Vince Gill’s Musical Approach Started Young: “My Parents Would Have Kicked My A**”

We lay the groundwork for navigating much of the world in childhood, and Vince Gill’s musical approach is certainly no exception. In an infamously cutthroat industry like the music business, it’s no small feat to earn the nickname “the nicest guy in Nashville.” Nevertheless, Gill earned this moniker for his humble attitude and prolific work ethic.

Gill has credited these attributes to his upbringing, going so far as to jokingly say his parents would have “kicked his a**” if he acted any other way.

Vince Gill’s Humble and Hard-Working Musical Approach

While Vince Gill’s technical proficiency has undoubtedly lent itself to the musical icon’s ability to transcend time and genre, his humble attitude is likely an even more significant driving factor. After all, you can be the best guitarist or vocalist in the room, but if no one wants to spend time with you long enough to work together, then does that musical prowess even matter?

Gill has dedicated himself to being a team player, whether releasing solo music, working with Grand Ole Opry giants like Whisperin’ Bill Anderson, or stepping in for Glenn Frey in the Eagles. “I watched plenty of people be the opposite,” Gill said of his ensemble member attitude in a 2019 interview with Pop Matters. “My folks would have kicked my a** if I acted any other way.”

“That’s the way we were raised,” Gill continues. “You’re not going to be a showoff. You’re not going to be an arrogant kid. It’s natural to me; it’s not put on. I’m not trying to be a certain way. That’s how I’ve always been. That’s how I choose to want to react. It feels good to me.”

How A Childhood Habit Helped Shape His Career

In addition to having parents who raised him to be kind and humble, Vince Gill’s musical habits in childhood helped inform the trajectory of his career, too. While speaking to Pop Matters, Gill revealed that his favorite part of buying records in his youth was flipping over the sleeve, looking past the star-studded billings, and diving into the individual track credits. 

“I loved reading the back of record jackets to see who played on stuff,” Gill said. “If one of my favorite guitar players played on a record with some artist I’d never heard of, I’d buy the record just to hear him play. I did a lot of that for people—maybe over 1,000 artist records over the past 40-plus years. All kinds of music, just being part of the process. I still wanted to be a contributor to other people’s passion. I still do it. It’s something that makes me the musician I am. It’s a different role that you have to play [that’s] difficult and challenging.”

With 22 Grammy Awards, 18 CMA awards, and eight Academy of Country Music awards under his belt and a reputation for being one of the hardest working, most down-to-earth musicians in Nashville, it’s clear that Vince Gill is doing something right, thanks in no small part to his compassionate upbringing.

Photo by Frederick Breedon IV/Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum