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143-551: Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He began in a number of local bluegrass bands in the 1970s, and from 1978 to 1982, he achieved his first mainstream attention as lead singer of the soft rock band Pure Prairie League . Gill sang lead on their hit single " Let Me Love You Tonight " in addition to writing several songs of theirs. After leaving Pure Prairie League, Gill briefly played guitar in Rodney Crowell 's backing band

286-512: A music video . AllMusic writer Thom Jurek praised the singles in particular, stating that the album "serves as the testament to Gill's arrival as a star and an enduring part of the country music legacy." When I Call Your Name accounted for a number of accolades. The album itself was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1996, honoring shipments of two million copies in

429-538: A "smooth" voice, while finding influences of soul music on the title track and of bluegrass music on "No Future in the Past". "I Still Believe in You" won both Best Country Song and Best Male Country Vocal Performance at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in 1993, while "The Heart Won't Lie" was nominated for Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals a year later. Gill won five CMA Awards in 1993, including Album of

572-437: A Rose and co-wrote two songs on it. The two toured with Charlie Worsham in 2015. Between late 2016 and early 2017, Gill was credited for his backing vocals and lead guitar on Chris Young 's " Sober Saturday Night ", which also went to number one on the country charts. Gill also charted in 2017 as a guest vocalist on Maren Morris 's promotional single " Dear Hate ", written in response to the 2017 Las Vegas shooting . The song

715-475: A bluegrass performer. He briefly founded his own bluegrass band called Mountain Smoke, which once opened for the hard rock band Kiss . According to Gill, the crowd began booing and throwing objects on the stage during Mountain Smoke's set, to which he responded by flipping the bird and mooning them before leaving the stage. After Mountain Smoke disbanded, Gill moved to the state of Kentucky . There he played in

858-487: A chance could and would attract many new ones." Scott Jordan of the Austin Chronicle panned the songs on The Reason Why but compared the tracks on Workin' on a Big Chill favorably to Delbert McClinton and praised the introspective lyrics in some of the tracks on Little Brother . The project charted two singles: "The Reason Why" (featuring Alison Krauss ) and "What You Give Away" (featuring Sheryl Crow). At

1001-470: A characteristic he also thought was present in the works of Hank Williams . Jo Sgammato also noted in The Vince Gill Story that Gill's albums had a higher number of songs written by him than his contemporaries did. She also thought the track "Nothing Like a Woman" from I Still Believe in You had a Motown influence due to Gill's "high, wailing chorus", while comparing both "Say Hello" from

1144-628: A charity single by the T.J. Martell Foundation to honor cancer and leukemia research. He also participated in the 2016 collaboration " Forever Country ", a medley of "I Will Always Love You", " On the Road Again ", and " Country Roads, Take Me Home " recorded by 30 country artists to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Country Music Association. This collaboration went to number one on the Billboard country charts under

1287-544: A comment session guitarist Harold Bradley made about Merle Haggard 's " The Bottle Let Me Down ") was later covered by Bob Seger on his 2006 album Face the Promise . "Next Big Thing" won the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. In 2004, Gill and Rodney Crowell decided to re-establish Crowell's former backing band the Cherry Bombs after most of the members had reunited at an awards banquet for

1430-553: A distinct musical form developed from elements of old-time music and traditional music in the Appalachian region of the United States . The Appalachian region was where many Scottish American immigrants settled, bringing with them the musical traditions of their homelands. Hence the sounds of jigs and reels , especially as played on the fiddle, were innate to the developing style. Black musicians, meanwhile, brought

1573-647: A fiddle. Many older bluegrass songs come directly from the British Isles . Several Appalachian bluegrass ballads, such as " Pretty Saro ", " Pretty Polly ", " Cuckoo Bird ", and " House Carpenter ", come from England and preserve the English ballad tradition both melodically and lyrically. Some bluegrass fiddle songs popular in Appalachia, such as "Leather Britches" and "Soldier's Joy", have Scottish roots. The dance tune " Cumberland Gap " may be derived from

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1716-429: A friend. During Gill's departure from RCA, Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler invited Gill to join the band on their then-upcoming world tour, but Gill declined as he wanted to stay within country music. Gill had remained in contact with Tony Brown, who by 1988 was president of MCA Nashville Records and helped him sign a contract with that label in 1989. Brown would also go on to serve as Gill's producer throughout

1859-413: A genre within the post-war country/western-music industry, a period of time characterized now as the golden era or wellspring of "traditional bluegrass". From its earliest days, bluegrass has been recorded and performed by professional and amateur musicians alike. Although amateur bluegrass musicians and trends such as "parking-lot picking" are too important to be ignored, it is touring musicians who have set

2002-669: A golf charity known as the Vinny Pro-Celebrity Golf Invitational, which raises money for children's golf in the state of Tennessee. Gill received a 2003 Distinguished Service Award from Professional Golfers' Association of America to honor this charity. In 1995, Gill held a concert to benefit the American Red Cross following the Oklahoma City bombing . Overall, Gill is credited with contributing to over 60 charities, including All for

2145-520: A new producer to vary his sound. He selected Richard Landis , whom he also allowed to select material for the album. In addition, Landis allowed Gill to play mandolin, banjo, and Dobro as well as guitar. Crowell provided backing vocals, as did Sweethearts of the Rodeo , a duo consisting of Gill's then-wife Janis and her sister Kristine. The Way Back Home produced four singles. First was " Cinderella ", written by Reed Nielsen , which peaked at number five on

2288-514: A number of credits as a backing vocalist and session musician. Gill's music is known for his songwriting, his tenor singing voice, and his lead guitar work, with many critics noting his prolificacy in both ballads and up-tempo material. In addition to guitar, Gill plays mandolin , banjo , and Dobro . He has been referred to as the "nicest guy in Nashville" due to his pleasant mannerisms and frequent contributions to charity. Vincent Grant Gill

2431-509: A number of occasions, including Let There Be Peace on Earth . Steve Huey, writing for AllMusic, noted that many critics thought songs from The Key were influenced by the divorce from Oliver. Gill began dating contemporary Christian music singer Amy Grant in 1999 following her divorce from singer Gary Chapman . The two married on March 10, 2000. AllMusic writer Thom Jurek thought that certain tracks on Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye were inspired by his marriage to Grant, which occurred during

2574-450: A number of shows at Nashville's Bluebird Café , a popular venue for songwriters, as a means of refining his own songwriting. His first full album for RCA was 1985's The Things That Matter . While the lead single "True Love" underperformed on the country charts, the follow-up " If It Weren't for Him " (a duet with Cash) became Gill's first top-ten country hit the same year. The song was originally to have been included on Turn Me Loose , but

2717-479: A number of times, where he would entertain students by playing " The House of the Rising Sun ". Gill also learned how to play Dobro , fiddle , banjo, mandolin , and bass guitar during his teenage years. He developed an interest in bluegrass music after becoming friends with the son of his father's friend, who was a fan of the genre and also played mandolin. After graduating high school, Gill chose to become

2860-500: A pastime which Gill himself would develop as well. As a child, Gill began playing a guitar his grandmother owned, and learned how to play " Old Shep " on it when he was five years old; three years later, he and his half-brother Bob played the Beach Boys ' "Long Tall Texan" on a local radio show. Gill also took guitar lessons from a local guitarist named J. Julian Akins. Additionally, Gill brought his guitar to school for show and tell

3003-646: A rendition of Earl Scruggs 's " Foggy Mountain Breakdown ", done for the collaboration album Earl Scruggs and Friends . Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Gill was a frequent collaborator of Patty Loveless . Their collaborative work began with him singing backing vocals on her 1987 self-titled debut album , and also on her 1989 hit " Timber, I'm Falling in Love ". Conversely, she sang on his "When I Call Your Name", "Pocket Full of Gold", and "Go Rest High on That Mountain". In 1994, Gill contributed to two collaborations. First

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3146-481: A result, he quit Pure Prairie League and was replaced by Gary Burr . His role as guitarist in the Cherry Bombs also led to him briefly playing guitar for Crowell's then-wife, Rosanne Cash . Because of these roles, Gill and his wife Janis moved to Nashville, Tennessee , a year later. Another member of the Cherry Bombs, keyboardist and record producer Tony Brown , became the president of artists and repertoire at RCA Records Nashville in 1983. As Gill wanted to become

3289-504: A review for Knight Ridder republished in the Ventura County Star , Howard Cohen panned the project for "stock sentiments and imagery" of love and "overly slick balladry". Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye was certified gold after release. Gill did not issue another studio album until 2003's Next Big Thing . He wrote its lead single and title track " Next Big Thing " with John Hobbs and former NRBQ member Al Anderson ;

3432-705: A rhythmic alternation between the root and fifth of each chord , with occasional walking bass excursions. Instrumentation has been a continuing topic of debate. Traditional bluegrass performers believe the "correct" instrumentation is that used by Bill Monroe's band, the Blue Grass Boys (guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and bass). Departures from the traditional instrumentation have included dobro, accordion , harmonica , piano , autoharp , drums , electric guitar , and electric versions of other common bluegrass instruments, resulting in what has been referred to as "new grass." Despite this debate, even Monroe himself

3575-758: A single, this cover reached number 42 on Hot Country Songs due to unsolicited airplay. On two occasions, Gill collaborated with Asleep at the Wheel on a cover of a Bob Wills song. The first was " Red Wing " on the 1993 album Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys ; the second was "Bob's Breakdowns" from Ride with Bob: A Tribute to Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys six years later. Both collaborations won Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance in their respective years of release. Gill's third instrumental Grammy Award win came in 2001 on

3718-461: A solo artist, Brown recommended him to Joe Galante , then an executive of the same label, who signed him that same year. Shortly before his signing with RCA, Gill also appeared as a guest vocalist on David Grisman 's Here Today , and sang backing vocals on Steve Wariner 's " Midnight Fire ", on which Brown was a producer. Gill debuted on RCA in 1984 with a six-song extended play titled Turn Me Loose . The project accounted for three singles on

3861-416: A top-five country hit in 2006. Brad Paisley 's 2008 instrumental album Play: The Guitar Album featured Gill as one of several instrumentalists on the track "Cluster Pluck", which accounted for Gill's fourth Grammy win in the category of Best Country Instrumental Performance. Gill was featured on Kelly Clarkson 's 2012 single " Don't Rush " as well. A year later he co-produced Ashley Monroe 's album Like

4004-400: A variety of collaborations, including songs by Patty Loveless , Brooks & Dunn , Kelly Clarkson , and Maren Morris . From 1980 to 1997 he was married to Janis Oliver, one-half of the country duo Sweethearts of the Rodeo ; after they divorced, he married contemporary Christian music singer Amy Grant in 2000. Additionally, Gill has written songs for Alabama and Ty Herndon , and holds

4147-466: A worldwide audience as a result of its frequent use in the movie "Bonnie and Clyde". But the functionally similar old-time music genre was long-established and widely recorded in the period of the film's events and later CD was released. Ralph Stanley commented about the origins of the genre and its name. Oh, (Monroe) was the first. But it wasn't called bluegrass back then. It was just called old-time mountain hillbilly music. When they started doing

4290-534: A year later, "Go Rest High on That Mountain" would receive both awards. When Love Finds You was nominated for Best Country Album during the former ceremony as well. Gill ended 1995 with a pair of compilation albums. First was Souvenirs , a greatest hits album featuring most of his MCA singles to that point as well as selected collaborations. In a review for The Orange County Register reprinted in The Orlando Sentinel , Gene Harbrecht thought

4433-662: Is a common name given in America for the grass of the Poa genus, the most famous being Kentucky bluegrass . A large region in central Kentucky is sometimes called the Bluegrass region (although this region is west of the hills of Kentucky). Exactly when the word "bluegrass" was adopted is not certain, but is believed to be in the late 1950s. It was derived from the name of the seminal Blue Grass Boys band, formed in 1939 with Bill Monroe as its leader. Due to this lineage, Bill Monroe

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4576-505: Is a song composed by Red Foley , with lyrics by Willis Arthur, published in 1935, about a dog Foley owned as a child. In reality, the dog, poisoned by a neighbor, was a German Shepherd called "Hoover." Foley first recorded the song on December 9, 1935, for American Record Corporation (ARC) in Chicago, then re-recorded it on March 4, 1941, his first session for Decca Record Company, and again for them on July 31, 1946. He recorded for Decca

4719-706: Is frequently referred to as the "father of bluegrass". The bluegrass style of music dates from the mid-1940s. In 1948, the Stanley Brothers recorded the traditional song " Molly and Tenbrooks " in the Blue Grass Boys' style, arguably the point in time that bluegrass emerged as a distinct musical form. Monroe's 1946 to 1948 band, which featured guitarist Lester Flatt , banjoist Earl Scruggs , fiddler Chubby Wise and bassist Howard Watts (also known as "Cedric Rainwater") – sometimes called "the original bluegrass band" – created

4862-472: Is known for a large number of collaborative works as a duet partner, session musician, songwriter, and backing vocalist. Of his prolificacy as a collaborative artist, Brown stated in 1998 that Gill often sang harmony for other artists because he enjoyed doing so. One of his first collaborations came in 1987 when Emmylou Harris chose Gill to appear on her album Angel Band , a compilation of gospel music standards. Gill played mandolin and sang backing vocals on

5005-431: Is revealed that Steven Keaton's older brother, for amusement, would hold down Steven and make him listen to "Old Shep" when both were children, knowing that the song would always make Steven start crying. (Series creator Gary David Goldberg later revealed that this was based on his own childhood, when his real-life older brother would do this to him.) At the end of the episode, Steven and his son, Alex P. Keaton , listen to

5148-424: Is what it is and you just go do what you can do because of what happens. Those songs deserve to live on as long as they can." His next release on MCA was 2019's Okie . Once again, Gill produced with Niebank, in addition to playing guitar alongside Jedd Hughes and Tom Bukovac . According to Taste of Country , Gill conceived the album as more autobiographical than his previous works. The track "Letter to My Mama"

5291-573: The Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including four solo number one hits: " I Still Believe in You ", " Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away ", " One More Last Chance ", and " Tryin' to Get Over You ", all between 1992 and 1994. He has also had number-one singles as a guest on Reba McEntire 's " The Heart Won't Lie " in 1993, as well as Chris Young 's " Sober Saturday Night " and the multi-artist collaboration " Forever Country ", both in 2016. All of Gill's albums released in

5434-416: The Billboard Hot Country Songs charts: "Victim of Life's Circumstances", "Oh Carolina", and the title track, all of which peaked just within the top 40. Delbert McClinton wrote the former of these, while Gill wrote the title track. The album was produced by Emory Gordy Jr. , also a member of the Cherry Bombs at the time. Despite the minimal success of Turn Me Loose , Gill won Top New Male Vocalist from

5577-429: The 39th Annual Grammy Awards in 1997; one year later, "Pretty Little Adriana" won the latter award as well. Gill continued to tour in 1997, with his tours that year being the fourth most profitable among country artists. Despite this, he canceled a number of dates later in the year to take some time off following the death of his father, Stan. Gill released two albums in 1998. First was the studio release The Key . It

5720-478: The Academy of Country Music in 1984. Word of mouth within the Nashville community towards Gill's extended play also led to him serving as a backing vocalist and session musician for a number of other country singers. He served in this capacity for Conway Twitty and Lee Greenwood , in addition to providing backing vocals on Rosanne Cash's 1985 album Rhythm & Romance . After Turn Me Loose , Gill performed

5863-800: The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). This lineup included all the former members except for bassist Emory Gordy Jr., who declined to participate, and drummer Larrie Londin , who died of a heart attack in 1992. Their respective roles were taken over by session musicians Michael Rhodes and Eddie Bayers . Crediting themselves as the Notorious Cherry Bombs , this group of musicians recorded one self-titled album for Universal South Records (now Show Dog-Universal Music ) in 2004, which featured Gill and Crowell alternating as vocalists. The project also charted one single on Hot Country Songs with "It's Hard to Kiss

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6006-460: The C.F. Martin Company started to manufacture them in the 1830s. The guitar is now most commonly played with a style referred to as flatpicking , unlike the style of early bluegrass guitarists such as Lester Flatt , who used a thumb pick and finger pick . Bassists almost always play pizzicato , occasionally adopting the "slap-style" to accentuate the beat. A bluegrass bass line is generally

6149-535: The Grand Ole Opry , which also served as promotion for Martin's album The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo . In 2010, Gill joined the Time Jumpers , an informal collection of musicians who play bluegrass and Western swing concerts at various venues around Nashville. The ensemble recorded their self-titled second studio album at Gill's home studio in 2012. During his tenure in the band, Gill and

6292-484: The Ken Burns documentary Country Music ) described it as a popular song for fans to commemorate the deaths of family members and friends. Rolling Stone ranked it number 17 in a list of the 40 Saddest Country Songs. In addition, the song received a platinum certification in 2023. At the 37th Annual Grammy Awards , "When Love Finds You" won Best Male Country Vocal Performance and was nominated for Best Country Song;

6435-933: The Telluride Bluegrass Festival , RockyGrass in Lyons, Colorado, and MerleFest in Wilkesboro, North Carolina began to attract acts from outside the bluegrass tradition, merging the bluegrass community with other popular music scenes across America. Following the death of Jerry Garcia , who began his career playing bluegrass, and the dissolution of the Grateful Dead , the blossoming " jam band " scene that followed in their wake embraced and included many groups that performed progressive bluegrass styles that included extended, exploratory musical improvisation , often called "jamgrass." This style began to define many such acts whose popularity has grown into

6578-486: The cover song project Bakersfield . This featured their renditions of songs by Merle Haggard and Buck Owens , two of the main artists known for the Bakersfield sound . Gill and J.T. Corenflos alternated as lead guitarists on the sessions, with other musical contributors including bassist Willie Weeks , drummer Greg Morrow , and backing vocalist Dawn Sears. Both Franklin and Sears had also recorded with Gill in

6721-413: The fiddle ), five-string banjo , guitar , mandolin , and upright bass ( string bass ) are often joined by the resonator guitar (also referred to as a Dobro ) and (occasionally) harmonica or Jew's harp . This instrumentation originated in rural dance bands and is the basis on which the earliest bluegrass bands were formed. The fiddle, made by Italians and first used in sixteenth century Europe,

6864-426: The key of G , and a I-IV-V chord pattern is common. In traditional bluegrass, instrumental breaks are typically short and played between sections of a song, conventionally originating as a variation on the song's melody. Also common are breakdowns, an instrumental form that features a series of breaks, each played by a different instrument. Particularly since the 1990s, a number of younger groups have attempted to revive

7007-423: The off-beat . The off-beat can be "driven" (played close to the previous bass note) or "swung" (played farther from the previous bass note). Notes are anticipated, in contrast to laid-back blues where notes are behind the beat; this creates the higher energy characteristic of bluegrass. In bluegrass, as in most forms of jazz, one or more instrumentalists take a turn playing the melody and improvising around it, while

7150-533: The title track , " Which Bridge to Cross (Which Bridge to Burn) ", and " You Better Think Twice ". All peaked within the top five throughout 1995. The sixth and final single was " Go Rest High on That Mountain " at number 14. Jurek thought that When Love Finds You was more reliant on ballads than the preceding albums, but praised the lyrical qualities of each, as well as the country rock influence of "You Better Think Twice". Bill Anderson co-wrote "Which Bridge to Cross", and attributed renewed interest in his music in

7293-484: The 1930s and mid-1940s. However, the term "bluegrass" did not appear formally to describe the music until the late 1950s and did not appear in Music Index until 1965. The first entry in Music Index mentioning "bluegrass music" directed the reader to "see Country Music; Hillbilly Music". Music Index maintained this listing for bluegrass music until 1986. The first time bluegrass music had its own entries in Music Index

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7436-469: The 1990s were certified platinum or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with the highest being 1992's I Still Believe in You at quintuple-platinum. Gill has won 22 Grammy Awards , the most among solo male country music artists. Gill was a member of Western swing group the Time Jumpers from 2010 to 2020, and joined the rock band Eagles in 2017 following the death of longtime member Glenn Frey . He has also participated in

7579-748: The 21st century, such as Leftover Salmon , The String Cheese Incident , Yonder Mountain String Band , The Infamous Stringdusters , Railroad Earth , Greensky Bluegrass and Billy Strings . In recent years, groups like the Punch Brothers , the Jon Stickley Trio and Nickel Creek have developed a new form of progressive bluegrass which includes highly arranged pieces resembling contemporary classical music played on bluegrass instruments. These bands feature complicated rhythms, chord schemes, and harmonics combined with improvised solos. At

7722-490: The Boys ), Patty Loveless , Emmylou Harris , and Herb Pedersen . The second single from the album was " Oklahoma Swing ", a duet with Reba McEntire . This charted within the top 20 in early 1990, with Sgammato noting that some stations refused to play the song due to its Western swing sound. It was followed by the number two title track and number three " Never Knew Lonely " by year's end. "When I Call Your Name" also received

7865-399: The Cherry Bombs before beginning a solo career in country music in 1984. Gill recorded for RCA Records Nashville from then until 1988 with minimal success. A year later he signed with MCA Nashville , and he has recorded for this label ever since. His commercial peak came in the first half of the 1990s, starting with his breakthrough album When I Call Your Name . Gill has 65 entries on

8008-583: The Hall, an annual benefit concert for the Country Music Hall of Fame . Gill and Grant live in Nashville, Tennessee, where he also owns a recording studio. Gill has won 22 Grammy Awards, eight Academy of Country Music awards, and 18 Country Music Association awards. †Honorary former member; was scheduled to be invited, but died before the invitation was extended Bluegrass music Bluegrass features acoustic stringed instruments and emphasizes

8151-456: The Lips at Night That Chew Your Ass Out All Day Long". Gill's next project for MCA was 2006's These Days , a box set comprising four albums each recorded in a different style. These were Workin' on a Big Chill for country rock , The Reason Why for soul music , Some Things Never Get Old for neotraditional country , and Little Brother for bluegrass music . Among the guest vocalists on

8294-529: The Lovin' Spoonful 's " Daydream "; this cover reached number 65 on the Canadian RPM country charts. A year later, Gill sang a duet with Dolly Parton on a re-recording of her hit " I Will Always Love You " on her album Something Special . Gill had originally wanted to wait until after "Go Rest High on That Mountain" to release the duet version of "I Will Always Love You". However, demand from radio caused

8437-715: The New Nashville Cats, this rendition went to number 25 on the country charts. All four artists won Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals in 1992 for this song, as well as CMA Vocal Event of the Year. Gill covered the Eagles ' " I Can't Tell You Why " for the late-1993 tribute album Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles , with then-former Eagles member Timothy B. Schmit on backing vocals and Jim Horn on soprano saxophone . While not officially promoted as

8580-585: The Ride member Billy Thomas, and Gill's daughter Jenny. Hobbs and Niebank also co-produced with Gill. Grant also provided a duet vocal on the track "True Love". The project charted one single in "Threaten Me with Heaven". Jurek thought this track and others on the album had themes of "mortality", which he considered unusual for Gill's work. Additionally, Jurek found influences of rhythm and blues and gospel music among individual tracks. Two years later, Gill collaborated with session steel guitar player Paul Franklin on

8723-418: The Time Jumpers won Grammy Award for Best American Roots Song for the track "Kid Sister" from their 2016 album of the same name. Gill would continue to perform with the Time Jumpers until 2020. His next solo release was 2011's Guitar Slinger . The album once again featured songs written or co-written by Gill, along with vocal contributions from Bekka Bramlett , Chris Stapleton , then-former McBride &

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8866-582: The Time Jumpers. Among the tracks covered were Owens's " Together Again " and Haggard's " The Fightin' Side of Me ". Jurek thought that the album's song choices highlighted the "edgier" nature of the Bakersfield sound, while also speaking favorably of Gill's vocals and Franklin's playing. Roughstock writer Matt Bjorke also praised the musicianship and song selection, stating that "Mainstream channels may not care much for this kind of music anymore but it's still as vibrant and fantastic as it has always been and in

9009-534: The United States country music charts, it went to number one on the Canadian country music charts then published by RPM . The album featured two versions of the song: one accompanied by studio musicians, and one accompanied by Alison Krauss & Union Station . Next was the top five hit " Worlds Apart ", followed by " Pretty Little Adriana " and " A Little More Love ", which both peaked at number two. Last

9152-533: The United States. The title track won Gill his first Grammy Award in 1991, in the category of Best Male Vocal Country Performance ; it was also nominated for Best Country Song . Additionally, the song won Single of the Year from the Country Music Association (CMA), his first award from that institution, in 1990. It would win Song of the Year in 1991, where Gill was also awarded Male Vocalist of

9295-543: The Year and Vocal Event of the Year. He would win the former again in 1993, 1994, and 1995. The success of When I Call Your Name led to Gill touring in support of the album, which included a concert at SeaWorld San Antonio and one opening for McEntire at Caesars Palace , along with an induction into the Grand Ole Opry . Next on MCA was 1991's Pocket Full of Gold . The title track charted at number seven on Hot Country Songs that same year. Follow-up " Liza Jane ". another collaboration between Gill and Reed Nielsen, reached

9438-521: The Year, Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Song of the Year, the last of which went to "I Still Believe in You". During promotion for I Still Believe in You in 1993, Gill also released his first Christmas album Let There Be Peace on Earth . The album included a number of traditional Christmas songs as well as a cover of " Let There Be Peace on Earth ", a 1955 gospel song written by Harlene Wood and Sy Miller. Gill's rendition featured vocals from his daughter Jenny. Other vocalists on

9581-408: The album by writing, "For emotional depth, honesty, and the kind of musical depth and artistry listeners have come to expect from Gill, The Key stands among his very finest recordings." No Depression writer Grant Alden also reviewed the album with favor, noting that Gill wrote most of the songs by himself; he also described the album's sound and lyrics as containing "emotion and elegance". Later in

9724-664: The album included Gene Merlino , Sally Stevens , and Chris Rodriguez . Gill also included the original songs "One Bright Star", "'Til the Season Comes Around Again", and "It Won't Be the Same This Year". His next release on MCA was 1994's When Love Finds You , which would chart a total of six singles between then and 1995. First among these were " Whenever You Come Around " and " What the Cowgirls Do ", both of which peaked at number two. Next were

9867-474: The album to include more humorous material than his previous works. As Brown had stopped working for MCA at the time, this left him unavailable as a producer, so Gill produced the project by himself. Jurek praised the album for including more songs than normal for a country album and having strong production. His review highlighted the singles in particular, additionally noting the contributions of Grant and Michael McDonald . The track "Real Mean Bottle" (inspired by

10010-568: The album were Grant, McDonald, Loveless, Crowell, Del McCoury , LeAnn Rimes , Sheryl Crow , Diana Krall , and Trisha Yearwood . Gill co-produced with Justin Niebank and John Hobbs, and wrote most of the songs by himself. Jurek reviewed the project favorably on AllMusic, highlighting the stylistic and lyrical diversity; he concluded his review by stating that the project was "an exhaustive, profound, fun and fulfilling set that not only gives fans something to delight in, but goes wide and if given half

10153-428: The album, co-wrote and provided duet vocals on the track "When I Look into Your Heart". Many critics considered the album's themes to have been influenced by the then-recent marriage. Jurek noted that the project was dominated by songs about falling in love, but praised Gill's lyrics and vocals, as well as Brown's production. Nash criticized the sound of the album as "goop" and "tepid" outside the title track. Similarly, in

10296-527: The ballads such as "Pretty Little Adriana" overall the strongest, calling them "more progressively atmospheric" than his previous ballads. Writing for Country Standard Time , Brian Wahlert praised Gill's vocals and guitar work, but thought that some songs including "Pretty Little Adriana" and the title track were "trite" and "cliché". The version of "High Lonesome Sound" featuring Alison Krauss & Union Station won Best Country Collaboration with Vocals, and "Worlds Apart" won Best Male Country Vocal Performance, at

10439-433: The band throughout the 2010s and 2020s, and plan to continue doing so until the end of the band's farewell tour in 2025. Of his membership with the Eagles, Gill stated in an interview with Taste of Country in 2018 that he had a sense of "gratitude" for the other band members choosing him as Frey's replacement, but also added, "in my heart of hearts I wish I wasn’t doing it. That would mean Glenn would still be around, but life

10582-403: The bands Bluegrass Alliance and Boone Creek, the latter of which also featured Ricky Skaggs as a member. In 1976, he moved to Los Angeles, California , where he briefly joined fiddle player Byron Berline 's backing band, Sundance. In 1978, soft rock band Pure Prairie League was auditioning new lead singers after their previous vocalist Larry Goshorn departed. Gill attended the auditions at

10725-523: The baritone part sung in the normal range of that voice; E.P. Tullock [aka Cousin Jake] normally providing the part, though at times it was handled by Curly Seckler). Bluegrass tunes often take the form of narratives on the everyday lives of the people whence the music came. Aside from laments about loves lost, interpersonal tensions and unwanted changes to the region (e.g., the visible effects of mountaintop coal mining ), bluegrass vocals frequently reference

10868-412: The bluegrass festivals in 1965, everybody got together and wanted to know what to call the show, y'know. It was decided that since Bill was the oldest man, and was from the bluegrass state of Kentucky and he had the Blue Grass Boys, it would be called 'bluegrass.' Traditional bluegrass emphasizes the traditional elements and form of the genre as laid out by Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys band in

11011-524: The borders of the United States and become an internationally appreciated art form. Bluegrass associations now exist worldwide. One such association, the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) was formed in 1985 and presents annual awards. In 2012, the critically acclaimed Dutch -language Belgian film, The Broken Circle Breakdown , featured Flemish musicians performing Bluegrass music central to

11154-456: The compilation showed Gill's artistic growth in the intervening years, while also noting its mix of ballads and up-tempo material. At the same time, RCA released The Essential Vince Gill , consisting of 20 singles and other songs he had recorded while on that label in the 1980s. In 1996, MCA released Gill's next studio album High Lonesome Sound , with its title track also serving as the lead single. Although this song only reached number 12 on

11297-421: The corresponding album Firin' Up . Of this album, Joe Viglione of AllMusic thought that Gill's contributions to the album were "highly entertaining" and showed more of a country pop and adult contemporary influence than his later works. By comparison, Jim Worbois wrote of Can't Hold Back on the same site, "By this time, they are [Pure Prairie League] in name only as there is no resemblance between this and

11440-424: The country charts in 1987. The album's second and third singles " Let's Do Something " and " Everybody's Sweetheart " were both top-20 hits, but the final single "The Radio" stopped at number 39 on the country charts. After this album, Gill ended his contract with RCA as Galante wanted him to record only songs by other writers. Despite this disagreement, Gill stated that he left RCA amicably and still considered Galante

11583-521: The credit "Artists of Then, Now, and Forever". Gill's music is defined by his tenor voice, guitar playing, and breadth of influences. The editors of The Encyclopedia of Country Music wrote of Gill, "With an aching tenor, award-winning songwriting skills, and virtuoso guitar chops that rivals those of any ace Nashville session player, Vince Gill is one of today's biggest country superstars." His vocal style has also been noted for its bluegrass music phrasing. Steve Huey of AllMusic describes Gill as "one of

11726-403: The definitive sound and instrumental configuration that remains a model to this day. By some arguments, while the Blue Grass Boys were the only band playing this music, it was just their unique sound; it could not be considered a musical style until other bands began performing in a similar fashion. In 1967, the banjo instrumental " Foggy Mountain Breakdown " by Flatt and Scruggs was introduced to

11869-549: The direction of the style. Radio stations dedicated to bluegrass have also proved influential in advancing the evolution of the style into distinctive subgenres. Bluegrass was initially included in the category of folk music and later changed to hillbilly . In 1948, bluegrass was placed under the country and western heading for radio airplay charting. All four of the seminal bluegrass authors - Artis, Price, Cantwell, and Rosenberg - described bluegrass music in detail as originating in style and form, in one form or another, between

12012-523: The duet to chart prematurely and ascend the charts simultaneously with "Go Rest High on That Mountain", and Gill chose not to intervene. Gill co-wrote and provided backing vocals on the track "You Just Get One", recorded in 1995 by Ty Herndon on his debut album What Mattered Most . Jeff Wood later released a version of the song in 1997, which featured Gill on both lead guitar and mandolin. Also in 1997, both Gill and Alison Krauss were credited for their backing vocals on Mark Chesnutt 's " It's Not Over ";

12155-554: The end of 2006, These Days was certified platinum. "The Reason Why" won Gill a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in 2007; one year later, These Days won Best Country Album and was nominated for Album of the Year . Despite recording fewer albums throughout the first two decades of the 21st century, Gill remained active as a touring artist. He and Amy Grant accompanied actor, comedian, and musician Steve Martin in May 2009 for his debut on

12298-450: The entirety of the 1990s. Of their relationship, Brown stated that he considered himself more of a "coach" due to his perception of Gill's artistic identity. Brown also chose to put more emphasis on Gill's vocals by mixing them more prominently than the instruments; previously, both Gordy and Landis had mixed the instruments more prominently due to Gill's lack of confidence at the time over his singing ability. His first single release for MCA

12441-596: The exposure traditional bluegrass received alongside mainstream country music on radio and televised programs such as the Grand Ole Opry , a wave of young and not exclusively Southern musicians began replicating the genre's format on college campuses and in coffeehouses amidst the American folk music revival of the early 1960s. These artists often incorporated songs, elements and instruments from other popular genres, particularly rock and roll. Banjoist Earl Scruggs of Flatt and Scruggs had shown progressive tendencies since

12584-412: The greatest singer, the greatest phraser, and then on top of that, his songs are really poetic." He has also named female artists he grew up on, such as Patsy Cline and Kitty Wells , as influences. Outside of country, Gill has also named Bruce Springsteen and John Fogerty as influences, as he considered their works to have "honesty". Gill said that he characterized his own songwriting by "simplicity",

12727-401: The group's breakup in 1969. New Grass Revival began utilizing electric instrumentation alongside songs imported from other genres to great popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, and the term "newgrass" became synonymous with "progressive bluegrass". It continued to evolve though the '80s and '90s, moving closer to folk and rock in some quarters and closer to jazz in others, while festivals such as

12870-432: The group's earliest days, incorporating jazz-inspired banjo and bass duets and complex chord progressions that extended the genre's original rigid, conservative structure. In the late 1960s, Scruggs experimented on duets with saxophonist King Curtis and added songs by the likes of counterculture icon Bob Dylan to the group's repertoire, while bandmate Lester Flatt , a traditionalist , opposed these changes, resulting in

13013-522: The hardscrabble existence of living in Appalachia and other rural areas with modest financial resources. Some protest music has been composed in the bluegrass style, especially concerning the vicissitudes of the Appalachian coal mining industry . Railroading has also been a popular theme, with ballads such as " Wreck of the Old 97 " and "Nine Pound Hammer" (from the legend of John Henry ). Bluegrass as

13156-480: The high baritone above Ralph Stanley's tenor, both parts above Carter's lead vocal. This trio vocal arrangement was variously used by other groups as well; even Bill Monroe employed it in his 1950 recording of "When the Golden Leaves Begin to Fall'. In the 1960s, Flatt and Scruggs often added a fifth part to the traditional quartet parts on gospel songs, the extra part being a high baritone (doubling

13299-563: The iconic banjo to Appalachia. Much later, in 1945, Earl Scruggs would develop a three-finger roll on the instrument which allowed a rapid-fire cascade of notes that could keep up with the driving tempo of the new bluegrass sound. Settlers from Britain and Ireland arrived in Appalachia during the 18th century and brought with them the musical traditions of their homelands. These traditions consisted primarily of English and Scottish ballads —which were essentially unaccompanied narrative—and dance music, such as reels , which were accompanied by

13442-475: The late 1940s. Traditional bluegrass musicians play folk songs, tunes with simple traditional chord progressions, exclusively on acoustic instruments , though it is common practice to amplify acoustic instruments during stage performances before larger audiences. In most traditional bluegrass bands, the guitar rarely takes the lead, instead acting as a rhythm instrument, one notable exception being gospel-based songs . Melodies and lyrics tend to be simple, often in

13585-529: The late 1990s to the success of this song. Gill had begun writing "Go Rest High on That Mountain" in 1989 as a tribute to Keith Whitley following his death that same year, but did not finish it until four years later when the death of Gill's half-brother Bob Cohen inspired him. Patty Loveless and Ricky Skaggs provided backing vocals on the track. Despite its lower chart showing, "Go Rest High on That Mountain" remained popular among fans and critics. Dayton Duncan 's Country Music: An Illustrated History (adapted from

13728-467: The late 1990s, and consulted Gill a number of times for career advice prior to singing with BNA Records in 1997. In a review of his debut album, Jeff Davis of Country Standard Time thought that Sellers idolized Gill and was "imitative" of him. In turn, Sellers filled in for Gill on a number of live performances of "Don't Rush" where Gill was unavailable. Country and bluegrass singer Charlie Worsham has named Gill as an influence, and claimed that "Liza Jane"

13871-471: The line "When you're old and your eyes are dim / Ain't no Old Shep gonna happen again." In the British TV sitcom Only Fools and Horses , "Old Shep" is Del Boy 's favourite song about a dog. In the 1982 Christmas special " Diamonds Are for Heather ," Del gets a local mariachi band to sing "Old Shep." At the end of the episode, after being dumped by Heather, he pays some Christmas carol singers to sing

14014-510: The loving hands of Vince Gill and Paul Franklin it shines once again." Gill released Down to My Last Bad Habit through MCA in 2016. The lead single to the project was "Take Me Down", featuring guest vocals from Little Big Town . He wrote the song with Richard Marx and Jillian Jacqueline . Cam also contributed vocals to the track "I'll Be Waiting for You". The former was issued as the project's lead single. Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that Gill "maintains an elegant, soulful air throughout

14157-405: The microphone. He came in fifth place, winning $ 5 and a free ticket to the fair rides. At sixteen years of age, in 1951, he again performed it for a talent show at L. C. Humes High School, where he was a student, winning an encore for his performance. Elvis' cover version was released in 1956. Led Zeppelin's 1970 song " Bron-Y-Aur Stomp ", which is about Robert Plant's dog, mentions "Old Shep" in

14300-465: The most respected musicians in the history of country music". He characterizes Gill's early work as influential in the neotraditional country movements of the late 1980s to early 1990s, but thought his membership in both Pure Prairie League and the Eagles showed an interest in his music outside of country music as well. Sarah Rodman of Entertainment Weekly referred to Gill as "the Oklahoma native with

14443-513: The most wins of any male country music artist. A second collaborative album with Paul Franklin followed in 2023. Titled Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & the Cherokee Cowboys , it features the two covering songs by Ray Price . In an interview with Variety , both musicians stated that they wanted to do a second album following Bakersfield , and chose Ray Price because both had contributed to some of his later albums. Gill

14586-418: The ordering and layering of vocal harmony is called the "stack". A standard stack has a baritone voice at the bottom, the lead in the middle (singing the main melody) and a tenor at the top, although stacks can be altered, especially where a female voice is included. Alison Krauss and Union Station provide a good example of a different harmony stack with a baritone and tenor with a high lead, an octave above

14729-430: The original band." Overall, Gill recorded three albums as lead singer of Pure Prairie League. In 1982, Gill was invited by singer Rodney Crowell to play guitar in his backing band, the Cherry Bombs . Gill had previously been offered to do so during the success of "Let Me Love You Tonight" and declined, but chose to accept Crowell's offer the second time because the following singles and albums had not been successful. As

14872-438: The others perform accompaniment ; this is especially typified in tunes called breakdowns . This is in contrast to old-time music , where all instrumentalists play the melody together, or one instrument carries the lead throughout while the others provide accompaniment. Breakdowns are often characterized by rapid tempos and unusual instrumental dexterity, and sometimes by complex chord changes . The violin (also known as

15015-550: The project, which also included Emory Gordy Jr. and bluegrass musician Carl Jackson . Alabama recorded one of Gill's compositions, " Here We Are ", on their 1990 album Pass It On Down . Their version went to number two on the country music charts in 1991. In 1991, Mark O'Connor recorded a cover version of Carl Perkins ' " Restless " for his album The New Nashville Cats . This rendition featured O'Connor on fiddle , with Gill, Steve Wariner , and Ricky Skaggs alternating on lead vocals and guitar. Credited to Mark O'Connor &

15158-638: The recommendation of a friend, as he had served as an opening act for the band while in Mountain Smoke. By October 1978, Gill had begun performing in concert as guitarist and vocalist for Pure Prairie League. He appeared on their 1979 album Can't Hold Back in addition to writing several songs on it. During Gill's tenure as lead vocalist, the band had a top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with " Let Me Love You Tonight "; he also wrote its follow-up "I'm Almost Ready", as well as five other songs on

15301-573: The record", while highlighting the number of guest artists and considering the sound to be influenced by Memphis soul . Following the death of Eagles member Glenn Frey in 2017, Gill was asked by the remaining band members to replace him. He accepted the offer, as he considered himself a fan of not only the Eagles, but also of Frey's solo material. Gill debuted as a member of the band at a concert held in Dodger Stadium in 2017. Both Gill and Frey's son Deacon have continued to tour as members of

15444-695: The recording of that album. One year after their marriage, in March 2001, the couple had a daughter, named Corrinna. In 2023, Corrinna Gill began releasing her own music online. Gill is known for his pleasant demeanor and frequent involvements in charity works, leading many publications to refer to him as the "nicest guy in Nashville". In an article for The Washington Post republished in The Palm Beach Post , journalist Richard Harrington described Gill as "perpetually affable, easily approachable, [and] ego-deficient." Gill enjoys golf and in 1993 started

15587-519: The rest of his life, 1941 to 1968. The song, later recorded by many artists including Hank Snow and Elvis Presley , became a country classic. Tex Morton 1941, Hank Williams 1942, Elvis Presley 1956, Hank Snow 1959, Ralph DeMarco (1959 - #10 in Canada ), Walter Brennan 1960, Dave Dudley 1965, Johnny Cash 1975, Everly Brothers & Garrison Keillor 1988, Pat Boone 1994, Burton Cummings (as Elvis) 1994, Alabama 2006. A version of

15730-474: The same album and "Don't Come Cryin' to Me" from The Key to the Bakersfield sound . Additionally, Sgammato observed that Gill tended to have hits with ballads more frequently than with up-tempo material, although she cited "Liza Jane" and "One More Last Chance" as successful examples of the latter. Gill has also been named as an influence by other artists. Jason Sellers played bass guitar in Gill's road band in

15873-406: The same peak. " Look at Us " (co-written by Gill and Max D. Barnes ) and " Take Your Memory with You " also charted within top five between then and 1992. Gill told Bob Paxman of the blog Sounds Like Nashville that he allowed Brown to select songs for the album, as he "trusted [Brown's] song sense". "Pocket Full of Gold" was inspired by an idea given to Gill by Brian Allsmiller, a friend of his who at

16016-518: The same time, several popular indie folk and folk rock bands such as the Avett Brothers , Mumford & Sons and Trampled by Turtles have incorporated rhythmic elements and instrumentation from the bluegrass tradition into their popular music arrangements, as has the Branson -based band The Petersens . While originating in the United States, Bluegrass as a genre has expanded beyond

16159-597: The song by Clinton Ford appeared in the UK Singles Chart in October 1959, spending one week at number 27. Colombian performer Marco recorded a Spanish language version in 1986. On October 3, 1945, Elvis Presley sang "Old Shep" at age ten for his first public performance, a singing contest at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show. Dressed as a cowboy, he stood on a chair to reach

16302-596: The song to cheer himself up. In a later episode, " Modern Men ," Del has "Old Shep" as the "on hold" music on his mobile phone, plus it plays on the radio in Sid's café in " The Long Legs of the Law ." The song was also heard in the third episode of the prequel series Rock & Chips , " The Frog and the Pussycat ", when Del was listening to the song in a bar. In the 1987 episode "Oh, Brother" of American sitcom Family Ties , it

16445-431: The song would become Gill's last solo top-20 country chart entry upon release. Also released from the album were the less successful singles "Someday" and "Young Man's Town". In a 2003 telephone interview with Country Standard Time, Gill said that many of the lyrics on Next Big Thing were inspired by his increasing age and the rise of younger artists who had surpassed him commercially in the intervening years. He also wanted

16588-515: The sound and structure of traditional bluegrass, a trend that has been dubbed neo-traditional bluegrass. The group The Country Gentlemen is credited with starting the progressive bluegrass movement with their 1960 album Country Songs, Old and New , combining traditional ballads such as "The Little Sparrow," "Weeping Willow" and "Ellen Smith" with traditional bluegrass instrumentation and "bouncy" mandolin and banjo parts distinct from those of traditional players such as Monroe and Scruggs. Due to

16731-524: The standard melody line, sung by the female vocalist. However, by employing variants to the standard trio vocal arrangement, they were simply following a pattern existing since the early days of the genre. Both the Stanley Brothers and the Osborne Brothers employed the use of a high lead with the tenor and baritone below it. The Stanleys used this technique numerous times in their recordings for both Mercury and King records. This particular stack

16874-645: The story. International bluegrass groups include Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra and Ila Auto from Norway ; Rautakoura and Steve 'n' Seagulls from Finland ; Druhá Tráva and Poutníci from the Czech Republic (home of the subgenre, Czech bluegrass ); Hutong Yellow Weasels and The Randy Abel Stable from China ; Heartbreak Hill and Foggy Hogtown Boys from Canada ; the U.K. 's The Beef Seeds , Southern Tenant Folk Union , and Police Dog Hogan ; and Australia 's Flying Emus , Mustered Courage , and Rank Strangers . Old Shep "Old Shep"

17017-405: The studio album Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye . The album accounted for three singles in its title track , " Feels Like Love ", and "Shoot Straight from Your Heart". Of these, "Feels Like Love" was the most successful with a peak of number six on Hot Country Songs. It also accounted for his highest solo Hot 100 peak of number 52. Amy Grant , to whom Gill would become married during recording of

17160-587: The tenor kissed by angels and the guitar prowess of a man who made a deal with the devil" and stated that he "rose to become one of the most respected names in country music, often serving as a link between the classic artists that preceded him and the generation of stars that have followed in his footsteps." Jeffrey B. Remz, writing for Country Standard Time, stated that Gill "was a fine singer with his sturdy tenor, and his guitar playing has always been considered top notch. A heavy touring schedule resulted from his success with concerts sometimes going on for three hours. He

17303-638: The three had originally recorded it in 1992 for Chesnutt's album Longnecks & Short Stories , but Chesnutt chose to include it on his 1997 album Thank God for Believers and release it as a single as he thought the song still had potential as a single. In 1998, Gill won another Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance, as a featured performer on Randy Scruggs 's "A Soldier's Joy" from his album Crown of Jewels . In 1999, Gill sang duet vocals on Barbra Streisand 's " If You Ever Leave Me ". Gill and Sheryl Crow were both credited for their backing vocals on Brooks & Dunn 's " Building Bridges ",

17446-408: The time was playing basketball for Vanderbilt University 's college team. Although Gill wrote the song by himself, he credited Allsmiller as a co-writer. Once again, Loveless and Pedersen were among the backing vocalists. Another contributor to the album was pedal steel guitar player John Hughey , whose intro on "Look at Us" Gill later described as "iconic". Like its predecessor, Pocket Full of Gold

17589-475: The tune that accompanies the Scottish ballad " Bonnie George Campbell ". The music now known as bluegrass was frequently used to accompany a rural dancing style known as buckdancing , flatfooting , or clogging . As the bluegrass sound spread to urban areas, listening to it for its own sake increased, especially after the advent of audio recording . In 1948, what would come to be known as bluegrass emerged as

17732-422: The year was Gill's second Christmas project, Breath of Heaven: A Christmas Collection , on which he was accompanied by Patrick Williams and his orchestra. AllMusic reviewer Jana Pendragon praised the album for the orchestral accompaniment, as well as its inclusion of both secular and Christian material. Both The Key and Breath of Heaven: A Christmas Collection were certified platinum. In 2000, Gill released

17875-557: Was " House of Love ", a duet with Amy Grant from her album of the same name . The song was a top-40 hit on the Hot 100 after its release. Gill's other collaboration in 1994 was on Kermit Unpigged , an album released by Jim Henson performing in-character as the Muppets alongside a number of musical guests. On this album, Gill and Henson in-character as Kermit the Frog recorded a cover of

18018-404: Was " Never Alone ", previously recorded by Cash on Rhythm & Romance and co-written by both of them. This was the first of four singles off his MCA debut When I Call Your Name , considered by the editors of The Encyclopedia of Country Music to be Gill's breakthrough album. When I Call Your Name included a large number of backing vocalists. Among them were Kathie Baillie (of Baillie &

18161-409: Was " You and You Alone ", a top-ten country hit for him in 1997. Gill was inspired to write "Pretty Little Adriana" after reading a news story about a girl named Adriana Dickerson, who was shot to death outside a Nashville supermarket in 1995. Michael McCall of AllMusic thought individual tracks off High Lonesome Sound showed influence of bluegrass, Chicago blues , and Cajun music ; he also considered

18304-401: Was Gill's 65th entry on the country charts. Three notable multi-artist collaborations have featured Gill as a performer. First was "Tomorrow's World", a charity single written by Kix Brooks and Pam Tillis featuring over 20 country music singers, and released by Warner Records to honor the 20th anniversary of Earth Day . In 1996, he participated in "Hope: Country Music's Quest for a Cure",

18447-501: Was Gill's third on MCA. It also became his best-selling album, receiving a quintuple-platinum RIAA certification. The title track became Gill's first number-one on Hot Country Songs in September 1992, a peak also achieved by its follow-up " Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away " between December 1992 and January 1993. After this song, Gill provided duet vocals on Reba McEntire's number-one single " The Heart Won't Lie ", on which Brown

18590-574: Was also Gill's first solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100. Alanna Nash of Entertainment Weekly contrasted I Still Believe in You favorably against then-labelmate Trisha Yearwood 's Hearts in Armor in a dual review, considering both singers to have emotive vocals and an affinity for mature lyrics. She praised the lyrics of "I Still Believe in You" and "No Future in the Past" in particular. AllMusic writer Johnny Loftus considered Gill to have

18733-446: Was also a producer. She had originally intended to record the song with Kenny Rogers , but after proving unable to find a key in which both of them could sing the song comfortably, she instead chose Gill. The next single off I Still Believe in You was the number three " No Future in the Past ". Following this, " One More Last Chance " and " Tryin' to Get Over You " both topped Hot Country Songs between late 1993 and early 1994. The latter

18876-450: Was also certified double-platinum. The album accounted for Gill's second consecutive Grammy nomination in the category of Best Male Vocal Country Performance, as well as CMA Award for Song of the Year. In October 1991, Gill hosted the CMA awards telecast with Clint Black . Gill went on to host the awards ceremony every subsequent year through 2003. The late-1992 release I Still Believe in You

19019-467: Was born April 12, 1957, in Norman, Oklahoma , as the youngest of three children to Jerene and Stan Gill. Stan Gill worked as a judge and also played guitar and banjo , both of which he also taught his son how to play. Jerene also sang and played harmonica . The Gill family often listened to the Grand Ole Opry on the radio, as well as contemporary rock and roll artists. Both parents also enjoyed golf ,

19162-596: Was delayed until The Things That Matter due to legal complications between Gill's and Cash's labels. The album accounted for another top-ten in " Oklahoma Borderline ", which Gill wrote with Crowell and Guy Clark . The last single, "With You", was less successful. To promote the album, Gill began touring as an opening act for Ricky Skaggs. Author Jo Sgammato stated that while Gill's first two projects for RCA were not commercially successful, both were well received by music critics and fans. For his third RCA release, The Way Back Home (1987), Gill intentionally wanted to choose

19305-604: Was in 1987. The topical and narrative themes of many bluegrass songs are highly reminiscent of folk music. Many songs that are widely considered to be bluegrass are in reality older works legitimately classified as folk or old-time music that are performed in the bluegrass style. The interplay between bluegrass and folk forms has been academically studied. Folklorist Neil Rosenberg, for example, shows that most devoted bluegrass fans and musicians are familiar with traditional folk songs and old-time music and that these songs are often played at shows, festivals, and jams . "Bluegrass"

19448-407: Was known to experiment with instrumentation; he once even used a string orchestra, choir, and pre-recorded bird-song track. Apart from specific instrumentation, a distinguishing characteristic of bluegrass is vocal harmony featuring two, three, or four parts, often with a dissonant or modal sound in the highest voice (see modal frame ), a style described as the "high, lonesome sound." Commonly,

19591-911: Was led off by the song " If You Ever Have Forever in Mind ", a top-five country hit. The song won the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. Also released as singles were "Kindly Keep It Country", " Don't Come Cryin' to Me ", and " My Kind of Woman/My Kind of Man ". The last of these, a duet with Patty Loveless, also appeared on her 1999 compilation Classics . In addition to Loveless, other featured vocalists included Dawn Sears on "Don't Come Cryin' to Me" and Lee Ann Womack on "Kindly Keep It Country", as well as Alison Krauss , Shelby Lynne , Sonya Isaacs , Faith Hill , and Sara Evans . In turn, Gill sang backing vocals on Hill's " Let Me Let Go " and Evans's " No Place That Far ", both of which were number-one country songs between late 1998 and early 1999. AllMusic writer Jana Pendragon summarized her review of

19734-682: Was most famously employed by the Osborne Brothers who first employed it during their time with MGM records in the latter half of the 1950s. This vocal arrangement would become the trademark of the Osbornes' sound with Bobby's high, clear voice at the top of the vocal stack. Additionally, the Stanley Brothers also utilized a high baritone part on several of their trios recorded for Columbia records during their time with that label (1949–1952). Mandolin player Pee Wee Lambert sang

19877-637: Was not a paint-by-the-numbers kind of country performer." Joe Bosso of Guitar World describes Gill as having "virtuosic and sweetly expressive solos" in both flatpicking and fingerstyle guitar ; in the same article, Gill himself stated that he "play[s] what's necessary". Of his guitar playing, Jo Sgammato stated that his playing lead guitar while also being a vocalist was uncommon among country music artists; she also noted that critics had compared his style to Eric Clapton and Chet Atkins . Gill cites Merle Haggard as one of his main influences. In 2003, he stated in an interview with Country Standard Time, "he's

20020-490: Was one of the first instruments to be brought into America. It became popular due to its small size and versatility. Fiddles are also used in country , classical , cajun , and old time music. Banjos were brought to America through the African slave trade. They began receiving attention from white Americans when minstrel shows incorporated the banjo as part of their acts. The " clawhammer ", or two finger style playing,

20163-627: Was one of the first songs he learned to play on guitar. In 2018, Gill gave Worsham a custom-made guitar, which Worsham played on his second album Beginning of Things . In April 1980, Gill married singer Janis Oliver, who would join her sister Kristine in the country duo Sweethearts of the Rodeo later in the decade. Gill wrote both "Everybody's Sweetheart" and "The Radio" about his relationship to her. The two divorced in 1997, citing irreconcilable differences. The couple had one daughter, Jenifer "Jenny" Gill, of whom Janis assumed custody following their divorce. Jenny has contributed to her father's albums on

20306-494: Was popular before the Civil War. Now, however, banjo players use mainly the three-finger picking style made popular by banjoists such as Earl Scruggs . Guitars are used primarily for rhythmic purposes. Other instruments may provide a solo on top of the guitar during breaks , guitarists may also provide these solos on occasion. The instrument originates from eighteenth century Spain, but there were no American-made models until

20449-509: Was promoted as the first single. The track features Gill playing Dobro . Jurek considered the album "a laid-back collection of original songs that are more poignant and more nakedly autobiographical and topical than anything he's previously issued." The album included a song about Amy Grant titled "When My Amy Prays", which won Gill the Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance after release. With 22 wins from this association, Gill has

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