Last night, CMT premiered their latest segment of CMT Giants, dedicated to the incredible country music career of Vince Gill.
The episode featured 10 performances of Vince’s classics by other noted country music stars including features by Cody Johnson and Chris Stapleton, and was truly a nod to Vince’s incredible career over the years.
Carrie Underwood also honored Vince Gill, praising the impact his music has had on her through the years, noting his willingness to put his faith and feelings into a song without shying away, something she has also prioritized in her music career.
Carrie went on to give, arguably, the best performance of the night with her cover of Vince’s “Go Rest High On That Mountain.”
The song originally started as a lyrical write expressing his grief over the death of country music singer, Keith Whitley, and Vince Gill later finished the song after the sudden and unexpected death of his brother.
When he released the song in 1994, he truly didn’t know if listeners would even be interested. To Vince, the song was all about processing his pain in the way he knew best, picking up a guitar and playing it out.
Vince selected the song for his 2009 induction to the Country Music Hall of Fame, recalling the song’s beginning and also his incorrect assumption that listeners might not even listen.
He shared:
“Turns out that if anybody remembers any of my songs, it’ll be this one.”
And CMT made a great choice in allowing Carrie Underwood to honor the track, which represents everything she appreciates so much about Vince Gill’s career and also packs all of the punch Carrie delivers when she honors any of country music’s greats.
And although Carrie was honored by a lengthy standing ovation by the crowd at the Fischer Center, the look of admiration on Vince Gill’s face for her performance is probably the most impactful moment of all.
This star-studded performance is a 10/10 in powerhouse vocals and emotional response, so grab your tissues and tune in.
