Vince Gill's 35th Opry Anniversary: The Love Song He Secretly Wrote About Amy Grant's Smile

Some love songs take years to reveal their secrets. Vince Gill told the Grand Ole Opry crowd one of his.

Vince Gill is back at the @opry this Saturday, October 17th, for TWO shows celebrating his 35th Opry anniversary! Get your tickets at https://t.co/J9jVB88iDH to part of a special night on a special stage! pic.twitter.com/e47GAoKOor

— Vince Gill (@VGcom) October 13, 2026

On Sat., Oct. 17, we're celebrating @VGcom’s 35th Anniversary as an @opry member! This special evening will feature performances from Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Patty Loveless, Ricky Skaggs, and more during both the 7:00 pm and 9:30 pm shows. Go to https://t.co/K5mYNngqSC for tickets… pic.twitter.com/jjyEmJ3aAz

— Ricky Skaggs (@RickySkaggs) October 17, 2026

On Saturday, Oct. 17, the Opry celebrated Gill's 35th anniversary as a member with a night of family and friends, American Songwriter reports. His wife, Amy Grant, and daughter Jenny Gill joined him on stage, along with Patty Loveless, Ricky Skaggs and Charlie Worsham. Pollstar reported that the Opry scheduled two shows that night, at 7:00 and 9:30 p.m. CT.

35 years in the Circle

Gill made his Opry debut on June 29, 1989, and was inducted as an official member on August 10, 1991, according to Pollstar. Since then, the Country Music Hall of Fame member has earned 22 Grammy Awards and 19 CMA Awards, and his "Go Rest High On That Mountain" has been chosen for preservation by the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry, Pollstar notes.

A family affair

Grant opened her set with "'Til We Get It Right," then brought her husband out, American Songwriter reports. "One of my favorite things about being married to Vince is there's not a day that goes by that he doesn't have his hands on a guitar," she told the crowd. "I like to say music is his first language."

Gill played guitar as she sang "Beautiful Lone Companion," a last-minute addition after he popped in on her soundcheck that afternoon. When the song ended, she walked over and gave him a kiss.

Then came the sweetest moment. Grant closed with Gill's 1992 song "Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away," and called in some help. "The verses are a little too low, the chorus is a little too high, 'cause he's Vince, and so I'm going to get Jenny Gill to come out and help me," she explained, according to American Songwriter. Jenny joined on vocals while her dad played guitar.

"My singing sister"

During his own set, Gill thanked everyone who showed up. "Ricky, I was in a band with Ricky when I was 18 years old," he said, as quoted by American Songwriter. He called Loveless "my singing sister. Nobody better," and Grant "my bride of the last 26 years."

He sang "The Key to Life" in honor of his dad, then reunited with Loveless for their 1998 duet "My Kind of Woman – My Kind of Man." The night ended with "Go Rest High On That Mountain," with every artist back on stage singing along.

The twist: the song he kept to himself

Before singing "Whenever You Come Around," Gill spoke about Grant. "We've been married now for 26 years, the best stretch of my life. I'm so grateful," he said. Then he shared the story behind the song: "This is a song I wrote about her. I didn't tell her, it would've been inappropriate," he said, as quoted by American Songwriter.

She smiled at me and I haven't been the same since.

"We did a TV show together and she came to the rehearsal. She smiled at me and I haven't been the same since. I came home and wrote this song about her smile, her sweet smile."

What's next for Vince Gill

He debuted a brand-new song that night, "50 Years From Home," which will appear on his upcoming EP, and the crowd gave him a long standing ovation, American Songwriter reports. Pollstar notes it is part of his year-long 50 Years From Home series of EPs, after a 27-city tour that included a sold-out six-night run at the Ryman Auditorium.

He will keep playing with the Eagles at Sphere in Las Vegas, and in December he and Grant return to the Ryman for their annual Christmas at the Ryman residency, according to Pollstar. Thirty-five years in, and Vince Gill is still writing new chapters.