Remember When: Vince Gill Made His Opry Debut–and the Touching Reason He Missed His First Opportunity

Vince Gill was brought into the storied halls of the Grand Ole Opry on August 10, 1991. The country legend certainly found a comfortable home on the long list of fellow musicians that have graced that famous stage. But, he missed his first opportunity to play the Opry. His reason for turning down the country institution was deeply touching. Read more about Gill’s Opry debut, below.

[RELATED: Watch Vince Gill Take Vocal Lead and Steal the Show at the Eagles’ Las Vegas Sphere Debut]

Remember When: Vince Gill Made His Opry Debut–and the Touching Reason He Missed His First Opportunity

“The opportunity to sit and have Roy Acuff tell me war stories from 40 or 50 years ago on the road was priceless,” Gill once said of his time in the Opry. “To grieve with people, to grieve with their families, to sing a little bit with Jimmy Dickens, to record some with Hank Locklin, to sit around and talk golf with Charlie Walker and to write a song or two with Bill Anderson — that’s what being there has brought me.”

Gill has played the Opry stage an uncountable amount of times at this point. Over the decades, he’s become a staple of that historic venue. But, as the story goes, Gill had to bow out of his first opportunity to play the Opry. According to his daughter, Jenny, Gill put his family above all else–even the Opry.

“When I was in first grade, I really wanted to play in my school talent show, so I asked my dad, who I knew could play guitar really well, if he would play for me so I could sing. And of course, he said yes,” Gill’s daughter, Jenny, once said.

Around the same time, the Opry called Gill and offered him a slot. Unfortunately that slot interfered with his talent show duties.

“And he asks them, ‘This Saturday night,” Jenny Gill continued. “And you know what he told them? He said, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t make it.’ So instead of making his Grand Ole Opry debut that night, he showed up at my elementary school to play for his 6-year-old daughter, and we played ‘You Are My Sunshine.’”

It’s one of many stories that has earned Gill his reputation. Not just any artist would give up an opportunity like that. At any rate, Gill has more than made up for that missed performance. Check him out on the Opry stage, below.

Photo by AFF-USA/Shutterstock