Vince Gill is receiving this year's CMA Lifetime Achievement Award. The soft-spoken country singer, introspective songwriter, guitar extraordinaire and member of the Eagles has been named the recipient of the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. Gill is scheduled to accept the award this month when CMA airs Nov. 19 on ABC, live from Nashville.
Known for songs like “When I Call Your Name,” “One More Last Chance,” “Shoot Straight From the Heart,” and the timeless “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” Gill is a living legend among country artists. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007. This year he gave the commencement address for producer Tony Brownwho produced a number of Gill's albums in the nineties at MCA Nashville.
Gill, an Oklahoma native who is ubiquitous in Nashville, regularly headlines the Ryman Auditorium, both solo and with wife Amy Grant, sits on stage with other artists (he was a member of the Western swing band The Time Jumpers for nearly a decade) and sings “Go Rest High on That Mountain” at the funerals of such country icons as George Jones and Charlie Daniels. In September, he and Lainie Wilson performed a song for In the memory segment 77th Emmy Awards.
In 2017, Gill became a touring member of the Eagles, joining Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit in continuing the California band following the death of Glenn Frey in 2016. Jill said Rolling Stone in a 2017 interview that rehearsing with the band for the first time “was a surreal experience”, adding: “It was an amazing gift.”
Named after Willie Nelson and presented in 2012, the CMA Lifetime Achievement Award has also honored Kenny Rogers, Johnny Cash (posthumously), Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Charley Pride, Loretta Lynn and Alan Jackson. Last year's honoree was George Strait.
59th CMA Awards, hosted by Laney Wilsonwill air live from Nashville on Wednesday, November 19th at 8:00 pm ET on ABC and the following day on Hulu. Wilson, Ella Langley and Megan Moroney lead all candidates six each.
