TIM MCGRAW AND A VINCE GILL/DAUGHTRY DUET ARE AMONG THE PERFORMERS ADDED TO THE LINEUP FOR "THE 43rd ANNUAL CMA AWARDS"

Jason Aldean, Billy Currington, Vince Gill and Daughtry, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, and Zac Brown Band to Perform on "Country Music's Biggest Night"

NASHVILLE - The star-packed lineup for "The 43rd Annual CMA Awards" grows dramatically with the announcement today that Tim McGraw will perform for the first time in four years, and that Vince Gillwill duet with rock band Daughtry.

Other performers announced today include Jason Aldean, Billy Currington, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, and Zac Brown Band. "The 43rd Annual CMA Awards," hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, airs live from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Wednesday, Nov. 11 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Previously announced performers include Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire, Paisley,Darius Rucker, George Strait, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Underwood, and Keith Urban.

In their debut CMA Awards performance, Grammy-nominated rock band Daughtry joins Country Music Hall of Fame member Gill for a duet of "Tennessee Line," which the superstars recorded together for Daughtry's new album, Leave This Town. That album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart in July, becoming the group's second consecutive album to top the charts. Daughtry's self-titled first album, released in 2006, was the quickest-selling rock debut album in SoundScan history, selling more than five million copies worldwide.

Gill has won 18 CMA Awards, including Entertainer (1993, 1994), Male Vocalist (1991-1995), and Album of the Year (1993 for I Still Believe in You; 1994 forCommon Thread: Songs of the Eagles). The singer/songwriter, who hosted the CMA Awards for 12 consecutive years (1992-2003), was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007.

Currington earned two nominations this year, Single and Music Video of the Year, both for "People Are Crazy," from his album Little Bit of Everything. He co-produced the single with Carson Chamberlain, while the video was directed by The Brads. Currington has a career total of three CMA nominations, as he was previously nominated in 2005 for Musical Event of the Year for his duet with Shania Twain on "Party for Two." The writers of "People Are Crazy," Bobby Braddock and Troy Jones, are currently nominated for Song of the Year.

Tickets for the 2009 CMA Awards can be purchased by logging on to www.ticketmaster.com; calling (800) 745-3000; or in person at the Sommet Center box office, 501 Broadway (corner of Fifth Avenue and Broadway, in Nashville). Ticket prices begin at $110 for Upper Level. All ticket prices include sales tax but exclude applicable service/handling fees.

"The 43rd Annual CMA Awards" is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer, Paul Miller is the Director, andDavid Wild is the writer. The special will be shot in high definition and broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound.

Premiere Radio Networks is the official radio packager of the CMA Awards. American Airlines is the official airline of the 2009 CMA Awards. Chevy: The Official Ride of Country Music.

This year, music fans will enjoy an early holiday gift with the October 6 release of Now That’s What I Call A Country Christmas. This music-packed stocking stuffer comes on the heels of the multi-platinum NOW Christmas series of double CDs, and the chart-topping success of NOW That’s What I Call Country Volumes 1 and 2.

For the first time, this double-disc set includes 29 of the most beloved holiday favorites from country greats like Elvis and Johnny Cash, alongside current country stars like Kenny Chesney and George Strait, making this the perfect holiday gift for the entire family.

NOW That’s What I Call A Country Christmas is the newest of the world’s best selling multi-artist album series, NOW That's What I Call Music! The Now series is collectively responsible for sales of 73 million albums in the U.S. over the last 10 years. Every album in the series has reached the Billboard Top 10, and is the only non-soundtrack, multi-artist collection to reach #1 Billboard status on the Billboard Top 200 Album Sales Chart.

NOW That’s What I Call A Country Christmas Track Listing

DISC ONE

Darius Rucker Winter Wonderland

Brad Paisley Away in the Manger

Julianne Hough Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

George Strait Joy to the World

Lady Antebellum It's Cold Outside

Brooks and Dunn I'll Be Home for Christmas

Luke Bryan Run Run Rudolph

Josh Turner The First Noel

Kellie Pickler Santa Baby

Trace Adkins It's Christmas

Little Big Town Go Tell it on the Mountain

Lee Ann Womack The Man With the Bag

Taylor Swift Christmases When You Were Mine

Kenny Chesney Silver Bells

DISC TWO

Gene Autry Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Elvis/Martina McBride Blue Christmas

Merle Haggard Jingle Bells

Vince Gill O Little Town of Bethlehem

Alison Krauss Shimmy Down the Chimney

Reba McEntire Up On the Housetop

Glen Campbell O Holy Night

Tanya Tucker What Child Is This

Alabama Christmas In Dixie

Brenda Lee Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

Kenny Rogers Kentucky Home Made Christmas

Dolly Parton Hard Candy Christmas

Amy Grant A Christmas to Remember

Johnny Cash Silent Night

Burl Ives Holly Jolly Christmas

CMT Insider: On the Red Carpet at Grammy Tribute to Vince Gill
Steve Martin and Brad Paisley Ponder Gill's Contributions to Country Music
September 11, 2009

Vince Gill wasn't sure he was the best choice to be honored during a special salute sponsored by the Recording Academy, the organization responsible for the Grammy Awards.

"You could give this award to Alison Krauss," he told CMT Insider prior to Wednesday's (Sept. 9) event at Nashville's Loveless Barn. "She's won more Grammys than maybe even Stevie Wonder, but tonight I'm just grateful."

Steve Martin, Brad Paisley, Alison Krauss, Michael McDonald and Gill's wife, Amy Grant, were among those paying musical tribute to the Country Music Hall of Fame member. Gill, who has won 20 Grammys, was presented the Recording Academy's President's Award in recognition of his career accomplishments.

"I think, more than anything, the fact that it's never been given to a country artist might mean more to me than any of it," Gill said. "I think that anytime someone from our world gets recognized for some work that they've done ... all of country music wins in a big way, and that's how I feel tonight."

While appreciative of the local artists who showed up at the tribute, Gill was especially impressed that Martin traveled to Nashville to perform.

"That's pretty sweet," he said. "I didn't know Steve was coming until just a couple of days ago. More than anybody, he's the guy that's made me laugh my whole life -- since I was probably 17 or 18 years old and he started with his standup routine and the arrow through the head and the banjo. Being a musician, I was interested right off the bat in Steve. I'd seen all his movies and read his books, and I admire him so much because I think the gift of laughter is the greatest gift you could ever give anyone."

Gill and Martin first met when they performed during a tribute to Earl Scruggs on the Late Show With David Letterman. They recorded with Scruggs on an all-star version of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" that won a Grammy for best country instrumental performance in 2001. Gill also made a guest appearance on Martin's recent bluegrass album, The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo.

"Vince delivered such great performance on that record, I would do anything for him," Martin said. "To me, it's like Earl Scruggs. I'd do anything for Earl Scruggs and Vince Gill." Regarding the depth of Gill's career, Martin added, "He's one of the great artists. The artists change different decades. He's been there for so long and delivered such solid music. It's very emotional music. He's just one of the great ones, I think."

Paisley said Gill is one of the artists he has always admired and tried to emulate.

"Inevitably, in the beginning of the career, I always got comparisons to the guitar players and the singers of the previous generations," he said. "Anytime somebody mentioned a Vince Gill or a Steve Wariner or Ricky Skaggs in comparing me ... was a victory to me because that's who I really wanted to be. I wanted to be those guys that rolled in on a bus and played the guitar and sang their songs. I couldn't think of a better compliment anytime than when somebody said that I had something that was similar."

Grant said her husband always gets more excited about the music itself than any awards he might receive.

"I'm so happy for Vince," she said. "And what I love about his reaction was that he's always thinking about how to pull people together. When he first started with music, he was a sideman, and he's always thinking about, 'What can I add to what somebody else is doing?' And to be here, I don't think there's anything in him that goes, 'This night is about me.' I mean, he really does think this night is about all of us."

Recording Academy Salutes 20-Time Grammy Winner Vince Gill
Steve Martin, Brad Paisley, Alison Krauss, Michael McDonald Join Tribute

By Edward Morris
September 10, 2009

The Grammys came to Nashville Wednesday night (Sept. 9) to salute country music generally and honor Vince Gill specifically.

Gill was radiant throughout the evening, evidently more from his joy in the music being performed than pride in the award he was about to receive.

Held before a music industry crowd at the Loveless Barn, a casual new entertainment venue in the city's western suburbs, the ceremony featured performances by Michael McDonald, Alison Krauss, Brad Paisley, Amy Grant (Gill's wife), Steve Martin, Jenny Gill (Gill's recently engaged daughter) and, finally, the man of the hour himself.

Grammys are awarded by the Recording Academy, and this was the latest in a series of the organization's salutes to particular musical formats. Gill has won 20 Grammys over the past 19 years. He is also a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry.

"It's such a joy to see him share his talent with other people," said Grant of her husband as she assumed the role of mistress of ceremonies. She related that Gill always returned from the Grammy awards with good stories, such as hanging out with Diana Krall or Herbie Hancock, artists he might have otherwise never encountered.

At one Grammy show, Grant said, Gill spotted Eric Clapton but couldn't summon up the courage to approach the great guitarist to say how much he appreciated his work. It was then that Clapton came over to him and said, "I always look forward to getting your next recording. I love to hear you play."

During the course of her introductions, Grant explained how Gill had first met the performers who were there to honor him by singing songs he had written.

She said he met McDonald in 1980 at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado when Gill was the new lead vocalist for Pure Prairie League and McDonald was with the Doobie Brothers.

Gill's first encounter with Krauss occurred at Station Inn, Nashville's fabled bluegrass oasis. ("During my drinking days," Gill shouted from the front row). At the time, Krauss was still a relatively unknown teenager.

He was so bowled over by her voice and fiddling, Grant said, he approached her after the show and told her Emmylou Harris was looking for a harmony singer. As Gill recalls, Krauss responded, "I'm not interested."

Paisley was a tender 11-year-old when he initially crossed paths with Gill. The place was Twitty City, the late Conway Twitty's kitschy music park just outside of Nashville. Paisley was there, said Grant, to see "his hero," Steve Wariner, for whom Gill was opening. After watching Gill play, the youngster added another hero to his list.

Arriving onstage to a standing ovation, McDonald proclaimed, "This is a big deal tonight." He described "When I Call Your Name," his opening song, as "one of those perfect records." (It also yielded Gill his first Grammy for best male country vocal performance.)

A five-time Grammy-winner himself, McDonald concluded his portion of the show with the mournful "Go Rest High on That Mountain."

All the performers were backed by Gill's band: keyboardist John Hobbs, acoustic guitarist Jeff White, electric guitarist Tom Britt, drummer Billy Thomas, bassist David Hungate and vocalist Dawn Sears.

Before she called Krauss forward, Grant told the crowd that it was an ordeal attending concerts with Gill because he is always so intent on the music. "He rarely smiles because he's analyzing everything the whole night," she said.

Krauss, who has swept 26 Grammys, bowed with "Whenever You Come Around" and ended with "These Days," also earning a standing ovation. "That is about as tender as it gets," said Grant of Krauss' spun-gold interpretation of the latter song.

Always ready with a quip, three-time Grammy winner Paisley said that preparing to play a Vince Gill song for Vince Gill was "like going through a pre-flight check for a kamikaze mission."

"I hope nobody's recording this," he added.

Paisley needn't have worried. He had the crowd -- and Gill -- solidly in his pocket from the opening notes of "Trying to Get Over You."

"I remember my first time hearing Vince Gill -- in my crib," he joked after the applause died down. But he quickly struck a more respectful note, asserting, "Vince Gill shatters the notion of 'jack of all trades, master of none,'" citing him as a masterful singer, songwriter and guitarist and a consummate humanitarian.

Then, warning that he was going to attempt something "even more foolish than the last song," he told Gill, "This is one of my favorite guitar songs you've ever done. Don't judge me." With that he ripped into a breakneck treatment of "Oklahoma Borderline," which he ended with a dazzling electric guitar solo.

Paisley's performance netted the loudest and most sustained applause of the evening.

At this point, the band left the stage and Grant returned. She said "music, golf, food and laughing" are her husband's chief passions and that no one had brought him more laughter than Steve Martin (although she did concede that Richard Pryor was a close second).

Gill met Martin, she said, when the two played during a tribute to Earl Scruggs on the Late Show With David Letterman.

Martin came to the stage in his best professorial fashion. Wearing a dark suit and clutching notes, he ignored the microphone at center stage and instead took his place at the lectern Grant had just vacated.

There are men, he told the audience, who are generous, kind, well-loved and about whom nothing bad can be said. "It would be so much easier," he deadpanned, "if we were honoring a man like that."

While acknowledging that Gill is worthy of some praise, he maintained, "This seems neither the time nor place." Noting that the world was familiar with Gill's skill as a puppeteer, Martin added, "But we know so little about your work in aerodynamics."

"I remember when I bought my first Vince Gill album," Martin droned on. "It should arrive in two days."

And there were more savory jabs: "When you mention Vince Gill, one word comes to mind -- 'tantrums.' ... Vince, 'genius' is not a word I throw around. I thought I'd mention that. ... You do it all. You're a performer, you're a writer. And that's it."

But Martin didn't play it all for laughs. He spoke of hearing a voice he loved singing "I Can't Tell You Why" on the 1993 tribute album, Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles, but said he took no notice of who it was.

When it finally occurred to him years later that the voice was probably Gill's (which it was), he said he was reluctant to mention it to Gill for fear it might be a case of mistaken identity, a situation he has experienced himself.

"People come up to me and say, 'I loved you in Airplane!" Martin said, "and I have to explain that it wasn't me. It was Leslie Nielsen."

He said he was amazed at the care and passion, Gill and Dolly Parton brought to their work in the studio when they sang together on Martin's new bluegrass album, The Crow.

As a parting shot, Martin declared, "It was a pleasure to fly in here [for this] -- at great expense."

Recording Academy president Neil Portnow followed Martin to the stage to present Gill his award.

"I think the least we can do is ask Steve if he'd like to host the Grammys next year," he said. "What do you think of that?" The crowd seemed to agree.

"Steve, I loved you in Airplane!" said Gill when it came his turn in the spotlight.

"It's interesting how many years are tied up in the room," he mused, alluding to the many people backstage and in the audience with whom his career had intersected. He said it was the first time he'd gotten to see his band play from an audience perspective. "These cats can go!" he marveled.

"Just getting time to stay with musical people [early in my career] was enough," he continued. "I just wanted to be part of it. I didn't have to be the center."

He recalled being too broke to pay his rent but still feeling euphoric because he was surrounded by music. "The joy was being willing to embrace the moment," he explained.

As a youngster, Gill said, he would buy albums simply because he spotted the name of a guitarist he admired in the liner credits. "It's interesting what can happen if you just look on the back of a record jacket."

He said he bought a copy of Linda Ronstadt's 1974 album, Heart Like a Wheel, and was so transfixed by the pure, soaring voice of Ronstadt's harmony singer that he was sure it was Dolly Parton, even though the album credits listed a name that sounded somewhat phony to him -- Emmylou Harris. He even assured his friends that it was Dolly singing under an assumed name. After he discovered an Emmylou Harris album in a record bin, he said he "stalked" her.

Gill lavished praise on the three performers who had preceded him, calling Krauss' voice "holy," lauding Paisley for both his musicianship and sense of humor and describing McDonald's voice as "the rarest of the rare."

To Grant, a prize-winning contemporary Christian and pop singer, he said, "You are the kindest thing I've even gotten to experience. Thank you for being here tonight. I know it's church night. I tell people I'm married to a Spice girl ... Bible Spice.

"If I'm going on too long here," he said, "tough shit. ... This night is much more about all of us than it is about me. Now, I think I have to sing for my award."

With his band back behind him, Gill said, "Here's a song I stole from Eric Clapton. It's good to be honest." The song, with which he then rocked the rafters, was "Liza Jane," his top 10 hit from 1991.

Next he invited Grant to sing with him on "Faint of Heart," a bluesy selection from his Grammy-winning best country album, These Days. They ended the song with a kiss, much to the crowd's approval.

Gill then introduced a new -- and disturbing -- song he said he'd written "after listening to one too many stories about people doing awful things to kids." He titled it "Forever Changed," and his daughter, Jenny, sang the bitter lyrics about child molestation.

Alluding to his penchant for collaboration, Gill said, "I have won 20 Grammys, but more than half of them were with other people." He invited Martin and his banjo to the stage to lead the band in "Foggy Mountain Breakdown," a collaboration that won both men a Grammy for best country instrumental performance. It was the only song of the evening that Gill had no hand in writing.

Gill ended his set with another new song, "Heaven, " which he co-wrote with Grant and two others. His exit was brief, though, as the crowd insistently called him back. He returned with Paisley for a scorching rendition of "Give Me One More Last Chance."

Finally, Gill and McDonald brought down the curtain with the wistful "I Still Believe in You."

Spotted in the crowd that streamed out of the room past gigantic black-and-white photos of Gill that lined the walls were Wynonna, Grand Ole Opry star Jim Ed Brown and Country Music Hall of Fame member Ralph Emery.

Guests lingered after the show at a lavish VIP party.

Recalling Kanye West's History With Country Music

By Calvin Gilbert
September 18th, 2009

Yeah, yeah. I know. ... Irate readers have complained that CMT.com has written far too much about the Taylor Swift/Kanye West incident at the MTV Video Music Awards. But when CMT Insider put together a brief video history of West's past slams and slights against country music -- Gretchen Wilson and Vince Gill, in particular -- it was hard to resist sharing it. So if you're truly sick of all the Taylor/Kanye coverage, don't even think about watching this video. It will just make you angry at Kanye -- or us. So just ignore it. Otherwise, here you go ...CLICK HERE.

Details were announced for the second annual ACM HONORS, an evening of musical tribute performances and special presentations celebrating the special honorees and non-televised category winners from the 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, held earlier this year.

Host and performer Lee Ann Womack was on hand with presenters Rodney Atkins and Eddie Montgomery, special performers Bobby Bare, Vince Gill, Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Jim Lauderdale, Patty Loveless, Brent Mason, Joe Nichols, James Otto, Kellie Pickler, John Rich, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Steve Wariner.

As part of its ongoing tradition of celebrating musical excellence throughout the year, The Recording Academy® will host its first-ever GRAMMY Salute To Country Music™ honoring Vince Gill presented by MasterCard®. The event will be held on Wed., Sept. 9, 2009 at The Loveless Barn in Nashville, Tenn. The star-studded tribute will feature Amy Grant, Alison Krauss, Steve Martin, Michael McDonald, Brad Paisley, and will include a special presentation of The Recording Academy President's Merit Award to 20-time GRAMMY® winner Gill in honor of his professional achievements and remarkable career. This inaugural event joins others in the "GRAMMY Salute To" series including GRAMMY Salute To Classical Music, Jazz, and Gospel Music, and marks the birth of a new Academy partnership with MasterCard Worldwide.

"We are thrilled to be celebrating country music in its epicenter of Nashville, and to honor a legendary artist like Vince Gill who has made an indelible mark on the genre," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "Our 'Salute To' series pays homage to and celebrates the work of extraordinary people and organizations that continue to ensure that these genres remain a vital part of our culture. This event shows our commitment to recognizing musical excellence all year long, and the impact it has on our lives everyday."

"We are proud to partner with The Recording Academy in support of the GRAMMY Awards," said Chris Jogis, Senior Vice President, U.S. Marketing, MasterCard Worldwide. “Music plays an important role in our culture, and MasterCard has a rich history of embracing the industry, and bringing our cardholders closer to renowned music artists. This partnership allows us to bring priceless music experiences to MasterCard cardholders throughout the year."

Hailing from Norman, Okla., Gill's music career has spanned more than 30 years. He has garnered 20 GRAMMY Awards, sold more than 26 million albums, and in 2007 was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He has recorded 25 albums, including 2006's These Days, successfully weaving country, pop, gospel and rock influences together in a groundbreaking four-CD set. As a strong influential force on the country music scene, he has been a coveted duet partner, collaborating with Dolly Parton, Barbra Streisand and his wife, celebrated singer Amy Grant. A true humanitarian, Gill has been active in hundreds of charity events including Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Special Olympics, and his own Pro-Celebrity Golf Tournament ("The Vinny"), supporting junior golf programs in Tennessee.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part

of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, join the organization's social networks as a follower on Twitter at www.twitter.com/thegrammys, a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/thegrammys, and a channel subscriber at www.youtube.com/thegrammys.

About MasterCard Worldwide

MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes approximately 21 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial-institution customers and merchants. Powered by the MasterCard Worldwide Network and through its family of brands, including MasterCard®, Maestro® and Cirrus®, MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to www.mastercard.com.

Vince Gill sings and chats at Disney Hall

Oct 26 2008

Walt Disney Concert Hall just might be onto a great little niche concert series. A few more shows like the intimate and illuminating performance Vince Gill turned in on Saturday could develop into a regular spate of shows that might be called “Where Songs Come From.”

His 90-minute show, for which he brought a no-frills trio for accompaniment, was chock-full of crowd pleasers, no surprise since fans were only too happy to take him up on his offer to play their favorites by shouting out titles throughout the evening.

But it also had echoes of the sterling round-table session last year with Guy Clark, Joe Ely, Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt, during which each singer-songwriter took turns talking about the genesis of the song he was about to sing, then passing the spotlight to the next in line.

On Saturday it was all Vince, all the time, and it was a delightfully homey affair. He’s long been a particularly amiable and engaging host — which explains why he landed the honors of emceeing the Country Music Assn. Awards show for 12 years straight.

“Nice place ya got here,” the erstwhile Oklahoma wunderkind and 19-time Grammy winner said after sauntering on stage. “I had to go and buy new clothes to play in a place this nice.”

Following his last tour with a 17-piece band, drafted to tap the multiplicity of textures and styles on his sprawling 2006 four-CD set “These Days,” he told the near-capacity crowd, “I came home almost deaf and ... near broke.... We’re lucky to be here. I thought we were going to have to suspend the tour and go to Washington D.C. to fix things.”

That was as close to a topical comment as he got all night. Mostly he let listeners in on the sources of inspiration of songs new and old. He said the idea came to him after he caught one of James Taylor’s “One Man Band” tour stops, during which Sweet Baby James stripped things down to the essentials.

But it’s very likely the overall tone might have been born even before that in Gill’s own kitchen in Nashville. A little over two years ago, he invited about a dozen music writers, this one included, into his home to explain what on the surface might have seemed to be a suicidal move to release four CDs containing 43 songs, all new.

It was such an intimate and revealing experience it’s no wonder he’s now taking it public. He told the Disney Hall crowd about coming to Los Angeles in the 1970s, a young naive musician with big dreams. “A hard-core bluegrasser moving to L.A. to make it,” Gill, 51, said with a laugh. “That’s what a genius I was.”

That characteristically self-deprecating remark segued into a touching anecdote about playing his first L.A. gig at the Troubadour and looking into the crowd to see several of his musical heroes looking on, among them Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell. Far from mere name-dropping, it was a vibrant example of music’s power to instigate succeeding generations of fans to pursue and realize their own dreams.

The musical connection was the song “Some Things Never Grow Old,” which references “Bluebird Wine,” a Crowell song that appeared on Harris’ solo career-launching 1975 album “Pieces of the Sky,” as well as a nod to another standard-bearer of contemporary folk-country songwriting, John Prine. In addition to the lyric references, the melody of “Some Things” contains a none-so-subtle nod to Prine’s song “Unwed Fathers,” making Gill’s salute to his idols in words and music.

His 1991 ballad “Look At Us,” a masterpiece of a love song with a happy ending set to one of the saddest melodies imaginable, was preceded by a truly funny story about the advice he got from veteran Nashville songwriter Max D. Barnes about how to be successful in country music. (The upshot: Keep the songs positive.)

He responded politely to fan requests, jumping between the three acoustic and three electric guitars flanking the chair he sat at center stage. But he also kept the night from becoming a trip down memory lane with a couple of deeply felt new ballads. “Bread and Water” was written for his brother who died 15 years ago, and “Heaven,” with which he closed the show, is a collaboration with wife Amy Grant and a couple of other writers following the recent deaths of two of their friends.

Keyboardist Pete Wasner stuck to his electronic Yamaha piano despite the presence in Disney Hall of a perfectly good concert grand, and Billy Thomas used brushes and his hands economically on a simple box drum and Billy Bub quietly rounded out the rhythm section on upright bass.

Sometimes simple meals are the tastiest, and for those who prefer honesty and real emotion in their music to high-tech sizzle and dazzling production numbers, Gill served up a rich and eminently satisfying feast.

-- Randy Lewis

"If something smells funny in Amy Grant's house today, it's just Vince Gill trying to make her Mother's Day a special one.

"On Friday, chef Johnny Carrabba, the Houston-based co-founder of Carrabba's Italian Grill and cookbook author, taught Vince how to cook at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The event, a fundraiser for Campus for Human Development and Room In The Inn, was called "The Art of Expression."

"Johnny taught Vince how to make mussels in white wine sauce, fresh pasta and chicken Marsala.

"On Friday, I sat down with Johnny, Vince and Room In The Inn's Charles Strobel for lunch at Carrabba's Italian Grill in Green Hills.

'One of Amy's favorite dishes is our mussels, and mussels happen to be one of our easiest recipes,' Johnny said. 'I selected that because I think Vince can get through it and he can impress Amy.'

"'I ain't cooking no mussels. Those things smell! I love her, but she ain't getting no mussels,' Vince joked, adding, 'I'm kidding. If Amy wants mussels, she'll get mussels. A happy Amy makes a happy house. I'm no fool!'

"Johnny chose the chicken Marsala because it's a relatively easy dish to prepare. 'I'm doing another dish that I don't think Vince is going to get down, but I'm making homemade pasta from scratch. I think that's probably me just hoping I can show off, because I know he's going to show off with a guitar later.'

"Vince said his cooking skills are very minimal. 'I can grill and I can make breakfast.' However, he confessed that his first job was making pizzas at a pizza parlor. 'It made me a better guitar player,' he joked. 'I once made a pizza so thick that it wouldn't cook.'

"Vince didn't expect to carry away much from his cooking boot camp. 'The extent of my cooking experience tonight will be the take-out number for Carrabba's.'

"Johnny is frequently asked what he likes to order at one of the 240 Carrabba's restaurants. 'You would think I would say pasta, but I love our steak — a filet or sirloin — and the Marsala sauce is the best thing we do, so I would get the Marsala sauce on the side. Then I would get a side of pasta. I would start with chicken soup, which is my grandmother's recipe.'

"While Johnny benefits professionally when others eat out, he extolled the virtues of dining in. 'Americans have gotten away from a home-cooked meal,' he said. 'When I was growing up, we had home-cooked meals, and that's where you get to know who your children are.

"'That is really good, quality family time. That's enough motivation right there to start cooking.'

"Talk turned to the homeless, the population served by the Campus for Human Development and Room In the Inn since 1986. Some of the men who are in the organization's recovery program attended the event.

"Vince described his older brother as a hobo who spent a lot of time in missions and working on Salvation Army trucks. (Vince wrote 'Go Rest High on That Mountain' after his death.)

"After Vince visited the organization's Eighth Avenue facility, he was inspired to write a song with Leslie Satcher about homeless people. 'It was hard to squeak out some of the words, because it reminded me of my brother so much.'

"He unveiled 'Bread and Water' Friday night. 'It's basically the story of a homeless man who comes into a mission and says to the woman, "I'm not interested in salvation. What I really want is a little bread and water. Get me off these streets. Bread and water is all I need."'

"Johnny has a cousin who is homeless. 'This thing hits close to home. Going by and seeing the facility today, I don't need much motivation, but that really motivated me. It's a good program.

"'A lot of people think the homeless had a choice, but this hits every walk of life in all families. It's in my family.'"

The Country Music Association announced August 7, 2007 that influential radio and television personality Ralph Emery, multi-award-winning entertainer Vince Gill and legendary singer/songwriter Mel Tillis would become the newest members of the coveted Country Music Hall of Fame.   

Gill became the third artist inducted in the “Career Achieved National Prominence Between 1975 and the Present” category, which was created in 2005.

“Induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame is the highest musical honor a Country Music artist and industry veteran can attain,” said Tammy Genovese, CMA Chief Operating Officer. “All three of these extraordinary men are highly deserving of this honor.

 
“Vince is the ultimate triple threat: a singer with the voice of an angel, a songwriter who conveys the joys and heartbreaks of life with every word he writes, and a consummate musician, who is equally at home playing guitar with Chet Atkins or Eric Clapton. As the longtime host of the CMA Awards, Vince also represented Country Music with dignity and humor for 12 years.”

Emery, Gill and Tillis were officially inducted in October during the traditional, invitation-only Medallion Ceremony at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum.

“It is with great pride that CMA will induct these three outstanding artists and personalities into the Country Music Hall of Fame, where they will join a small yet monumental group of entertainers and industry veterans whose influence on Country Music is enormous,” said Genovese.

“The Country Music Hall of Fame’s Medallion Ceremony, which takes place during the annual reunion of the membership, has historically been the occasion where new inductees are presented the keepsake medal commemorating their ownership of Country Music’s paramount honor,” said Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Director Kyle Young. “The medals traditionally are presented by a member of the Hall of Fame during an intimate and emotional evening of homecoming, storytelling, music, memories and fellowship.

“We are honored that CMA sees our ceremony as the appropriate setting for the official induction of new members. Including the formal induction as part of the evening will certainly seal the event’s reputation as Country Music’s most prestigious night.”

The announcements were made August 7, 2007 at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in a press conference hosted by Genovese. Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell congratulated the new inductees on behalf of Music City U.S.A. Emery was introduced by his longtime friend and former two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year, Barbara Mandrell. Gill was introduced by Young, while Tillis was introduced by his good friend and Country Music Hall of Fame member Brenda Lee.

All inductees are chosen by CMA’s Hall of Fame Panel of Electors, consisting of more than 300 anonymous voters appointed by the CMA Board of Directors. Emery, Gill and Tillis will increase membership in the coveted Country Music Hall of Fame from 98 to 101 inductees.