Vince Gill to be Inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame

by Staff.

The Country Music Association announced yesterday that Vince Gill will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee, during the organization's traditional invitation-only Medallion Ceremony in October. Singer-songwriter Mel Tillis and and on-air personality Ralph Emery will also be inducted. Gill, a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist well known for his guitar playing, is no stranger to music-related success or awards. He's sold more than 22 million records worldwide; has earned 18 CMA Awards, including Entertainer of the Year in 1993 and 1994; is tied with George Strait for having won the most CMA Male Vocalist Awards (five) and is currently second only to Brooks & Dunn for accumulating the most CMA Awards in history; is a member of the Grand Ole Opry; and, has received 18 Grammy Awards to date, the most of any male Country artist.

Gill currently serves as president of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Board of Officers and Trustees. An avid golfer, he helped create the annual Vince Gill Pro-Celebrity Invitational Golf Tournament (“The Vinny”) in 1993 in order to help support junior golf programs throughout Tennessee. Besides being known for his talent as a performer, musician and songwriter, Gill is regarded as one of Country Music’s best known humanitarians, participating in hundreds of charitable events throughout his career.

But that's not to say Gill's taking the induction lightly. Says Gill, "This is the pinnacle of a career, hands-down. As a kid learning to play, I knew there was a baseball Hall of Fame. I knew there was a football Hall of Fame, because I was such a little athlete. But I learned music for the love of music, never with a result in mind. I’m just overwhelmed. An awful lot of people deserve to be here before I do, but I didn’t have anything to do with the voting or how it happened and I’m grateful that people thought enough of me to select me for this."

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