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He was born Vincent Grant
Gill, April 12, 1957, in Norman, Oklahoma, USA. Gill’s father,
a lawyer who played in a part-time country band, encouraged
his son to have a career in country music. While still at
school, Gill joined the bluegrass group Mountain Smoke. He
moved to Louisville in 1975 and joined Bluegrass Alliance
before demonstrating his vocal, guitar, banjo and fiddle
talents on the Pure Prairie League’s albums Can’t Hold Back,
Firin’ Up and Something In The Night.
In the early
80s, Gill moved on to Rodney Crowell’s backing group, the
Cherry Bombs, and recorded an album with David Grisman,*
before inaugurating his solo recording career with a six-track
mini-album for RCA Records, Turn Me Loose. His 1985 hit duet
with Rosanne Cash, “If It Weren’t For Him,” was later
withdrawn due to contractual difficulties.
Gill also
continued to work prolifically as a session musician and
songwriter, working with artists including Cash, Emmylou
Harris, Dire Straits, and Patty Loveless. The latter repaid
the compliment by duetting with Gill on “When I Call Your
Name,” which was named Single Of The Year by the Country Music
Association in 1990. His career took off at MCA Records and in
1991 he enjoyed several US Top 10 country chart hits with
“Pocket Full Of Gold,” “Liza Jane” and “Look At Us” and was
voted the Male Vocalist Of The Year at the 1991 Country Music
Association’s Annual Awards Show.
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
*(Vince Gill joined up with David
Grisman, Herb Pedersen, Jim Buchanan and Emory Gordy, Jr. in
1982 to form the bluegrass group called Here Today. They
recorded an album of 12 songs for Rounder, including my “Once
More,” which turned out to be one of the best recordings ever
made of this song – Dusty Owens, TCM Radio News).
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