Gill was born in Norman, Oklahoma, the home of the University of Oklahoma Sooners and learned to play several instruments, including banjo and guitar before he started high school at Oklahoma City's Northwest Classen High School. After he graduated, he played in a number of bluegrass bands. He debuted on the national scene with the country-rock band Pure Prairie League in 1979, appearing on that band's album Can't Hold Back. Gill is the lead singer on their hit song, "Let Me Love You Tonight" (1980), which he was still performing in concert years later - thus, he said, confusing many fans who knew him only from his subsequent solo work. Gill appeared on two subsequent albums along with his then-wife Janis Oliver.
Departing Pure Prairie League in 1981, Gill joined Rodney Crowell’s backing band The Notorious Cherry Bombs, where he met and worked with Tony Brown and Emory Gordy Jr., both of whom would later produce many of his future solo albums.
Signing as a solo artist with RCA Records in 1983, he first charted while on that label. In 1989 he switched to MCA Records where he recorded his breakthrough hit "When I Call Your Name." His 1998 album The Key received great critical acclaim. His other albums include Next Big Thing (2003) and Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye (2000). The Guitar Slinger Songfacts says that Gill released his twelfth studio album, Guitar Slinger, on October 25, 2011 via MCA Nashville. It was his manager, Larry Fitzgerald, who came up with the title, as he felt there was something different the way Gill was playing the guitar on the record.
Gill hosted the CMA Awards every year from 1992 to 2003. In 2004 he received a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. In 1997, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
He married country singer Janis Oliver (of Sweethearts of the Rodeo fame) in 1980. The couple have one daughter, Jennifer Jerene Gill, born 5 May 1982. Vince and Janis separated in the mid-1990s and eventually divorced in June 1998. Vince later began dating and eventually married Christian/pop singer Amy Grant in March of 2000. They have one daughter, Corrina Grant Gill born 12 March 2001.
Dire Straits leader Mark Knopfler was a fan of Gill's, and had asked Gill to join the band full time. Gill turned down the invitation but did sing backup on one song ("The Bug") from Dire Straits' album On Every Street.
Gill has also sung duets with numerous artists, including Dolly Parton ("I Will Always Love You"), Reba McEntire ("Oklahoma Swing," "The Heart Won't Lie," "It Just Has to Be That Way"), Amy Grant ("House of Love"), and Barbra Streisand ("If You Ever Leave Me"); his other credits as a backup vocalist have included "Girls With Guitars" by Wynonna Judd (written by Mary-Chapin Carpenter, who, coincidentally, had a country hit with her cover of "The Bug") and "Nothing Left Behind Us" by Richard Marx.
High Lonesome Sound
Vince Gill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whenever I'm feeling blue
I start thinkin' 'bout my blue eyed darlin'
And my heart starts pinin' for you
[Chorus]
I want to hear that high lonesome sound
Cause my sweet baby ain't aroundWhen my life's got me down
I want to hear that high lonesome sound
When I'm lost in this ocean of darkness
Not knowing which way I should turn
And my eyes are filled with sadness
Of knowing you'll never return
The lyrics of Vince Gill's song "High Lonesome Sound" speak to the universal experience of missing someone and feeling lost without them. The verses detail the singer's sorrow whenever he feels lonely or blue, but also describes the memories of his "blue eyed darlin'" that bring him comfort. The chorus of the song provides the title and repeats the phrase "high lonesome sound," which the singer wishes to hear when he's feeling down because it reminds him of his beloved's absence.
The "high lonesome sound" mentioned in the song is a musical term used to describe the distinctive Appalachian style of bluegrass music that originated in the mountains of Kentucky and Tennessee. The sound is characterized by high-pitched, mournful harmonies and intricate fingerpicking on acoustic instruments like banjos, fiddles, and mandolins. It's a fitting metaphor for the song's theme of longing and heartache, as the music itself can evoke powerful emotions and memories of lost loves and distant homes.
Overall, Vince Gill's "High Lonesome Sound" is a poignant and beautifully crafted country ballad that speaks to the heart of anyone who has ever experienced the pain of missing someone they love. It's a testament to the enduring power of music to connect us to our deepest emotions and give voice to our struggles and joys.
Line by Line Meaning
Whenever my soul is lonely
Whenever I feel isolated and lonely
Whenever I'm feeling blue
Whenever I'm sad or depressed
I start thinkin' 'bout my blue eyed darlin'
I start to reflect on and miss my loved one with bright blue eyes
And my heart starts pinin' for you
And my heart aches and yearns for your presence
I want to hear that high lonesome sound
I want to hear that melancholic, mournful music
Cause my sweet baby ain't around
Because my dear loved one isn't with me
When my life's got me down
When I feel hopeless or defeated
I want to hear that high lonesome sound
I want to listen to that sorrowful music to express my sadness
When I'm lost in this ocean of darkness
When I feel lost and overwhelmed in the darkness of my despair
Not knowing which way I should turn
Uncertain of which next step to take
And my eyes are filled with sadness
And I am consumed with grief
Of knowing you'll never return
By the knowledge that you will never come back to me
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: VINCE GILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind