Vince Gill has such a great reputation among his fans and peers that he's been referred to as "the nicest guy in Nashville.
Videos by Wide Open Country
There's plenty of evidence to support the claim. In addition to his numerous philanthropic efforts, he held the annual Vinny Pro-Celebrity Invitational for decades, raising millions of dollars to support youth golf programs in Tennessee.
He is such a pleasant guy that The Eagles, known for its in-fighting and competitiveness, asked him to join the band following the death of singer Glenn Frey. Later, when he accepted the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the 59th Annual CMA Awards last November, he thanked his family and even made a self-deprecating joke.
"This is amazing... And I'm pretty confident I'm the only one that's ever won this award that's never smoked any weed," he quipped.
But all this kindness doesn't mean that Gill doesn't have a temper. He explained that a radio host did something that almost led to fisticuffs. We have the details below.
The Host Didn't Have an Issue With Vince Gill
Gill recounted the experience on the Naked Lunch podcast. The "Go Rest High on That Mountain" singer was a guest on the influential Don Imus radio program.
Gill said he had been on good terms with the host for years. But when the artist married Amy Grant in 2000, he turned on him.
"He flipped on me, he kinda turned on me and started running me down, ragging me on his show every morning," Gill said. "He said, 'I can't believe my favorite singer, Vince Gill, lost to baby Jesus, married that Christian girl.'"
So when Gill was promoting a new record, the singer asked to make a stop on Imus' show.
Gill Told Imus He Would Kick His A**
During Gill's appearance on the show, Imus brought up Grant. The singer decided to confront the host about what he had been saying.
"I've been hearing you say some pretty ugly things about my wife, and I'm just kind of curious why," he remembered saying.
Imus admitted that he'd never actually met Grant. "If you ever met her, you'd never say an unkind word about her," he said.
He added, "I'm gonna shoot you straight. I really only came on this show for one reason... We're either gonna talk this out, straighten this out, or I'm gonna crawl across this desk, and I'm gonna kick your a**."
Gill said Imus' "eyes got big" and agreed to talk things out.
"I said, 'Good choice, Don,' you know, and so we had a great visit," said Gill.
Gill added that he turned on Imus' show after he left. He remembered the host saying, "I don't know why I was giving that guy so much crap. I love that guy."
The two remained friends until Imus died in 2019. Gill and Grant will celebrate their 26th anniversary tomorrow, March 10.
You can hear Gill's story on the Naked Lunch podcast below.
