The Donald Trump-John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., was constructed as a tribute to the slain president. The building honors his sincere commitment to fostering culture and celebrating the artists who create it. President Donald Trump recently added his name to the storied facility. In fact, that sparked an uproar from many. Some artists have declined to perform there in protest. However, Vince Gill decided to bring his sumptuous talent to the Center's stage to honor George Strait a few months ago. Strait was receiving a Kennedy Center honor for his outstanding career in country music.
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Other country fan favorites like Brooks & Dunn and Miranda Lambert helped pay tribute to George Strait. When Vince Gill was a guest on Rolling Stone's Nashville Now, he explained why he also pitched in despite the ongoing dissent over the Center's name change.
Gill Insists He's "Not a Political Guy"
Joseph Hudak, who hosts the podcast, questioned Gill about whether he had qualms about appearing because of President Trump's association with the building. The musician said, "Of course I did [agree to appear there]. I don't have very much respect for the kind of person you're talking about it. I'm not a political guy. I'm not gonna run somebody down, and it's not my way to do that. I met the man [Trump] twice and was completely uninspired, you know? I just can't fathom treating people that way on any level."
Furthermore, Gill noted that he resists being labeled or pigeonholed. "I'm a conservative guy on a lot of issues. I'm a liberal guy on a lot of issues. I don't think I sit one way. You can call me woke, you can call me a Bible thumper. You can call me all those things and I think a lot of them are true. But I don't think you have to just sit in one lane and only be in that lane. I think every issue has pros and cons and right and wrongs and what's maybe best for everybody."
He Advocated for Kindness and Emphasized His Longstanding Friendship With Strait
Vince Gill also mentioned the decades-long friendship he has had with George Strait. He additionally stressed the importance of kindness in our society. "That was a hard, 'Yes.' But George has been my friend for 43 years. And I did it for George. But I'm also... I'm not gonna try to make a point. I'm not gonna try to encourage anybody else to think like I do. You don't see me out that rattling my opinion, and the moment you do, you [expletive] half the people off, right away."
Gill went on, "And it's not because I'm afraid, it's my make up as a person. It's not part of my DNA to draw attention to myself... I want people to be kind to each other. That's what I love seeing. On both sides of the world, both sides are equally as ugly to me, and deserve a good bit of the reason why it is the way it is. Kindness would cure it all."
