When Vince Gill was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007, the singer, songwriter, and guitarist was only 50 years old, making him the second youngest inductee in the Hall’s history. Johnny Cash and Eddy Arnold were both 48 when they joined Nashville’s hallowed institution in 1980 and 1966, respectively.
During an interview on Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast, Gill says he wondered if his induction was a wee bit premature.
“I was grateful. There was a part of me that kind of thought, ‘a little early,’ honestly,” Gill says. “What I wanted to do after the fact was earn it. Make people be grateful that they did it.”
Without question, Gill pulled that off. As both a solo artist — he’s currently in the midst of releasing a series of EPs titled 50 Years From Home — and, now, as a member of the Eagles, he’s been an ambassador for country music and Nashville itself.
The same can be said of Taylor Swift, who could be eligible this year based on the criteria for induction in the Modern Era category, which requires “20+ years since national prominence.” Swift released her debut album and her breakthrough single, “Tim McGraw,” in 2006. Though some may argue that “national prominence” didn’t occur until the following year with the success of singles like “Our Song” and “Teardrops on My Guitar.”
Either way, Gill sees a future with Swift inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. “I think they’ll put her in there. Why wouldn’t you?” he says. “A lot people don’t realize she’s arguably the biggest donor that’s ever been to the Country Music Hall of Fame. I’m crazy about her. I fully support that.”
Were Swift to make the cut next year, she’d be 37 — and beat Cash, Arnold, and Gill’s records for youngest inductees. Says Gill: “That’d be alright.” Watch Gill’s full interview below.
The new class of inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame will be announced on Friday, March 20.
Download and subscribe to Rolling Stone’s weekly country-music podcast, Nashville Now, hosted by senior music editor Joseph Hudak, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts). New episodes drop every Wednesday and feature interviews with artists and personalities like Lainey Wilson, Hardy, Charley Crockett, the Black Crowes, Kings of Leon, Carly Pearce, Breland, Bryan Andrews, Devon Gilfillian, Gavin Adcock, Amanda Shires, Shooter Jennings, Margo Price, Ink, Rival Sons’ Jay Buchanan, Halestorm, Dusty Slay, Lukas Nelson, Ashley Monroe, Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor, Clever, and authors Marissa R. Moss, Josh Crutchmer, and Jonathan Bernstein.
