Happy birthday to a country legend. A man who has more Grammys than any other country music man… but who happens to have had a part in a popular rock group and is now a member of one of the most popular ones. Vince Gill is 66 today.
Gill grew up in the Oklahoma City area with a keen musical interest. Although his dad was a judge, he also played country music on the side, and unlike many parents, encouraged Vince to go into music and helped the lad learn guitar… as well as bass, banjo, mandolin, fiddle…
After high school, Vince was off to Kentucky to join a band. Not long after that, he came to the attention of Cincinnati-based Pure Prairie League who recruited them. He played guitar and sang on three albums of theirs from 1979-81, including the Firin’ Up album which yielded their biggest-selling single, “Let Me Love You Tonight”, a top 10 hit which he sang lead on. He also wrote most of the album, although not that particular song. (A little more Pure Prairie League trivia while we’re at it – their second biggest-hit [and likely most played one on radio these days] “Amie”, from their pre-Gill era, hit the U.S. top 40 on this day in 1975.)
He left the League after Rodney Crowell’s backing band came, the Cherry Bombs, came calling and by the mid-’80s, he’d signed to RCA and embarked on a solo career. And what a career. He put out 18 studio albums, 10 of which have gone platinum in the U.S., including his 5X platinum I Still Believe In You, which gave him four #1 hits on the country charts including the title track. Country fans loved his songwriting and “high soulful tenor” , as did critics. He’s won a total of 22 Grammys including Best Male Country Performance nine times over (including each year from 1994-98). But unlike some of his counterparts, he never really crossed over into mainstream pop radio and thus remained a bit of a mystery to many listeners. Even his current wife, gospel-country singer Amy Grant was probably better known. As the 2000s wore on, his sales (as with many other artists) started to dip and in 2012 he said “I don’t have a record deal. Don’t know that I want one”.
He wasn’t likely to get bored. He worked on records by Bonnie Tyler, Kelly Clarkson and his wife and probably didn’t mind having more spare time to hit the greens. He’s a competitive golfer who’s actually in the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame! However things changed in 2016, when his friend Glenn Frey died. Suddenly Vince had the Eagles calling.
He joined them soon after Frey’s death and has been a constant member since, which initially drew some scorn both from his country-based fans and the band’s pop-rock ones. But he’s been a great fit. One might think he’s taking Frey’s place, since he plays some rhythm guitar and sings hits like “New Kid In Town” and “Lyin’ Eyes” that Glenn usually did. But he says he “simply took another spot that was open”. He adds “because Glenn was a great friend, in my heart of hearts, I wish I wasn’t doing it; that would mean Glenn was still around. But life is what it is, and you just do what you can. These songs deserve to live on.”
That they do, and so too does his career. Fans will have to wait awhile to see Vince though; the Eagles recently wrapped up their lengthy and Covid-delayed “Hotel California” revisited tour and Gill’s next scheduled shows are Christmas ones with Amy Grant in Nashville this December.