Vince Gill’s 50 Years From Home Tour

It’s been 50 years since Vince Gill chose a path toward music and left his home in Oklahoma to launch his career – a journey that’s taken him to Kentucky then California and finally Nashville, and, as a touring artist, around the world. Gill is honoring this fifty-year career milestone by curating a series of EPs to be released over the course of a year, thematically titled 50 Years From Home. His creative juices every bit as strong as they were fifty years ago, Gill has culled from over 100 songs he has written, either by himself or in collaboration with others, over the past few years. This is an endeavor unlike anything in his career up to this point.
“The more I’ve done it, the more I’ve learned how to do it better — how to be more patient, where not to waste my time, what to do and not to do, to be willing to edit myself and keep digging. Experience is experience; there is no shortcut. This is what comes from doing this for 50 years.”
One of the most popular artists in modern country music, Vince Gill is famous for his top-notch songwriting, world-class guitar playing and warm, soaring tenor, all wrapped up in a quick and easy wit. Gill achieved his big breakthrough in 1990 with “When I Call Your Name,” which won both the Country Music Association’s (CMA) Single and Song of the Year awards as well as a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male. Since then, Gill has won 17 additional CMA Awards, including Song of the Year four times – making him the most-awarded artist in that category in CMA history, and a total of 22 Grammy Awards, his most recent one for Best Country Solo Performance – “When My Amy Prays.” The Academy of Country Music has conferred on Gill eight awards, including its Home Depot Humanitarian Award and the Career Achievement Award.
A gifted songwriter, Gill’s compositions earned him the prestigious BMI Icon award in 2014, and entry into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005.
In 2007, Gill was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and in 2012 he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame which was placed in cement right next to his wife Amy Grant’s star. In 1991, Gill was invited to become a member of The Grand Ole Opry, a position he treasures. He continues to perform on that historic stage on a regular basis.
Throughout his career he has released 20 albums, sold over 30 million albums, and charted 45 singles.
Known for his many collaborations, Gill has made guest appearances on more than 1000 albums, and has performed and/or recorded with artists such as Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, Sting, Emmylou Harris, Diana Krall, Jimmy Webb, Bruno Mars, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and George Jones. His collaborative efforts also include albums he has produced for Amy Grant, Ashley Monroe, The Time Jumpers and Wendy Moten.
Always considering himself a musician above all else, Gill has over the years been a part of some iconic bands including Pure Prairie League, The Cherry Bombs, and The Time Jumpers. In 2017 Vince was asked to join the Eagles on the road and continues to be a part of that historic band’s tour.
Gill’s current album, the critically acclaimed OKIE, is his most personal album, as he sings about his wife in prayer, about kindness and forgiveness, about his heroes in death, and about his own loves, joys, and regrets.
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The Clay Center gratefully acknowledges Roger L. Nicholson, Ed Stike, Wealth Enhancement Group, and AARP for their support. Their funding helps bring a variety of exciting performances to the Maier Foundation Performance Hall stage and makes them accessible to everyone!
The Clay Center’s performing and visual arts offerings are presented with financial assistance from the West Virginia Department of Tourism, and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts.