Ricky Skaggs Joins Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton & More to Honor Vince Gill on CMT Giants

RICKY SKAGGS TO CELEBRATE COUNTRY ICON VINCE GILL WITH PERFORMANCE ON "CMT GIANTS: VINCE GILL," PREMIERING FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH AT 9P/8C

Country Music Hall of Fame Member and 15-Time GRAMMY® Award Winner

Ricky Skaggs to Appear Alongside Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood,

Chris Stapleton, Emmylou Harris, Keith Urban, Luke Combs, Maren Morris, Reba McEntire, Rodney Crowell, Sting and More in Star-Packed Special Celebrating Gill’s Storied Career

Nashville, Tenn. (August 5, 2022) — In the coming weeks, Country Music Hall of Fame member and 15-time GRAMMY® Award-winner Ricky Skaggs will help honor his longtime friend and former bandmate Vince Gill with a special nationally-televised performance on CMT. Today the TV network announced “CMT GIANTS: Vince Gill,” an all-new 90-minute special celebrating the extraordinary career and music of country music titan Gill. The star-packed event premieres Friday, September 16th at 9p/8c exclusively on CMT.

"I’m very thankful to get to honor one of my old friends, Vince Gill," says Skaggs. "Vince has honored so many people in his life. It’s high time we’re all getting to honor him. Our friendship started back in 1976 when we played together in a Bluegrass band called Boone Creek in Lexington, Kentucky. He had so much talent it was crazy. Musically he could play any instrument that we could and more. But it was his singing that I remember most about Vince. He was a cut above even back then."

“CMT GIANTS: Vince Gill” brings together Gill’s superstar friends, collaborators and some of the biggest names in music to honor him with performances of his most legendary hits. Performers in addition to Skaggs will include Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, and Maren Morris, with more to be announced. Emmylou Harris, Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, Rodney Crowell and Sting will also appear as special guests to share personal stories, reflect on their time working with Gill and speak to his forever impact on country music. The special will additionally feature an all-new sit down interview with Gill as he reflects personally on his career, his classic songwriting, musical influences and his future plans, all blended alongside rare photos, performance footage and interviews from the vault.

"I’ve been so proud of all the success he’s had, all the great songs he’s written, all the great music he’s made, and his very gracious heart for giving," Skaggs continues. "It will be great to see him honored by so many people that he holds in high esteem. I loved him back then and still love him today. Vince, sit there and let us love and honor you, ok?"

CMT’s new music special will mark the first-ever televised performance from Belmont University’s new Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville.

Gill has a celebrated history with CMT including his collaboration with Sting for an episode of the iconic music franchise “CMT Crossroads” in 2011. He also appeared alongside Alison Krauss for the “CMT Cross Country” series in 2006. Most recently, he appeared at the 2019 “CMT Artists of the Year” ceremony to present friend Reba McEntire with her special “Artist of a Lifetime” honor.

Launched in 2006, the CMT GIANTS franchise is CMT’s elite honor celebrating the careers of country music’s most legendary artists: Reba McEntire (2006), Hank Williams, Jr. (2007), Alan Jackson (2008), Kenny Rogers (2020) and Charley Pride (2021). Stars that have previously taken part in past specials include Alan Jackson, Buddy Guy, Darius Rucker, Dolly Parton, Faith Hill, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Gladys Knight, Gretchen Wilson, Jennifer Nettles, Kelly Clarkson, LeAnn Rimes, Lionel Richie, Luke Combs, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Martina McBride, Megan Mullally, Michael McDonald, Rascal Flatts, Steven Tyler, Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith, Trisha Yearwood and Wynonna, to name a few.

"CMT GIANTS: Vince Gill" is executive produced by CMT’s Margaret Comeaux and Taillight’s Tom Forrest. Executives in Charge of Production are Jackie Barba and Heather D. Graffagnino. Leslie Fram is Executive in Charge of Talent; Shanna Strassberg is Talent Producer.

For more information, visit CMT.com, follow @CMT on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok and use the hashtag #CMTGiants.

About Ricky Skaggs
Earning 12 #1 hit singles, 15 GRAMMY® Awards, 13 IBMA Awards, nine ACM Awards, eight CMA Awards (including Entertainer of the Year), two Dove Awards, the ASCAP Founders Award, three honorary Doctorate degrees, inductions into the Country Music Hall of Fame, IBMA Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, National Fiddler Hall of Fame, Musicians Hall of Fame, and GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the 2013 Artist-In-Residence at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum, an Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award in the Instrumentalist category along with countless other awards, Ricky Skaggs is truly a pioneer of Bluegrass and Country music. Since he began playing music over 60 years ago, Skaggs has released more than 30 albums and has performed thousands of live shows. He started his own record label, Skaggs Family Records, in 1997 and has since released 12 consecutive GRAMMY®-nominated albums. His latest release, Hearts Like Ours, with his wife, celebrated artist Sharon White of The Whites features the couple dueting on handpicked country love songs. And the Grand Ole Opry member has released his first-ever autobiography, "Kentucky Traveler." The book details the life and times of Skaggs and provides a descriptive history of Country and Bluegrass music, as told by the master himself. In addition to his regular touring schedule with his band, Kentucky Thunder, he has added country tour dates as he plugs in and plays full shows of his chart-topping hits. Skaggs was a 2020 recipient of the National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the United States government.

For more information on Ricky Skaggs, visit rickyskaggs.com.

Ricky Skaggs | Photo Credit: Russ Carson | Size: 25.1 MB | Type: JPEG | High Resolution Download

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