Vince Gill Proved He’s “One of the Best Guitar Pickers in the World” With This George Jones Tribute Performance

Vince Gill has had more than a few hit songs throughout his career. When trying to pick his top song, it can be nearly impossible for fans. It made sense when Gill produced hits like “Look at Us,” “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” and “Pocket Full of Gold.” But in 1993, the hitmaker released a song not about himself but inspired by the legacy of George Jones. The result – the No. 1 hit “One More Last Chance,” an anthem for those men who continuously asked for just one more chance. 

While “One More Last Chance” was written by Gill and Gary Nicholson, it was inspired by Jones. According to the lyrics, the narrator’s lover was tired of his antics. That led to her standing at the front door with the “good book in her left hand/And a rollin’ pin in the right.” Not even needing to offer a warning, she added, “If you don’t listen to my preachin’, boy/ I’m goin to have to beat you half to death.” 

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More of a promise than a warning, fans loved “One More Last Chance.” When hitting the airwaves, it peaked at No. 1 on the Canada Country Tracks and the US Hot Country Songs charts. If that wasn’t enough success, a fan labeled Gill, “one of the best guitar pickers in the world by my measure.”

As for the music video, country music fans quickly noticed that the man himself, Jones, made a cameo when riding his John Deere down the road.

[RELATED: Vince Gill Continues Year-Long EP Series With Upcoming ‘Brown’s Diner Bar’] 

How George Jones Inspired Vince Gill’s “One More Last Chance”

As for the story that inspired the classic song, it happened in 1966 when Jones was living in East Texas with his second wife, Shirley Corley. At the time, Corley was on a mission to get the singer to spend more time with her and less time partying. While not wanting to listen to Corley, she got the great idea of hiding the keys to his car. 

It appeared to work. With Jones unable to find the keys, he was stranded. At least, until he remembered his tractor. “There, gleaming in the glow, was that ten-horsepower rotary engine under a seat—a key glistening in the ignition. I imagine the top speed for that old mower was five miles per hour. It might have taken an hour and a half or more for me to get to the liquor store, but get there I did.”     

Shocked to find the keys and no Jones, Corley made the trip to Colonial Liquors to once again bring him home. Although their marriage eventually fizzled, the unforgettable tractor ride became one of country music’s greatest stories. And thanks to Gill, that story continues to entertain.  

(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for CMA)