010, Gill officially joined the country swing group The Time Jumpers. In July 2011, Gill appeared as a guest on NPR's news quiz show Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me. Also in 2011, he appeared on the second of two bluegrass tribute albums for the British rock band The Moody Blues titled *Moody Bluegrass TWO... Much Love*. In May 2011, Carrie Underwood was one of the seven women to be honored by the Academy of Country Music at the Girls' Night Out: Superstar Women of Country special. At the ceremony, Gill introduced Underwood and presented her with the special award. He sang one of her hits, "Jesus, Take the Wheel", and joined Underwood on a rendition performance of "How Great Thou Art". The video of the performance went viral within two days.

## 2012—Present: Independent Artist, Honors, & The Eagles

In February 2012, Gill announced, "For the first time in 30 years, I don't have a record deal. Don't know that I want one." In March 2012, he performed at the Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center in Bowling Green, Kentucky, for its opening night. In April 2012, it was confirmed that Gill had been working with Bonnie Tyler on her upcoming album, performing a duet with her entitled "What You Need from Me".

In June 2012, he was touring and performing only bluegrass songs.

Gill received the 2,478th star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame on September 6, 2012.

On October 15, 2012, it was announced that Gill would be featured in a song by Kelly Clarkson titled "Don't Rush", which appears on Clarkson's first Greatest Hits album. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA.

On November 5, 2014, at the 48th annual CMA Awards Gill received the Irving Waugh award for excellence in country music. This was only the fourth time the award had been granted since its inception in 1983. The previous country music artist to receive the award was Johnny Cash.

In 2016, Gill was selected as one of 30 artists to perform on Forever Country, which celebrates 50 years of the CMA Awards.

In his career Gill has sold more than 26 million albums and accumulated more than 50 Top 40 hits.

Gill joined the Eagles on tour in 2017, singing the lead vocals once sung by Glenn Frey.

## Vince Gill

### Compilation

17

Studio Albums
* *The Things That Matter* (1985)
* *The Way Back Home* (1987)
* *When I Call Your Name* (1989)
* *Pocket Full of Gold* (1991)
* *I Still Believe in You* (1992)
* *Let There Be Peace on Earth* (1993)
* *When Love Finds You* (1994)
* *High Lonesome Sound* (1996)
* *The Key* (1998)
* *Breath of Heaven: A Christmas Collection* (1998) with Patrick Williams and His Orchestra
* *Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye* (2000)
* *'Tis the Season* (2000) with Olivia Newton-John and The London Symphony Orchestra
* *Next Big Thing* (2003)
* *These Days* (2006)
* *Guitar Slinger* (2011)
* *Bakersfield* (2013) with Paul Franklin
* *Down to My Last Bad Habit* (2016)
* *Okie* (2019)

EPs
* *Turn Me Loose* (1984)

Compilation Albums
* *The Best of Vince Gill* (1989)
* *I Never Knew Lonely* (1992)
* *Songs from the Heart* (1994)
* *Vince Gill and Friends* (1994)
* *The Essential Vince Gill* (1995)
* *Souvenirs* (1995)
* *Super Hits* (1996)
* *Vintage Gill* (1997)
* *Platinum & Gold Collection* (2003)
* *Christmas Collection* (2006)
* *20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection* (2007)
* *Love Songs* (2010)
* *Icon* (2010)
* *Country: Vince Gill* (2012)
* *Ballads* (2013)
* *Icon: Christmas* (2015)

## Selected Awards & Honors

### Academy of Country Music

* 1984 Top New Male Vocalist
* 1992 Song of the Year with John Barlow Jarvis – "I Still Believe in You"
* 1992 Top Male Vocalist
* 1993 Top Male Vocalist

### Country Music Association

* 1990 Single of the Year – "When I Call Your Name"
* 1991 Male Vocalist of the Year
* 1992 Male Vocalist of the Year
* 1992 Song of the Year with Max D. Barnes – "Look at Us"
* 1993 Album of the Year – *I Still Believe in You*
* 1993 Male Vocalist of the Year
* 1993 Song of the Year with John Barlow Jarvis – "I Still Believe in You"
* 1993 Entertainer of the Year
* 1994 Entertainer of the Year
* 1994 Male Vocalist of the Year
* 1995 Male Vocalist of the Year
* 1999 Vocal Event of the Year with Patty Loveless – "My Kind of Woman, My Kind of Man"
* 2014 Award of Excellence
* 2017 Humanitarian Award

### Grammy Awards

Gill has won 21 awards from 44 nominations.

* 1990 Best Country Vocal Performance, Male – "When I Call Your Name"
* 1991 Best Country Vocal Collaboration with Ricky Skaggs and Steve Wariner – "Restless]]"
* 1992 Best Country Song with John Barlow Jarvis – "I Still Believe in You"
* 1992 Best Country Vocal Performance, Male – "I Still Believe in You"
* 1993 Best Country Instrumental Performance with Asleep at the Wheel, Chet Atkins, Eldon Shamblin, Johnny Gimble, Marty Stuart, and Reuben "Lucky Oceans" Gosfield – "Red Wing"
* 1994 Best Country Vocal Performance, Male – "When Love Finds You"
* 1995 Best Country Song – "Go Rest High on That Mountain"
* 1995 Best Male Country Vocal Performance – "Go Rest High on That Mountain"
* 1996 Best Male Country Vocal Performance – "Worlds Apart"
* 1996 Best Country Collaboration with Vocals with Alison Krauss and Union Station - "High Lonesome Sound"
* 1997 Best Country Instrumental Performance with Randy Scruggs – "A Soldier's Joy"
* 1997 Best Male Country Vocal Performance – "Pretty Little Adriana"
* 1998 Best Male Country Vocal Performance – "If You Ever Have Forever in Mind"
* 1999 Best Country Instrumental Performance with Tommy Allsup, Asleep at the Wheel, Floyd Domino, Larry Franklin, and Steve Wariner – "Bob's Breakdowns"
* 2001 Best Country Instrumental Performance with Jerry Douglas, Glen Duncan, Albert Lee, Steve Martin, Leon Russell, Earl Scruggs, Gary Scruggs, Randy Scruggs, Paul Shaffer, and Marty Stuart – "Foggy Mountain Breakdown"
* 2002 Best Male Country Vocal Performance – "The Next Big Thing"
* 2005 Best Country Gospel Album - "Rock of Ages... Hymns and Faith"
* 2006 Best Male Country Vocal Performance – "The Reason Why"
* 2007 Best Country Album – "These Days"
* 2008 Best Country Instrumental Performance with Brad Paisley, James Burton, John Jorgenson, Albert Lee, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert, and Steve Wariner – "Cluster Pluck"
* 2017 Best American Roots Song – "Kid Sister"

### Hall of fame inductions

* 2007: Country Music Hall of Fame
* 2005: Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
* 2012: Hollywood Walk of Fame

## External Links

Official Website

* Spotify