Opry Country Classics

Encouraged to pursue music by his father, Gill learned to play a number of instruments including the banjo and guitar. The first band the singer played in was called The Bluegrass Revue in the tail end of the 1970’s and later Flock the Mountain Smoke who opened for Pure Prairie League and Kiss.

After graduating from high school the singer moved around, first to Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. to play in the band Bluegrass Alliance and later Los Angeles, U.S. in the group Sundance. Gill then auditioned to play in Pure Prairie League who remembered Gill’s high school band and made him the lead singer. After three successful albums and the smash hit “Let Me Love You Tonight” Gill departed in 1981 and joined Rodney Crowell’s backing band entitled the Cherry Bombs.

Shortly after Gill secured a solo deal with RCA and released his debut mini-album “Turn Me Losse” in 1984, drawing inspiration from his country-rock roots. His first Top 40 hit “Victim of Life’s Circumstances” was ahead of the 1984 album “The Things That Matter", and his first Top 10 came with a duet alongside Rosanne Cash with the song “If It Weren’t for Him”.

Gill continued his moderate success with 1987’s “The Way Back Home” but left RCA in 1989 to join MCA. The debut release for MCA “When I Call Your Name” (1989) represented Gill’s first taste a stardom, the title track was a breakthrough for the country singer, reached No. 2 in the Country Chart, and subsequently won Gill his first Grammy.

The singer’s follow-up “Pocket Full of Gold” was another platinum selling album led by the smash-hit singles “Look at Us”, “Take Your Memory” and “Liza Jane”. The album was bettered by his 1992 release “I Still Believe in You”, the title-track ballad gave Gill his first No. 1 single, spawned a number of other chart singles, and eventually sold over four-million copies.

Not content to be pigeonholed a solely county star, Gill released the holiday album “Let There Be Peace on Earth” (1993), the pop-inspired “When Love Finds You” in 1994, and 1996’s bluegrass album “High Lonesome Sound” which received a good deal of critical acclaim and paved the way for Gill’s most revered release.

“The Key” released in 1998, documented his marriage and the ultimate break-up of his marriage to Janis Oliver. The album became his first to top the country charts and saw a more hardcore country approach taken. Gill’s subsequent album “Let’s Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye” (2000) describes his new romance with Amy Grant and was awarded four Grammy nominations.

Since then the singer has released 2003’s “Next Big Thing”, which he produced himself, 2006’s “These Days” and ambitious four-disc release, 2011’s “Guitar Slinger” and 2013’s “Bakersfield”, a collaboration with guitarist Paul Franklin.

Performing in her family band from a young age before having a two-year gig performing at a Missouri nightclub at the age of 16, Sara Evans has been singing for most of her life. In 1991, she moved to Nashville to try a career as a country music artist, impressing Nashville artist Harlan Howard with her demo, leading to a contract with RCA Records, where she has remained throughout her career.

With her debut album, “Three Chords and the Truth” (1997) she received limited success initially. Although through her second album and title track, ”No Place That Far” (1998) she had created a hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. The success of this single eventually led to the album gaining Gold certification. Sara Evans garnered critical acclaim for her neo-traditional sound, moving away from the country pop that dominated country radio’s airwaves.

It was with her third album, “Born to Fly,” that Evans was to break through to mainstream success, with the title track becoming a number one hit. She gained two further top ten chart positions with the singles “I Could Not Ask For More” and “I Keep looking,” with the album going on to being certified Double Platinum. Her fourth, “Restless,” released in 2003, continued this success, featuring her third number one single, “Suds in the Bucket.”

Evans has become a household name and veteran of the country music scene. In her esteemed career she has received several awards and accolades. She won a Billboard Video Award for Best County Music Video, as well as awards at the BMI Country Awards in 2004, 2007 and 2008, and at the 2010 Dove Ceremony.