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When first starting out in country music, many artists feel fortunate to get a good five to 10 years of success. Vince Gill\u2014born on this day (April 12) in 1957\u2014is at 50-plus years<\/a> and counting. With 22 Grammy Awards\u2014more than any other solo male country artist\u2014four solo No. 1 hits, and seven albums certified Platinum or higher, the Norman, Oklahoma native remains one of Nashville\u2019s most revered names. (He\u2019s also one half of the city\u2019s sweetest power couple alongside his wife, Christian pop star Amy Grant.) In honor of his 69th birthday, today we\u2019re taking a look at the life and career of Vince Gill.<\/p>\n Growing up in Norman, Oklahoma, Gill learned to play banjo from his father, a federal appellate court judge and part-time country musician. By age 5, he could also play \u201cOld Shep\u201d on the guitar, and at 8, he made his live performing debut playing the Beach Boys\u2019 \u201cLong Tall Texan\u201d with his half brother on a local radio show.<\/p>\n Vince Gill formed his first band, a bluegrass outfit called Mountain Smoke, after graduating high school. He played in various other bluegrass groups after Mountain Smoke disbanded, eventually moving to Los Angeles in 1976. That\u2019s where he took over as lead vocalist for the soft rock group Pure Prairie League in 1978, leading them to a Top 10 entry on the Billboard<\/em> Hot 100 with \u201cLet Me Love You Tonight\u201d.<\/p>\n [RELATED: 5 of the Best Vince Gill Stories We\u2019ve Ever Heard]<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Vince Gill\u2019s work with country artists Rodney Crowell and Rosanne Cash eventually led to a Nashville move in 1983. There, Gill embarked on a solo career, breaking through with the 1989 album When I Call Your Name<\/em>.<\/p>\n The title track peaked at No. 2 on the Hot Country Song chart, earning both<\/a> the Single and Song of the Year awards from the\u00a0Country Music Association along with a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.<\/p>\n In addition to his undeniable vocal and guitar skills, Gill is also a seasoned songwriter, entering the\u00a0Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame\u00a0in 2005.<\/p>\n With a resume this impressive, the only way to polish it is by joining a legendary rock band\u2014which Gill did in 2017 when he began touring with the Eagles, replacing the late founding guitarist Glenn Frey.<\/p>\n \u201cIt really means something to me to be creative, and if I see myself improving, I want to nurture and foster that and continue, because it\u2019s so dear to me, being musical, being creative, coming up with an idea, coming up with a story that could potentially move somebody, touch somebody,\u201d Gill said recently<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s unbelievable to be able to have that gift, to be able to do that. So I\u2019m trying to take full advantage of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Featured image by Jason Kempin\/Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\nVince Gill\u2019s Early Days in Bluegrass and Soft Rock<\/h3>\n
Finding a Home in Country Music<\/h3>\n