Vince Gill in the Southern Quote

He was born in Oklahoma in 1957. From childhood he shared a love for music with his father, a banjo and guitar playing judge. By his teens he’d picked up both instruments and was playing in his first bluegrass band. Over the years he has added half a dozen more instruments to his resume.

After high school he toured with a number of bands before moving to Nashville and signing his first contract with RCA Records. He released a couple modest hits, but the next five years found him working more as a highly requested duet recording partner, prized for the beautiful harmony of his high, pure tenor voice, than as the solo entertainer he aspired to be. Then, in 1989, he moved to MCA records and released a ballad called “I Still Believe In You.” The song became a mega-hit and set off a run of chart topping hits. Vince Gill was a star and he continues to shine.

Today Mr. Gills has 5 CMA Male Vocalist Awards, a record he holds with George Strait as the most ever in Male Vocalist and he is second only to Brooks and Dunn for accumulating the most CMA Awards in history. With songs like “I Still Believe In You” and “Go Rest High On That Mountain” Vince Gill has more than entertained us, he has comforted and inspired us, too.

This beloved member of the Grand Old Opry hosted the CMA awards for a record-setting twelve consecutive years between 1992 and 2003. With his wit, humility and legendary humanitarian efforts, it’s easy to see why they put him front and center.

Vince clearly lives by the creed his daddy gave him, “It’s all for nothing if you don’t stay the same.”

In today’s Southern Quote we hear from this Country Music Hall of Fame great with the silky smooth pipes known as the ambassador of country music. Vince Gill says, “Success is always temporary. When all is said and done, the only thing you’ll have left is your character.”