Fans will have plenty of chances to see Vince Gill live this year. He has a handful of solo tour dates left. Then, he’ll be back in Las Vegas at the Sphere with the Eagles. Finally, he’ll close the year with his annual Ryman Christmas residency with his wife, Amy Grant. Some of those who buy tickets to see Gill this year will be attending their first concert. However, they likely won’t have the same connection to the first artist they pay to see live as Gill did.
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Recently, Gill took to social media to reveal the first concert he ever attended. Then, he explained how he later became friends with the artist and ended up with one of his guitars.
Vince Gill Recalls His First Concert
First concerts are something that most people never forget. Most will forever remember the first time they stood shoulder-to-shoulder or sat in theater seats with their fellow music fans. Vince Gill is no different.
“The first concert I ever went to was my father took me to see Chet Atkins,” Gill recalled in the video. “I was a little boy. That’s, I think, the first live music I remember ever getting to see,” he added.
Atkins was a legendary guitar player and producer. Gill looked up to him from an early age. Later in life, he was fortunate enough to call Atkins his friend.
Gill’s Friendship with Chet Atkins
“As my life would unfold, how beautiful it was that Chet became a really close friend when I moved [to Nashville]. We became friends and played a little bit together. Not a lot. I didn’t get too many chances to play with Chet, but I always revered and admired him,” Gill said. “He came to Amy and my wedding 25 years ago,” he added.
After Adkins passed away, Gill went to visit his widow, Leona, and take her to lunch. After lunch, they returned to the Atkins residence, and she showed him Chet’s music room, a small home studio in their basement. “That’s one of my favorite memories of my life. She unlocked this door, and it was a little studio in the basement of their house. All of his guitars were in there,” he recalled.
Mrs. Atkins left Gill alone in the room to soak it all in. While he was in there, he recognized several instruments from album covers. Then, he picked up a small Martin guitar from the 1920s that spoke to him. She returned to the basement and heard Gill playing the vintage acoustic. Two weeks later, he said, the guitar arrived at his house, a gift from Arkins.
Featured Image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for the Grand Ole Opry
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