Vince Gill loves all kinds of guitars (and mountains)
“I’m just anovergrown cheerleader for cool, old guitars,” said Vince Gill, the Grammy-winning country star and songwriter. “They shapedmy life. They’re myDNA. They’re mywhole reasonfor makingmewant to bemusical.”
That passion led Gill to join the new Song birds Guitar Museum as ambassador, which involves helping bring attention to the museum. Tucked into the Chattanooga Choo Choocomplex in the southeastern Tennessee city, the museumhas a collection of rare and vintage guitars that showcases the instrument’s evolution.
“It’s fun to be around other people who are that interested in guitars,” Gill said. “They’re just like art, but they make a joyful noise.”
The following are edited excerpts from a conversation with him.
Q: Tell me what you like about the Songbirds Guitar Museum.
A: It was a private collection and no one really knew about it. The (anonymous) gentleman that started it has been amassing it for 20 years. It’s just stunning. It’s all really top-notch, highquality instruments. They’re instruments that shaped our musical history.
Q: Why Chattanooga?
A: It is an out-of-the-way place. But this area of the world is pretty historic. Country and blues has deep roots in this whole region. And it’s where the guy lives that acquired the collection. It’s neat that he’s willing to share and doing something for the community.
I think there are a lot of great museums in places you wouldn’t expect. There’s the National Music Museum in South Dakota. And there’ s a new one in Nashville at Belmont University( the Gallery of Iconic Guitars).
Q: What are some of your other favorite museums?
A: I’m not really the museum type. Unfortunately. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland is pretty cool. I was just in my hometown, Oklahoma City, and they have a cowboy museum (National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum) that was interesting.
Here in Nashville we’ve got the Frist museum, which is wonderful. It’s a funky little thing. The Country Music Hall of Fame is my absolute favorite. I’m so astounded by what they’ve accomplished there.
Q: Nashville is home for you. What are some of your other favorite spots there?
A: I go to eat breakfast at the same place every morning. It’s called Noshville. Everyone’s on a first-name basis. It’s “Cheers” with a side of eggs.
Q: Do you have favorite restaurants when you’re on the road?
A: I’m a pizza nut. If I go to New York, all I eat is pizza. The first job I ever had was making pizza as a kid. In Oklahoma City, I go to Ted’s Escondido. It’s about my favorite Mexican meal.
Q: Where are your favorite places to perform?
A: There’s Red Rocks in Colorado. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever played music. The Gorge in Washington state is a magnificent place. I’ve gotten to play Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall. I’ve played a few ballparks over the years: Wrigley Field, Comiskey Park and Dodger Stadium.
But (Nashville’s) Ryman Auditorium is probably my favorite place to play. There’s something magical about howmusic sounds in that place. It’s a tabernacle.
Q: Where would you like to go again?
A: I played at a cowboy bar in Jackson, Wyo., for a few weeks when I was 18 or 19. That mountain climate was magical. About two years ago Amy (Grant, Gill’s wife) and I went back and spent four or five days there. I went back to the bar, bought a T-shirt and told him I played here in 1976. It was really neat to reminisce.