Artists from all generations and corners of the country genre flock to the stage to tribute Vince Gill in CMT Giants: Vince Gill, a concert event honoring the living legend of country music.
Ahead of the show -- which was taped Monday in Nashville -- stars like Carrie Underwood, Maren Morris, Chris Stapleton and Luke Combs filed in to perform Vince's songs. Each singer had a personal connection to him and his discography, and most began listening to him when they were young children.
“I remember hearing ‘Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away’ I think probably at four or five. My sister and I would choreograph dances to that song and ‘I Still Believe in You,’” recounts Maren, adding that Vince’s voice had a “magical resonance” with her from the start.
Luke says that he also had a formative early childhood experience with “Don’t Let Our Love.”
“That song is just seared into my brain -- almost on a primal level,” the “Doin’ This” star explains, adding that Vince's music was the soundtrack to his first experiences of loving music. “Vince was a monumental part of my entire musical existence, no doubt.”
For his tribute, Chris selected “Whenever You Come Around,” a song that’s special to him because he’s been covering it since his early days. “I’ve always loved it. Just one of my favorites,” he says. “...I used to sing it in bars, when nobody was listening.”
Meanwhile, Carrie praised Vince’s one-of-a-kind voice. “It’s just so beautiful, right? It’s pretty rare to have a male with such a gorgeous voice,” she offers. “He’s got some of the most beautiful ballads in country music ever.”
CMT Giants: Vince Gill airs Friday at 9 p.m. ET on CMT.