Vince Gill shared a personal, and tragic, story during his performance at the annual Universal Media Group luncheon, as part of the 2018 Country Radio Seminar (CRS), held on Tuesday, Feb. 6. Prior to singing, “Forever Changed,” the 60-year-old applauded the bravery of people speaking out against abuse, inspiring the #MeToo and #TimesUp movement, and revealing that he almost became a victim himself.
“I was in 7th grade. I was a young dumb kid, and I had a gym teacher that acted inappropriately towards me and was trying to do things that I didn’t know what the hell was going on,” Gill said. “I was just fortunate that I ran.”
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The song, which says, “Too afraid to tell someone/ You might as well have used a gun/ She cries to Jesus to ease the pain/ Because of you/ She’s forever changed,” is a reminder to Gill of how differently his life could have turned out if he hadn’t escaped.
“I just jumped up and I ran,” he revealed. “I don’t know why. I don’t think I ever told anybody my whole life. Even what’s been going on has been giving me a little bit of courage to speak up too.”
Gill played with the Eagles for part of their 2017 tour, and will is spend much of the next few months on the road with them, along with a series of artists joining for select dates, including Chris Stapleton, Jimmy Buffett & His Coral Reefer Band and James Taylor & His All-Star Band.
“I want to be a blessing to them,” Gill told Rolling Stone about his time with the famous band. “I want to be a real fun experience for them, because they can get serious. Their history bears that out. But that’s OK too; that’s why they’re great.
A list of all of Gill’s upcoming shows can be found on his website.
Photo Credit: Instagram/VinceGill
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