In a moment that has stunned fans and shaken the country and gospel music world, Vince Gill, one of Nashville’s most beloved voices, has made a heartbreaking confession that he’s held inside for decades. Now, at 67, the award-winning singer-songwriter has finally shared the pain he’s carried — and the truth behind some of his most emotional songs.
During a recent televised tribute concert, Vince sat down for a rare one-on-one interview and, for the first time publicly, opened up about something he’s kept buried deep:
“I’ve lived with survivor’s guilt most of my life. And I’ve never really talked about it… until now.”
Vince was referring to the tragic loss of his older brother, Bob Gill, who passed away in 1993. Bob had suffered brain damage as a child and lived most of his life with physical and mental limitations. Though Vince has always honored his brother quietly, he now admits that the pain of losing him — and the guilt of moving forward in life without him — shaped who he is today.
“He couldn’t do the things I could,” Vince said, voice trembling. “But he was the bravest person I ever knew. And I got to live this life — music, fame, family — while he struggled just to get through a day.”
Vince revealed that “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” one of his most iconic songs, was completed in the days after Bob’s death — a song that has comforted millions, born from Vince’s own heartbreak.
“Every time I sing it, I see his face,” he said. “I hear his voice. That song was my goodbye to him. But I never really healed.”
Fans who’ve followed Vince’s career have always known his songs carried extraordinary emotion, but few realized just how personal that emotion was. Vince said that for years, he poured his grief into music rather than confronting it head-on.
“I thought if I kept writing songs, kept touring, I wouldn’t have to deal with what I was really feeling.”
It wasn’t until the pandemic years, when the world slowed down and Vince was forced off the road, that the weight of his brother’s loss fully hit him.
“I’d sit in a quiet house with Amy [Grant] and just cry sometimes,” Vince said. “I thought I had made peace. But I hadn’t.”
Now, Vince is embracing healing. He’s working on new music that he says will be his most raw and revealing yet — songs about loss, love, and the fragile, sacred gift of life.
“I don’t want to hide anymore. If my story helps one person feel seen or less alone, then it’s worth it.”
Fans have flooded social media with support, many sharing how Vince’s music helped them through their own grief. Now, knowing the truth behind the lyrics, those songs take on an even deeper meaning.
At 67, Vince Gill has reminded the world that behind every soft voice and tender lyric is a story of pain, love, and the strength to finally speak.