Vince Gill Honors His Late Brother With Emotional Christmas Song
After losing his brother, Vince Gill poured his grief into writing a touching Christmas song about navigating the holidays without him.
Vince Gill has released plenty of holiday music throughout his career. He and his wife, Amy Grant, have even become closely associated with the holiday season, thanks to their annual “Christmas at the Ryman” residency. This year marks the couple’s 14th run at the historic Ryman Auditorium, giving fans another unforgettable holiday experience.
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Looking back at their performances over the years, one of Gill’s stands out. In 2012, he took the stage to perform “It Won’t Be The Same This Year,” a song he wrote in memory of his brother, Bob, who passed away in 1993.
The song first appeared on Vince Gill’s Christmas album Let There Be Peace On Earth. In a video showing him preparing to perform the very personal track, Gill shared that the album was meant to feature lighter, more traditional holiday songs. However, during the writing process, he experienced the heartbreaking loss of his brother. This led him to write a more meaningful track.
“I made my first Christmas record almost 20 years ago and I tried to write some songs for it because I fancy myself as a songwriter,” Gill began.
“Everything I was trying to come up with just sounded stupid. I started talking about mistletoe and presents and trees. And I thought, ‘Man, that’s so lame. It’s already been written. You’re just killing yourself.’ Then in the process of making that record, I lost my brother. All of a sudden, I said, ‘Man, I’ve got something to write a song about.”
During that moment, Gill also shared that he had met a fan just before the show who told him it would be her first Christmas without her son. This encounter seemed to inspire him to perform “It Won’t Be The Same This Year” during that particular show.
“She had tears in her eyes and I had a lump in my throat,” Gill told the audience. “So, I’m going to do this one for you.”
He then began to sing the emotional lyrics.
“His favorite time was always Christmas / We’d reminisce about the days gone by / Oh, how I wish that he were still here with us / My memories of him will never die”
“When the stockings are hung / “Silent Night” has been sung / And Christmas is finally here / It won’t be the same this year”
Watch Vince Gill’s 2012 performance of “It Won’t Be The Same This Year” at the Ryman Auditorium below.