Vince Gill was one of the biggest country stars of the â90s with 18 CMA Awards, including two Entertainer of the Year Awards and five Male Vocalist Awards, 22 Grammy Awards and a Country Music Hall of Fame to his credit. But, itâs likely that his proudest achievement was being an incredible dad to his daughters Jenny and Corrina
Gillâs daughter Jenny has shared numerous stories on social media about what it was like growing up as Vinceâs daughter. Most of the stories are light-hearted and funny, a clear indication that she inherited her dadâs fantastic sense of humor. For instance, Jenny recalled a time early on in her dadâs career that fans were seeking out his home.
Jenny added that fans started driving by their house and taking pictures, something she found annoying at the time.
âSo one day Iâm outside riding my bike with my neighborhood friends, and a car stops. They say, âHey kids. Do yâall know where Vince Gill lives?â And I say, âYeah. He lives in that house right there.â And I totally pointed at my neighborâs house.â
Jenny said that she watched the fans take pictures of the wrong house for several minutes, something that she says brought her âso much joy.â
But, it was the story that Jenny Gill shared during the CMT Giants tribute to her dad that brought tears instead of laughs.
Jenny, who is Gillâs only daughter with Sweethearts of the Rodeo singer Janis Oliver, took the stage to share a story about how her dad turned down the initial invitation to make his Grand Old Opry debut. He turned down the invitation in order to keep his word to his then-6-year-old daughter, a moment she has never forgotten.
âWhen I was in first grade I really wanted to play in my school talent show. So, I asked my dad, who I knew could play guitar really well, if he would play for me sod that I could sing. And, of course he said âyes.ââ Jenny shared, as her dad is shown on camera fighting back tears. âSo we were practicing and practicing for the show that Saturday night. And then he got a phone call. It was his first-ever invitation to play on the Opry. And he asks them, âThis Saturday night?ââ
Jenny recalled that her dad told the Opry he couldnât make it. âSo, instead of making his Opry debut that night, he showed up at my elementary school to play for his 6-year-old daughter. And we performed âYou Are My Sunshine.ââ
Later in the evening, Vince Gill took the stage to share the rest of the story.
âHereâs the best part of that story with Jenny and the OpryâŠ.Fast forward a million years later and she marries Josh,â Vince shared, adding that they were all trying to decide what song they should play for their father-daughter dance at Jennyâs wedding.
âWe couldnât come up with anything we liked. She called me and says, âIâve got the perfect song.â I said, âI do too!ââ Vince said. âWe both said, âYou Are My Sunshine.ââ
Turning down the Grand Ole Opryâs initial invitation didnât hurt Vince Gillâs career. In fact, he was inducted as a member in August 1991, only 7 years after he moved to Nashville.
