He began working on a new song, channeling his emotions into lyrics that would eventually become “Go Rest High on That Mountain.” The Birth of a SongĪs Gill mourned the loss of his brother, he found solace in music. When Bob passed away in 1993, Gill was overcome with grief and struggled to come to terms with his loss. Gill was heartbroken by the news and spent as much time as he could with his brother in the months leading up to his death. In 1991, his older brother, Bob, was diagnosed with lung cancer. ![]() But despite his professional success, Gill was struggling with a devastating personal tragedy. He had just released his fifth studio album, “I Still Believe in You,” which featured several hit singles and earned him multiple awards, including a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance. In the early 1990s, Gill was at the height of his career. It has since become one of his most popular and beloved songs, winning multiple awards and even earning a spot in the Country Music Hall of Fame.īut what inspired Gill to write this emotional masterpiece? The story behind “Go Rest High on That Mountain” is a deeply personal one, rooted in tragedy, loss, and ultimately, hope. This powerful ballad was written by country music legend Vince Gill and first released in 1995. Nonetheless, the biggest takeaway is that Gill - a 21-time Grammy winner who was a big country star in the 1990s - is an enduringly talented old-school music-maker who still sounds timeless and fresh at the same time.“Go Rest High on That Mountain” is a song that has touched countless lives over the past few decades. However, at times his voice hauntingly evoked that of the Eagles’ late Glenn Frey. ![]() Gill did covers of songs by his heroes, Merle Haggard and Buck Owens, but nothing by the Eagles, with whom Gill toured in 2017-18. Vocally, Gill still has that masterful high lonesome sound, which sounded pristine and pretty on “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” one of many highlights. ![]() Props, too, to backup Wendy Moten who stood out on lead vocals on “Ode to Billie Joe” and the churchy stomp “Driving Nails.” But he took guitar journeys on “Down to My Last Bad Habit” (languid Southern soul style), “Adrianna” (very Duane Allman-ish), “Ode to Billie Joe” (lonely country blues) and “Oklahoma Borderline” (speedy chicken-pickin’ with subtle changes in rhythm).Īnd his pedal steel guitarist Paul Franklin was outstanding all night long, as well, seasoning songs with the right emotions, earning enthusiastic ovations in mid-song. Typically, when Gill solos, he takes one or two passes, as musicians say. That song about sexual abuse – plus other pointed numbers from his new album – helped to make this an exceptional, wonderfully human and musically rich concert that stretched to a generous 140 minutes.īeyond the humor, personal stories and 29 top-notch songs, what made the concert special was that Gill, always an accomplished but economic guitarist, stretched out a few times, for a change. And he’s recorded plenty of them in all categories over the years. Never has a Gill song been more emotional, powerful and poignant. ![]() With rapt attention, 2,600 people listened as Gill sang the opening stanza: “You put your hands where they don't belong/ And now her innocence is dead and gone/ She feels dirty, she feels ashamed/ Because of you, she's forever changed.” Then the singer-songwriter talked about how a stranger approached him at an airport recently and thanked him for the song because the man had been abused as an alter boy.Īnd then, perhaps to everyone’s surprise, Gill related his own experience about having been a 7 th grader on the 8 th grade basketball team and the coach calling the youngster into his office and making advances. “She said it was her story,” Gill recalled. He spoke of the first time he sang “Forever Changed” at soundcheck and how it caused a woman in his band to cry. Country veteran Vince Gill likes to pepper his concerts with plenty of jokes and a plethora of serious songs.įor instance, on Friday night at the sold-out Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, there was the line about just turning 62 and visiting the doctor, who advised no more than two fast songs in a row.īut there was serious talk, too, especially when Gill introduced a song from his new album, “Okie.”
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