Amy Grant and Vince Gill just celebrated 21 years of marriage, and to celebrate, Gill posted a really adorable throwback photo of them on his official twitter account. Nashville’s power couple first met in 1993, and while there was already undeniable chemistry right that moment, their lives ran on parallel.
They were two successful artists who were both married to musicians. At that time, Grant was still with gospel singer Gary Chapman while Gill was married to Janis Oliver of the country duo Sweethearts of the Rodeo. And both of them had built their own loving families. So, how exactly did they end up together?
Well, take a trip with us down to memory lane and see how their love blossomed, inspired, and thrived until today.
First Chapter: Right Love, Wrong Time
It was 1993, just before the holidays. Vince Gill had never met Amy Grant before, but he invited her over to appear on his TV Christmas special in Tulsa, Oklahoma. During that time, his career had been doing very well – he got inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in ‘91 and then enjoyed his first number one single, “I Still Believe in You,” in 1992. And the holiday special was part of his first Christmas album.
And the moment that Vince Gill and Amy Grant finally met and laid eyes on each other, there was just undeniable chemistry. In a later interview, Grant confessed that there was a part of her that loved Gill instantly, and it also felt like she already knew him. And she ended up getting so moved by him and hugging him while he was singing.
And the feeling was definitely mutual.
Vince Gill came home that night inspired and moved by her smile, and he even wrote the song “Whenever you Come Around.” And he had no idea at that time that they would wind up together years later.
But sometimes, love can come, but the timing isn’t right, and that was the case for the two. Grant was married with three kids to Gary Chapman, while Gill was married with one kid to Janis Oliver. And even though they were crazy about each other, they put their feelings aside and remained true and loyal to their marriages. According to Gill, they thought that it wasn’t their life, and they did not have any conversation about leaving their spouses.
Second Chapter: Started with the End
Over the years, their marriages both went through rocky roads and finally unraveled. Gill split from Oliver in 1997, and Grant found out about it through the newspaper. But it wasn’t until 1999 that Grant and Chapman finally decided to divorce.
And what was the end of their separate chapters opened up a new chapter for them – together.
After that, the two started dating, and Gill admitted that the beginning was hard, especially with the kids, their popularity, and public life as artists. But that didn’t stop them from being together, and after a few months, they publicly came out as a couple. Then they tied the knot on March 10, 2000 in a beautiful hillside wedding.
Third Chapter: Meet Vince Gill and Amy Grant’s children
As both of them have their own children before the marriage, combining them into a blended family took some time. Vince Gill’s wife has three children with ex-spouse Gary Chapman named Matthew (1987), Millie (1989), and Sarah (1992). On the other hand, Amy Grant’s husband has one teenage daughter with his first wife, Janis Oliver, named Jenny. In an interview with Good Housekeeping in 2007, Amy shared that all of the kids were grim-faced in their wedding pictures. And they both understood it because the marriage was not their choice, but they had to live with it.
But the couple made it work. Right from the start, they both promised to love each other well. They also accepted the reality that there would be a long way ahead, and there will be baggage and ghosts. But despite that, they will keep making choices to build their lives together.
To make it easy for Grant’s young kids (aged 7-12 at the time) to transition, Gill gave them the respect and space they needed. In the evenings, he would back off a bit to read or just watch a game to let the kids have their familiar routine with their mom. And then slowly, he entered into their lives, but he kept his respect.
This level-headed approach and knowing that closeness will come in its own time helped unite their family to become a big and happy one. But what they really felt also helped bring them together was the birth of their daughter, Corrina, on March 12, 2001, just a few days after their first anniversary. She was the glue of the family and bonded them in a blood way that truly connected them.
The Secret to a Long-lasting Marriage
Now, the couple are happily married for twenty one years. And many are wondering how they keep their inspiring love. Rodney Crowell, Gill’s close friend, said that they were just the perfect couple and parents, and there was absolutely no pretension about them.
As for Amy Grant and Vince Gill, what kept them together this long was that it began with respect and kindness. And if you have those two things, the rest will come easily.
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amy grant, Vince Gill