Vince Gill Joins Rockers for Eagles Tribute at Kennedy Center Honors [Watch]
Vince Gill showed a very different side to his musical talents on Tuesday night (Dec. 27), when he teamed up with some rock and rollers to pay tribute to the Eagles at the Kennedy Center Honors with "Life in the Fast Lane."
Gill joined Ringo Starr, Bob Seger, Steve Vai and Kings of Leon for the energetic performance, which was part of the 39th annual Kennedy Center Honors. The annual ceremony recognizes the best and brightest artists who made longstanding contributions to their field of the arts.
Gill stepped out for a grittier vocal performance than the smooth vocals he's employed on most of his country hits, but he's not new to rock music -- in fact, Gill's first hit was "Let Me Love You Tonight" in 1980, when he was the lead singer in Pure Prairie League, a group which was much in the same vein as the Eagles. He also covered "I Can't Tell You Why" for Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles in 1993, and appeared on a track on Don Henley's most recent album, Cass County.
The Eagles were supposed to be honored in 2015, but they postponed for a year due to Glenn Frey‘s health struggles. Frey passed away in January at the age of 67, but many of the remaining Eagles were on hand for the ceremony, which taped on Dec. 4 and aired on Tuesday night.
James Taylor, actor Al Pacino and blues and gospel singer Mavis Staples were also among the honorees, along with Argentine pianist Martha Argerich. President Bill Clinton, Bonnie Raitt and Kevin Spacey were among the others in attendance, as well as President and First Lady Obama, who received a standing ovation as they hosted their final Kennedy Center Honors.
Garth Brooks, Darius Rucker and Sheryl Crow were also on hand to pay musical homage to Taylor. South Carolina native Rucker performed “Carolina in My Mind,” while Brooks performed “Shower the People" and Crow offered up a sincere rendition of "Fire & Rain."
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