As one of the most talented (and nicest) musicians in the Nashville scene, Vince Gill has no small shortage of collaborations under his belt. The prolific instrumentalist and soulful singer has worked with countless musicians in just as many capacities, from duet partner to backing vocalist to producer. From his first days as a Grand Ole Opry inductee in the early 1990s to working with the Eagles in the 2020s, Gill has made a name for himself amongst the rare breed of amicable, versatile, and hard-working musicians.
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Still, even though it seems like Gill has collaborated with just about every musician on the planet, there are some artists Gill hasn’t worked with yet or never got the chance to before they passed. Here are five of our all-time dream collaborations for the incomparable Vince Gill.
George Harrison
Vince Gill once listed George “the Quiet Beatle” Harrison as one of his all-time favorite guitar players in a 2014 Rolling Stone interview, so we don’t doubt that the late musician would be on Gill’s personal list of dream collaborations, too. Gill praised the former Beatle for his “great knowledge of these memorable hooky unmistakable parts,” something Gill has also become known for, whether playing acoustic Americana or electric rock ‘n’ roll.
While the two artists never got the chance to collaborate before Harrison’s passing in 2001, we think the musical combination of these guitar and vocal powerhouses would have been an incredible addition to the popular music catalog. But hey—a collab with Paul McCartney or Ringo Starr wouldn’t be too bad either, especially with the latter ex-Beatle releasing a country album in January 2025.
Dire Straits
Vince Gill’s time with the Eagles has proven he’s just as comfortable ripping on 1970s and ‘80s rock ‘n’ roll as he is flat-picking a hot bluegrass lick. But in the early 1990s, Gill almost had the opportunity to perform with another iconic rock band of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s: Dire Straits. Frontman Mark Knopfler reached out to Gill to see if he’d like to accompany him on a Dire Straits world tour, but Gill had his sights set on a career in country music.
“I called [Knopfler] and said, ‘Look, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m going to say no just because I think I have something to offer country music,’” Gill recalled on an episode of I Miss… ‘90s Country Radio. “I said, ‘Look, Mark, if I don’t believe in me, nobody else will.’” Of course, now that Gill has established himself as a country legend multiple times over, we think that a Gill and Knopfler collaboration would be a match made in guitarist heaven.
Stevie Nicks
Former Fleetwood Mac frontwoman Stevie Nicks has collaborated with a number of talented male rock ‘n’ rollers, from Tom Petty to Don Henley to Kenny Loggins. Vince Gill, however, is missing from this long, star-studded list, which is exactly why we believe she deserves to be on our dream collaborations list. With Nicks’ smoky alto and Gill’s agile tenor, it doesn’t take much to imagine the pair’s voices blending beautifully.
Moreover, can you imagine Gill laying down the lick (and background harmonies) for Nicks’ iconic Fleetwood Mac song, “Landslide”? Whether they leaned into Gill’s country roots or got a little grittier á la “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” Nicks’ duet with Petty, we believe the two musicians could create a stunning, cross-genre collaboration for the ages.
Zach Top
Fretboards would be liable to catch fire if Vince Gill and rising country star Zach Top ever joined the stage together. Both musicians have bluegrass backgrounds, which gave them the ability to rip lightning-fast riffs up and down the neck while also singing beautifully. With Gill’s legendary status in the Nashville music scene, we don’t doubt that he’s on Top’s list of dream collaborations, too. And with Top’s star quickly rising, we’re hoping it’s just a matter of time before the two musicians meet on stage.
Until that happens (which we hope it does), you can enjoy this TikTok video of a baby-faced Zach Top performing Gill’s 1992 song, “Tryin’ To Get Over You.” Between Top’s effortless guitar riffs and soaring vocals, this short clip is all the evidence we need of how good a Gill-Top collab would be.
Photo by Scott Dudelson/FilmMagic
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