On this day (March 10) in 2000, Vince Gill and Amy Grant got married in an outdoor ceremony outside of Nashville. The ceremony took place a little more than a week after the couple publicly announced their engagement. At the time, Grant was less than a year removed from her divorce from Gary Chapman. Gill had divorced his first wife, Janis Oliver, in 1997.
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Gill and Grant had met in passing and shared stages a handful of times over the years. However, they didn’t make a connection until 1993. That year, Gill was hosting a Christmas special with Chet Atkins and a handful of other country heavy-hitters. They invited Grant to join the show, hoping to draw more viewers.
[RELATED: The Story Behind the First Song Vince Gill Wrote with Wife Amy Grant]
“I was doing a benefit for the symphony in Nashville, and he was doing a TV show for a Christmas show with Chet Atkins. His management called mine and said, ‘Would she be on the TV show?’ and I said, ‘Hey, I’ll do that TV show with him if he’ll do the benefit with me.’ And that was the connection of our friendship for years was doing these Christmas shows,” Grant recalled.
Months later, Gill joined Grant in the studio to sing on the title track from her 1994 album House of Love. Their connection deepened during the recording sessions. “I think that part of me loved him instantly. I was so moved by him as a human being that I went up behind him and hugged him as hard as I could while he was singing,” Grant recalled. “I just said, ‘I just needed to hug you all night.’”
Not Everyone Was Excited to See Amy Grant and Vince Gill Together
Vince Gill’s first wife, Janis Oliver, filed for divorce in 1997. Amy Grant and Gary Chapman announced their separation in 1998. Their divorce was finalized in June 1999, according to People. Grant announced that she and Gill were a couple during an interview in October that year.
Some of their family and friends believed they had moved too quickly, including Grant’s three children. “I laugh about our wedding day, because all of our photographs, I refer to my grim-faced children,” she told Katie Couric. “I just takes time, and it’s okay to let it.”
Today, Vince Gill and Amy Grant are celebrating 26 years of marriage. Since they tied the knot, they have brought one daughter into the world and have collaborated musically multiple times, including their annual Christmas shows at the Ryman.
Featured Image by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for CMA
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