Vince Gill
Induction Year: 2005
Birth Name: Vincent Grant Gill
Birth Date: April 12, 1957
Place of Birth: Norman, OK
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Biography
After a musical internship in Bluegrass, Oklahoma-born Vince Gill first attracted national attention as a songwriter in Pure Prairie League. Five of his songs appeared on the group’s 1979 album Can’t Hold Back, including the title tune. Five more of Vince’s compositions appeared on the hit follow-up LP Firin’ Up. One of them, 1980’s “I’m Almost Ready,” became a Top-40 Pop single. Vince’s third album with the group, 1981’s Something in the Night, also contained five of his songs. Vince returned to Country music, signed with RCA and moved to Nashville in 1984. Though he did not write his initial singles for the label, his first two Top-10 hits — 1985’s “If It Weren’t For Him” and “Oklahoma Borderline” — were both his songs. He hit full stride as a writer-artist after signing with MCA Records in 1989. Since then, he has written all of his solo Top-10 hits. Vince has the distinction of being the only songwriter in history to win three consecutive CMA Awards for Song of the Year: “When I Call Your Name” in 1991, “Look At Us” in 1992 and “I Still Believe In You” in 1993. His fourth CMA Song of the Year win occurred in 1996 with “Go Rest High On That Mountain.” No other Country songwriter has been as honored. In addition, two of his songs have been honored with Grammys for Best Country Song: “I Still Believe In You” in 1992 and “Go Rest High On That Mountain” in 1995. To date, Vince has won 27 BMI Awards for songwriting excellence. He was named NSAI Songwriter/Artist of the Decade for 1990-1999; NSAI Songwriter/Artist of the Year in 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997; and BMI Country Songwriter of the Year in 1992 and 1995. Vince’s songs have also been recorded by many others, ranging from Alabama (“Here We Are”) to Rosanne Cash (“Never Alone”).
Gill married singer Amy Grant in 2000, and released Let’s Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye that same year. The album celebrated his new relationship and featured the hit “Feels Like Love.” The couple celebrated the birth of their daughter Corrina Grant Gill in 2001. Three years later, Gill released Next Big Thing, his first solo-produced album, featuring the title cut and “Young Man’s Town.” He reunited with Rodney Crowell, Tony Brown, Richard Bennett and Hank Devito (as well as new additions Eddie Bayers, John Hobbs and Michael Rhodes) as the Notorious Cherry Bombs, and the supergroup released an album in 2004 on Universal South Records featuring the single “It’s Hard to Kiss the Lips at Night that Chew Your Ass Out All Day Long.”
In 2006, Gill released These Days, a groundbreaking, four-CD set featuring 43 new recordings of diverse musical stylings. Each album in the set explored 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, wife Amy Grant, Emmylou Harris, Diana Krall, Michael McDonald, Bonnie Raitt, Leann Rimes, Gretchen Wilson, Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood and more.
Gill has sold more than 26 million albums. He has earned 18 CMA Awards, including Entertainer of the Year in 1993 and 1994. He is tied with George Strait for having won the most CMA Male Vocalist Awards (five), and is currently second only to Brooks and Dunn for accumulating the most CMA Awards in history. Gill is a member of the Grand Ole Opry, and has received 19 Grammy Awards to date, the most of any male Country artist. An avid golfer, he 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. Besides being known for his talent as a performer, musician and songwriter, Gill is regarded as one of Country Music’s best known humanitarians, participating in hundreds of charitable events throughout his career. In 2006, The Academy of Country Music named Gill their Humanitarian of The Year.
In August of 2007, the Country Music Association inducted Gill as the newest members of the coveted Country Music Hall of Fame.
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Discography / Career Highlights
Catalog Highlights:
“I’m Almost Ready” - Pure Prairie League, 1980 (#34 Pop)
“Turn Me Loose” - Vince Gill, 1984 (#39)
“If It Weren’t For Him” - Vince Gill, 1985 (#10)
“Oklahoma Borderline” - Vince Gill, 1986 (#9)
“Let’s Do Something” - Vince Gill, 1987 (#16)
“Everybody’s Sweetheart” - Vince Gill, 1988 (#11)
“When I Call Your Name” - Vince Gill, 1990 (#2) - 1990 CMA Single of the Year; 1991 CMA Song of the Year
“Never Knew Lonely” - Vince Gill, 1990 (#3)
“Oklahoma Swing” - Vince Gill & Reba McEntire, 1990 (#13)
“Here We Are” - Alabama, 1991 (#2)
“Liza Jane” - Vince Gill, 1991 (#7)
“Pocket Full Of Gold” - Vince Gill, 1991 (#7)
“Don’t Let Our Love Start Slipping Away” - Vince Gill, 1992 (#1)
“I Still Believe In You” - Vince Gill, 1992 (#1) — 1992 Grammy for Best Country Song; 1992 ACM Song of the Year; 1993 CMA Song of the Year
“Take Your Memory With You” - Vince Gill, 1992 (#2)
“Look At Us” - Vince Gill, 1992 (#4) - 1992 CMA Song of the Year
“One More Last Chance” - Vince Gill, 1993 (#1)
“No Future In The Past” - Vince Gill, 1993 (#3)
“Tryin’ To Get Over You” - Vince Gill, 1994 (#1)
“What The Cowgirls Do” - Vince Gill, 1994 (#2)
“Whenever You Come Around” - Vince Gill, 1994 (#2)
“When Love Finds You” - Vince Gill, 1994 (#3)
“You Better Think Twice” - Vince Gill, 1995 (#2)
“Which Bridge To Cross (Which Bridge To Burn)” - Vince Gill, 1995 (#4)
“Go Rest High On That Mountain” - Vince Gill, 1995 (#14) - 1995 Grammy for Best Country Song; 1996 CMA Song of the Year
“Worlds Apart” - Vince Gill, 1996 (#1)
“High Lonesome Sound” - Vince Gill & Allison Krauss, 1996 (#12) - 1997 IBMA Song of the Year
“Pretty Little Adriana” - Vince Gill, 1997 (#1)
“You And You Alone” - Vince Gill, 1997 (#8)
“A Little More Love” - Vince Gill, 1997 (# 2)
“If You Ever Have Forever In Mind” - Vince Gill, 1998 (#1)
“Kindly Keep It Country” - Vince Gill, 1998 (#33)
“Don’t Come Crying To Me” - Vince Gill, 1999 (#27)
“My Kind Of Woman, My Kind Of Man” - Vince Gill & Patty Loveless, 1999 (#27)
“Let’s Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye” - Vince Gill, 2000 (#20)
“Feels Like Love” - Vince Gill, 2000 (#5)
“The River’s Gonna Keep On Rolling” - Amy Grant, 2002 - 2003 Dove Award for Country Recorded Song of the Year
“Next Big Thing” - Vince Gill, 2003 (#17)
“Someday” - Vince Gill, 2003 (#31)
“Young Man’s Town” - Vince Gill, 2003 (#44)