Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 2, 1993 TAG: 9304020304
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARK MORRISON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
IF IT FEELS RIGHT
Well-mannered Vince Gill is not one to bad-mouth a pair of legends.Particularly legends like Conway Twitty and George Jones.
"It's not that we outgrew it or anything. We just wanted to do our own thing," Gill said in a recent telephone interview from Saginaw, Mich., during a stop in his first major concert tour as a headliner.
For nearly two years, even as his own career soared, Gill took a humble back seat to Twitty and Jones on their living-legends tour. In fact, Gill got sandwiched by them, performing after Jones and before Twitty.
Not an easy spot.
But Gill, 35, held his own. Actually, his performances at the Salem Civic Center in 1991 and 1992 easily equaled those of his better-known colleagues. Some might argue he even upstaged them.
Of course, Gill is all humility. He had nothing but praise for Twitty and Jones. It was an honor to share their bill. "What young punk wouldn't want to go out with those guys?" he said.
Still, it was only a matter of time, hit records and awards before Gill took the full spotlight. He plays Sunday at the Roanoke Civic Center. Opening is Mary-Chapin Carpenter.
"When I Call Your Name," "Oklahoma Swing," "Never Knew Lonely," "Pocket Full of Gold," "Take Your Memory With You" and "I Still Believe in You" quickly established Gill as one of Nashville's elite hit-makers. He also earned an impressive collection of awards, including two Grammys and four honors from the Country Music Association.
However, don't look for Gill to come in with a glitzy stage production to match his rising star. He won't arrive onstage in an elevator, and chances are he won't be swinging above the audience on any ropes.
"We're still gonna pretty much stick to playing and singing."
Gill said he doesn't feel the need for such stage tricks. His shows are more band-oriented. "I'm different in that I'm a musician first. . . . I need to play guitar a lot in my show."
Indeed, Gill is foremost a musician, ranking as one of the few country artists who handles his own lead-guitar work. He also is considered one of the best harmony singers in the business.
Vocal partners reads like a Nashville Who's Who list. Most notable have been collaborations with Reba McEntire ("Oklahoma Swing") and Patty Loveless ("When I Call Your Name").
"Yeah, me and Willie have sung with just about everybody except each other," Gill said of Willie Nelson, whom he hopes to add to his list someday. "He's a cool guy. That would be fun."
Maybe not on a Taco Bell commercial, though. Then again . . .
Nelson has been all over the television of late singing for the Mexican fast-food chain. Asked whether seeing Nelson as a corporate pitchman bothered him, Gill rallied quickly to Nelson's defense. He said he liked the Taco Bell spots. They don't sound much like your typical commercial jingles.
Plus, Gill isn't opposed to that kind of work. He has done some jingles himself over the years, and with his new-found success, he said, offers come in all the time. Eventually, he believes he probably will accept one, too.
"I'm not going to tell you I'm an uppity purist," he said.
Musically, Gill is no high-brow snob either. If there is any criticism of Gill, it would be that he flirts dangerously close to middle-of-the-road pop. He said there is nothing wrong with that, and offered no apologies for making deliberately commercial records.
At the same time, he said his music isn't guided solely by what will sell.
"We just do what feels right for the record and the songs."
Gill won't be returning to the studio anytime soon, however. He hopes to release several more singles off last year's "I Still Believe in You" album, and he plans to continue touring through next fall.
But he does plan to take time out this summer to record a Christmas album. "That'll be nice. Go play golf and then think about sleigh bells," he said. Gill is an avid golfer who once considered joining the PGA tour.
Meanwhile, he isn't scheduled to record a new album until early next year.
Gill is married to Janice Gill, one-half of the country duo Sweethearts of the Rodeo. They have an 11-year-old daughter, who he said has handled his fame in stride. "She'd rather watch Nickelodeon than me on TV," he said.
He reported that his mother and father, a federal judge in Columbus, Ohio - who passed on his love of country music and guitar ability onto his son - are proud of his headliner status now.
Yet, they don't hold back on their critiques, he said.
They prefer the pretty songs. "We're all critics."
Coincidently, Conway Twitty will be competing with Gill this weekend. He plays the Salem Civic Center tonight. Gill laughed when told of the proximity.
"I'm sure there's enough country fans to go around."
VINCE GILL and MARY-CHAPIN CARPENTER in concert Sunday, 7:30 p.m., Roanoke Civic Center. Reserved seating tickets, $19.50. 981-1201 or 343-8100.
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