Vince Gill has won a long list of awards, touched countless hearts with his songwriting, and can play circles around nearly any guitarist in Nashville. Fans, fellow artists, industry professionals, and critics hail him as a legend. He’s also said to be one of the nicest people in Music City. All of this, and a catalog that goes back more than four decades, led him to accept the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award during tonight’s CMA Awards.
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After being handed the award by country fellow country legend and recipient George Strait, Gill addressed the crowd, an ear-to-ear smile on his face. “This is amazing,” he began. “I think [this award] has been given to nine or ten people or something like that. And that list of people is astounding,” he added, bringing a loud cheer from the crowd. “I’m pretty confident that I’m the only one that’s won this award that’s never smoked any weed,” he joked.
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“Fifty years, we’ve known each other,” Gill said of Nelson. “I adore him. What I admire most about him is his willingness to include his family. He calls his band his family. And, man, that’s a great way to live.” After some jokes about his long run as a CMA Awards host and thanking all of those who helped him be the artist and man he is today, Gill addressed Nelson. “So, Willie, if you’re out there listening, at 92 years old, you’re still inspiring us to this day,” he said.
Tonight, Gill joins Nelson, Kenny Rogers, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Charley Pride, Loretta Lynn, Alan Jackson, and Strait on the short list of artists who have earned the award.
Some Highlights from Vince Gill’s Career
Vince Gill’s career is full of highlights and accolades. However, a few stand out from the rest.
For instance, Gill was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007, at the age of 50. While many artists earn the honor when they are much older and nearing the end of their careers, Gill earned his medallion with decades of new music ahead of him.
He has also taken home trophy cases full of awards. Notably, he has won 22 Grammy Awards, more than any male country artist in history. Additionally, he has won the CMA Song of the Year Award four times, setting a record that still hasn’t been broken.
Gill has also proven his musical versatility time and again, with a discography full of stylistic diversity. In 2017, he took things a step further by joining the Eagles. In short, there’s not much Vince Gill can’t do.
Featured Image by Catherine Powell/Getty Images for CMT
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