Vince Gill

Quotes:

"Success is always temporary. When all is said and one, the only thing you'll have left is your character."

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Born Vincent Grant Gill on April 12, 1957, in Norman, OK; son of J. Stanley (a judge) and Jerene Gill; married Janis Oliver (a singer-songwriter), 1979 (divorced, 1999); married Amy Grant (a singer), 2000; children: Jenny (with Oliver), Corrina (with Grant). Singer, songwriter, producer, and live concert entertainer; performed with Bluegrass Alliance and Sundance; singer and guitar player with Pure Prairie League, c. 1975-80; session musician, backup singer and guitar player with Rodney Crowell, c. 1980-84; signed as solo artist with RCA Records, released first hit, "Turn Me Loose," 1984; moved to MCA Records, released first number one hit, "When I Call Your Name," 1990. Awards: Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards: New Male Vocalist of the Year, 1984; Top Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year, 1992; Country Music Association (CMA) Awards: Single of the Year, 1990; Vocal Event of the Year, Song of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, 1991; Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year, 1992; Vocal Event of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, 1993; Album of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, 1994; Grammy Award, Best Male Country Vocal, 1990; Best Country Vocal Collaboration (with Steve Wariner and Ricky Skaggs), 1991; Best Country Song, Best Male Country Performance, 1992; Best Country Instrumental Performance (with Asleep at the Wheel), 1993; Best Male Country Vocal Performance, 1994; Best Male Country Vocal Performance, Best Country Instrumental Performance (with Randy Scruggs), 1999; Best Country Instrumental Performance (with Asleep at the Wheel), 2000; Best Country Instrumental Performance, "Foggy Mountain Breakdown," 2001; Best Male Country Vocal Performance, for Next Big Thing, 2003; Best Male Country Vocal Performance, for The Reason Why, 2006. Addresses: Record company—MCA Nashville, 1514 South St., Nashville, TN 37212, website - http://mcanashville.com. Website—Vince Gill Official Website: http://www.vincegill.com.

Singer, songwriter, guitarist

Vince Gill worked as a sideman for more than a decade before breaking through to country music superstardom in 1990. Prior to that time, Gill's vocal and instrumental talents were put to use in the studio by a wide spectrum of country artists. Finally, after struggling to launch his solo career for years, he found his way to fame with a haunting neo-traditional country single, "When I Call Your Name." Chicago Tribune music critic Jack Hurst wrote of Gill: "After six years in Nashville, a man who has sung backup on the records of more than 100 other artists finally has a megahit of his own to his credit."

Many country music enthusiasts had long felt that the talented Gill was a candidate for top success in the industry. With many friends in Nashville and a long string of credits for session work, songwriting, and vocals, Gill needed only to find the style that would best showcase his assets. After years of lackluster work for RCA Records, he succeeded with his first MCA Nashville release, a project he called "the right record at the right time."

Vince Gill was born on April 12, 1957, in Norman, Oklahoma, where he was also raised. Fascinated by country, western, and bluegrass music from childhood, he was playing guitar and singing with a local bluegrass band called Mountain Smoke—they even made a record and opened for Kiss—while still in his teens. "It was just hysterical, seeing a bluegrass band come out and open for Kiss," Gill told Country Standard Time. "The folks didn't like it."

Like many of the other musicians he knew, Gill was strongly influenced by rock as well as country and bluegrass. Playing with such avant-garde artists as the Bluegrass Alliances's Sam Bush and Sundance's Byron Berline, he developed a rock-flavored picking style that proved quite popular in California. He also learned to play banjo, dobro, and mandolin—ideal preparation for the studio work that would sustain him down the road.

In 1978, Gill joined Pure Prairie League, a soft-rock band based in California. He was featured on three late 1970s Pure Prairie League albums, though the group's heyday preceded Gill's arrival. In 1979, during his stay in California, Gill married Janis Oliver, herself a would-be singer-songwriter. For several years Gill and his wife were content to live and work on the West Coast. Then Gill made a controversial career decision, one that absolutely confounded his California friends.

Gill had known singer Rodney Crowell since the days when the latter sang backup for country star Emmylou Harris. When Crowell decided to go solo and form his own band, he asked Gill to back him up. It was a demotion, in effect, since Gill had been singing lead with Pure Prairie League. "People were telling me, ‘Man, how could you make that step backward?,’" Gill recalled in Kentucky's Lexington Herald-Leader. "Musically, that was a giant step [forward] for me." As the 1980s began, Gill moved with more focus into purely country music, forging lasting relationships with Crowell, Harris, and the man who would become his producer, Tony Brown.

Nashville proved a congenial environment for both Gill and his wife. The up-and-coming singer with the high, expressive tenor found as much work as he could handle as a session vocalist and musician; he worked with Crowell, Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Rosanne Cash, and Patty Loveless, to name a few. In 1984 Gill signed a contract for solo work with RCA Records. His first RCA release, a mini-album called Turn Me Loose, yielded a Top 20 hit and earned Gill the Academy of Country Music's top New Male Vocalist Award.

The sailing was not smooth thereafter, however; Gill had grand ambitions for his music, ambitions that ran counter to the prevailing winds in Nashville. "I felt I was going to be the one who could really bridge the gap between pop and country and get rock fans interested in country music," he told the Chicago Tribune. Through three RCA releases Gill explored his personal vision, bringing all his acoustic and vocal talents to bear. He achieved modest success and even cracked the Country Top Ten with the duet "If It Weren't for Him," recorded with Rosanne Cash.

Stepped Out of the Shadows
In 1990 Gill severed his relationship with RCA and moved down the street to MCA Nashville, where his friend Tony Brown was working as a producer. Gill's first MCA recording, When I Call Your Name, was far more traditional than his previous work; it featured an Oklahoma swing number and several compelling country ballads. The album became Gill's biggest, selling four or five times more units than any of his previous releases. "It's the first real country record I've ever made, and I'm extremely proud of it," he told the Chicago Tribune.

Gill's pride was justifiable in light of the awards he garnered for the album's title song. "When I Call Your Name" was judged the Best Single of the Year by the Country Music Association and was awarded a Grammy as Best Country song of 1990. The album yielded other hits as well, including the Reba McEntire duet "Oklahoma Swing" and the bluegrass-styled "Never Knew Lonely." At long last Gill had stepped out of the shadows of the Nashville recording studios and into the spotlight many felt he richly deserved. His tenor vocals and chilling harmonies may not have closed the gap between country and pop, but they had enriched and enlarged the scope of bluegrass in a country format.

Gill followed up When I Call Your Name with Pocket Full of Gold, an effort replete with no-nonsense shuffles, love ballads, and a rocking version of an old traditional song. Country Music reviewer Rich Kienzle stated unequivocally that the record deserved the acclaim it had garnered, and felt that it "nearly" equalled the "special" nature of When I Call Your Name. Kienzle finished his appraisal by declaring: "Gill deserves credit for maintaining his original direction. With tight production … combined with his clear, beautifully focused voice, he's moving in a direction that is right for him. Others should be so lucky."

Gill's star shone brighter still in 1992 when Pocket Full of Gold went platinum, as did his 1992 release I Still Believe in You. Also that year he received the honor of membership in the Grand Ole Opry. Gill went on to release three major hits in 1993, including "One More Chance." He released a true crossover album, When Love Finds You, in 1994. He rounded out the decade with High Lonesome Sound in 1996 and The Key and Christmas Collection in 1998. Gill released Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye as well as a children's album, The Emperor's New Clothes, in 2000.

Although Gill's marriage to Oliver ended in divorce in 1999, the couple had one daughter, Jenny, born in the early 1980s. Her voice can be heard on supporting vocals with her father on Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye. Gill married singer Amy Grant in 2000, and one year later the couple's daughter, Corrina Grant Gill, was born.

When country music and the record industry in general began to lose market share during the late 1990s and early 2000s, Gill remained enduringly popular with both fans and fellow pickers. Indeed the affable star was tapped to host the 36th Annual Country Music Awards, which he did with humor and grace. Further, his recordings kept racking up sales and awards to an impressive degree. As of 2006, Gill had passed the legendary Chet Atkins for the most Grammy Awards by a country artist. Even after his singles no longer found favor on radio playlists, Gill remained a major album seller. His 2003 album Next Big Thing, another Grammy winner, recalled his lighter side lyrically, while bringing his freewheeling sense of roots musicianship sharply into play. Yet, his most ambitious project to date remains the four-disc set These Days.

Speaking with Andy Ellis of Frets, Gill explained the motivation behind the groundbreaking set. "I was at a point in my career where my records were no longer getting airplay on country radio. I thought, ‘Okay, I've had a good run, what's next?’ One night as I was pondering this, the phone rang and it was Eric [Clapton]. After I got over the shock, he explained that he was a fan of my guitar playing, and he was calling to personally invite me to join him on stage at the Crossroads Festival. … It was a creative awakening." The critically acclaimed set became a major seller on the country and pop charts and earned Gill a record fifteenth Grammy Award for the single "The Reason Why."

Considering his wide instrumental experience and proficiency in many styles, it is no surprise that Gill offers a variety of work on each album. He told the Chicago Tribune that he consciously tries to put "different things" on his releases so that he does not become associated with one particular sound. His biggest challenge, he said, is to find "something to home in on, something folks [are] going to react to."

Selected discography

Singles
"Victim of Life's Circumstances," RCA, 1984.
"Oh Carolina," RCA, 1984.
"Turn Me Loose," RCA, 1984.
"True Love," RCA, 1985.
(With Roseanne Cash) "If It Weren't For Him," RCA, 1985.
"Oklahoma Borderline," RCA, 1985.
"With You," RCA, 1986.
"Cinderella," RCA, 1987.
"Let's Do Something" RCA, 1987.
"Everybody's Sweetheart," RCA, 1988.
"The Radio," RCA, 1988.
"Never Alone," MCA, 1988.
(With Reba McIntyre) "Oklahoma Swing," MCA, 1990.
"When I Call Your Name," MCA, 1990.
"Never Knew Lonely," MCA, 1990.
"Pocket Full of Gold," MCA, 1991.
(Mark O'Connor—The New Nashville Cats, featuring Steve Wariner, Ricky Skaggs and Vince Gill) "Restless," Warner, 1991.
"Liza Jane," MCA, 1991.
"Look At Us," MCA, 1991.
"Take Your Memory With You," MCA, 1992.
"I Still Believe in You," MCA, 1992.
"Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away," MCA, 1992.
(With McIntyre) "The Heart Won't Lie," MCA, 1993.
"No Future in the Past," MCA, 1993.
"One More Last Chance," MCA, 1993.
"Tryin' to Get Over You," MCA, 1994.
"Whenever You Come Around," MCA, 1994.
"What the Cowgirls Do," MCA, 1994.
"When Love Finds You," MCA, 1994.
"Which Bridge to Cross (Which Bridge to Burn)," MCA, 1995.
"You Better Think Twice," MCA, 1995.
(Dolly Parton, with special guest Vince Gill) "I Will Always Love You," Columbia, 1995.
"Go Rest High on That Mountain," MCA, 1995.
"High Lonesome Sound," MCA, 1996.
"Pretty Little Adriana," MCA, 1996.
"Worlds Apart," MCA, 1996.
"You and You Alone," MCA, 1997.
"A Little More Love," MCA, 1997.
"If You Ever Have Forever in Your Mind," MCA, 1998.
"Kindly Keep it Country," MCA, 1998.
"Don't Come Crying to Me," MCA, 1999.
"My Kind of Woman, My Kind of Man," MCA, 1999.
"Feels Like Love," MCA, 2000.
"Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye," MCA, 2000.
"Straight from Your Heart," MCA, 2001.
"Next Big Thing," MCA, 2002.
"Someday," MCA, 2003.
"The Reason Why," MCA, 2006.


Albums
Turn Me Loose, RCA, 1984.
The Things That Matter, RCA, 1985.
The Way Back Home, RCA, 1987.
The Best of Vince Gill, RCA, 1989.
When I Call Your Name, MCA Nashville, 1989.
Pocket Full of Gold, MCA Nashville, 1991.
I Never Knew Lonely (compilation), RCA, 1992.
I Still Believe in You, MCA, 1992.
Let There Be Peace on Earth, MCA, 1993.
When Love Finds You, MCA, 1994.
Souvenirs, MCA, 1995.
High Lonesome Sound, MCA, 1996.
The Key, MCA, 1998.
Breath of Heaven: A Christmas Collection, MCA, 1998.
Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye, MCA, 2000.
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Vince Gill, MCA, 2003.
Next Big Thing, MCA, 2003.
The Encore Collections, BMG, 2005.
These Days, MCA, 2006.

Video
I Still Believe in You, MCA Music Video, 1992.
Christmas with Vince Gill, MCA, 1994.
Souvenirs: Live at Ryman, MCA, 1996.

Sources
Periodicals
Chicago Tribune, September 13, 1990.
Country Music, March/April 1991; November/December 1991.
Lexington Herald-Leader, (KY), July 29, 1990.
People, June 10, 1991.
Stereo Review, April 1991.
Variety, December 23, 1991.

Online
"Vince Gill," All Music Guide, http://www.allmusic.com (March 3, 2007).
"Vince Gill," Frets, http://www.fretsmag.com/story.asp?sectioncode=52&storycode=16653 (Winter 2006).
"Vince Gill," Internet Movie Database, http://www.imdb.com (March 3, 2007).
"Vince Gill - the next big thing?," Country Standard Time, http://www.countrystandardtime.com (March 2003).
Vince Gill Official Website, http://www.vincegill.com (March 3, 2007).

• Genres: Country

Biography

Vince Gill paid nearly a decade-and-a-half of dues en route to becoming one of the most popular country stars of the '90s. Starting out as a bluegrass singer and multi-instrumentalist, he initially made his name with country-rockers Pure Prairie League and spent the '80s as part of country's new traditionalist movement before finding massive success as a contemporary country hitmaker. Gill had strong mainstream appeal, yet enough songwriting chops and grounding in tradition that he could maintain his artistic credibility without being branded a crossover-happy hack. That balance made him the kind of performer who awards ceremonies can feel good about honoring, and honor him they did: Gill has won more CMA Awards than any performer in history, and his 14 Grammys tie him with Chet Atkins for the most ever by a country artist.

Vincent Grant Gill was born April 12, 1957, in Norman, Oklahoma. His father, a judge, played banjo and guitar, and Vince picked up both by his teen years; he later added fiddle, dobro, mandolin, and bass to his repertoire. In high school, Gill played in the bluegrass band Mountain Smoke, which gained enough of a local reputation to open a concert for Pure Prairie League. He graduated in 1975 and moved to Louisville, Kentucky to join the band Bluegrass Alliance, with whom he stayed for a year. He then briefly played with Ricky Skaggs' Boone Creek outfit before setting out for Los Angeles, where he joined fiddler Byron Berline's group Sundance. In 1979, he accompanied a friend to audition for Pure Prairie League, mostly out of curiosity as to whether they remembered his high school band, and they wound up hiring him as their lead singer. Gill recorded three albums with the band, helping them land a Top Ten pop hit with "Let Me Love You Tonight," and also began writing songs for them. He departed in 1981 to join Rodney Crowell's backing band, the Cherry Bombs, where he met Emory Gordy, Jr., and Tony Brown, both of whom would later produce his solo records. In 1982, he appeared on the David Grisman album Here Today, and the following year he landed a solo deal with RCA thanks to his connection with Brown.

Gill, his wife Janis (née Oliver, a member of the Sweethearts of the Rodeo), and their young daughter moved to Nashville. With Gordy producing, Gill issued his debut mini-album, Turn Me Loose, in 1984, with a style in keeping with his recent country-rock past. He notched his first charting country single with the minor Top 40 entry "Victim of Life's Circumstance," and the following year completed his follow-up, The Things That Matter. A duet with Rosanne Cash, "If It Weren't for Him," gave Gill his first Top Ten hit, and his next single, "Oklahoma Borderline," duplicated its predecessor's success. 1987's The Way Back Home gave Gill his biggest RCA hit in the Top Five "Cinderella." In the meantime, he also worked as a session guitarist, wrote songs for other artists, and toured with Emmylou Harris.

In 1989, Gill left RCA to sign with MCA, where he reunited with Tony Brown, now a successful producer. Though he'd enjoyed some success in his own right, Gill wasn't really a star. That all changed with the release of his label debut, 1989's When I Call Your Name. A duet with Reba McEntire, "Oklahoma Swing," made the Top 20, but the title track was the true break-out hit, climbing to number two and winning Gill his first Grammy. Its follow-up, "Never Knew Lonely," hit number three, and the album went on to sell over a million copies. Perhaps partly as a result, Gill declined an offer from Mark Knopfler to become a full-time member of Dire Straits. Gill's follow-up album, 1991's Pocket Full of Gold, was another platinum smash, giving him four Top Ten singles in "Liza Jane," the title track, "Look at Us," and the number two smash "Take Your Memory with You." 1992's I Still Believe in You made Gill an outright superstar; the title ballad was an enormous hit that became his first number one single, and its follow-up, "Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away," also topped the charts. The album took only a few months to go platinum, and still spun off more hits: two more number ones in "One More Last Chance" and "Tryin' to Get Over You," and the number three "No Future in the Past." Additionally, "The Heart Won't Lie," another duet with McEntire from her It's Your Call album, went to number one in 1993. Over the next few years, I Still Believe in You would sell over four million copies.

Gill issued the stopgap holiday album Let There Be Peace on Earth in late 1993, and returned with When Love Finds You in 1994, which became his first album to break the pop Top Ten. It, too, sold over four million copies, and gave him five Top Five country hits: "What the Cowgirls Do," the title track, "Whenever You Come Around," "Which Bridge to Cross (Which Bridge to Burn)," and "You Better Think Twice." Gill was clearly a country hit factory by this point, but instead of coasting into the inevitable decline, he got more ambitious with his next project, 1996's High Lonesome Sound. Returning to his bluegrass roots, Gill crafted a tour of American roots music styles that earned him some positive critical attention, even if overall reviews were mixed. It proved commercially potent as well, giving him several more hits, including the Top Fivers "Worlds Apart," "Pretty Little Adriana," and "A Little More Love." In 1998, Gill released his most universally acclaimed album, The Key, which was both a return to hardcore country and a chronicle of the breakup of his marriage to Janis Oliver. Although country radio shied away from its more traditional approach (save for the Top Five hit "If You Ever Have Forever in Mind"), it sold well, going platinum and becoming Gill's first album -- surprisingly -- to top the country charts.

Rumors about Gill's relationship with pop singer and onetime Christian star Amy Grant proved to be true, and the couple married in early 2000. Gill's next album, Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye, was largely a tribute to his new romance that many critics found overly sentimental. It gave him another Top Ten hit in "Feels Like Love," but it was uncharacteristically snubbed come Grammy time, despite securing four nominations. Gill returned to critical favor with his next outing, 2003's Next Big Thing, which marked the first time he produced an entire album on his own. In 2006, he released the ambitious These Days, a four-disc set of new material, on MCA Nashville. He followed it with another album of original material, Guitar Slinger, five years later in 2011. The album was recorded at Gill's home studio and featured contributions from his wife Amy Grant, and the couple’s three daughters, Jenny, Sarah, and Corinna. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi

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