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The Country Radio Seminar (CRS) is not usually the place to go for big statements – the annual gathering of country radio programmers in Nashville is a time when artists play safely in hopes of scoring a time antenna. You scratch your single, you make a joke. You do not offend anyone. But, from time to time, a moment occurs.
Two years ago, it was not a rising independent voice that broke the usual mold of how things are supposed to unfold at CRS. It was Vince Gill, one of Canada's most revered artists and a paragon of organic talent and grace. At Universal's annual UMG team event at the Ryman Auditorium, Gill performed "Forever Changed," a song he wrote a few years ago that was inspired by a moment in college where a teacher from Gymnastics had touched him inappropriately. The incident left a scar, as they always do. In the middle of the #MeToo movement and just a month after Rolling stone In a presentation on sexual harassment on national radio, Gill unveiled her scar to the genus and beyond, hoping it could help others heal theirs. His new record Okie, where the track finally appears, is a healing disc, too.
"There is so much shame," says Gill, phoning from home between stops of the tour. "If you speak, you are persecuted. I wanted to talk about innocence. "
The persecution for speaking out is not uncommon in country music, but Gill – a member of the Grand Ole Opry, Time Jumper, Casual Eagle, Hall of Famer and Grammy winner – decided he was not time to resist the songs that animate the world around us. OkieLast Friday will come out of Gill's consciousness, a platform for discussion and a celebration of love and dedication. Gill's attack on sexual abuse, teenage pregnancy, race and our relentless desire to be right with force, but without judgment.
"My life has never been political," Gill says. "I never said to approve this candidate, or that one. But I'm not afraid to have a decent conversation about some of these things. We could solve so many things by being fair. Workers would not need to unionize if the person we were working for treated us fairly and on an equal footing. And people are always screaming about immigration, but hey, we're all immigrants. I would like to think that there are solutions, but it has to do with people more just and kind. "
Gill, who has never sent any text or published on social networks ("I do not argue with people about what they should do or think," he said.) Life is too much short for that "), knows that almost all The current public consciousness tends to be deconstructed and polarized, but he also knows that ignoring the problems only exacerbates the problems. And when it comes to sexual abuse or discrimination, he is one of the few men to take part in the conversation. "These are all things I probably should not talk about," he laughs.
Gill started "Forever Changed" many years ago, even talking to Rolling stone about the song in 2014, and he understood that publishing it in the context of #MeToo would bring even more projectors than usual, with more questions to answer. This kind of pressure could be enough to motivate another artist to present the title, but Gill wanted to get into the storm. And although his inspiration is personal, the story is that of a woman: Gill's pure empathy.
"My seventh-year basketball coach tried to follow me," Gill said, speaking with slight hesitation. "He had more and more hand on my leg, jumped and ran. I was lucky and I escaped. I know many children who have not done so. I probably went to my school. One of my friends, a homosexual man, recently heard the song and said, "Dude, I'm crying because no one is talking about this stuff." I hope it helps people treat and heal . "
"If I had my way, 'Forever Changed' would already go for additions [at country radio], "Says Charlie Worsham, who toured with Gill and co-wrote a crucial piece on Okie"Black and white" "The more people who hear that, the more conversations there will be. Anyone who listens will have a reaction. I hope the music will grow, no matter how many turns it generates. "
Just as powerful is Okie"What choice would you like to make?" From a teenager who becomes pregnant – Gill never indicates the outcome, she never shares the choice of whether she decides to have a baby, to have an abortion or to put her on in adoption. He also does not give his point of view on what he thinks she should do. Instead, it focuses on the emotional impact of having to make that choice and indicates that there is indeed a choice to make. "I'm not here saying," Here's what you should do. "There is nothing of that in there," he says. "The song never leaves the moment she's sitting there, with such a worried mind."
Although most Okie composed of songs written by Gill alone, he is joined by Worsham on "Black and White", which also serves as a subtle rebuttal to the idea that life was somehow better at the time. Gill does not say it, but it's hard not to think about Make America Great Again. "Were we better in black and white?" Chante Gill. "Some days yes, some days not quite."
"It reminds me of an old Merle Haggard song," Are the Good Times Really Over, "says Gill," The most important thing is to have hope, if we have no hope, we are pretty lost. What I liked about this song: Were we better? Some days yes, others no, I still believe in people and I will not throw away the sponge, even if often we we lose. "
Towards the end of "Black and White," a line goes further: "To be kind means more than to be right." That does not mean that Gill is asking us to ignore the truth – he suggests that There are important lessons to learn mistakes, and sacrificing the ego for growth. "We are so forced to be right and what does it accomplish?" Asks Gill. "That's where I learned the best lessons from my mistakes. We destroy people for their mistakes and I say to my children, "You're going to screw everything up, but learn about it."
"Just to hear some of Vince's generation and backgrounds saying that the things that he says in this song are so special and necessary right now," says Worsham. "It's one thing for a child on the scene to say something, and it's another for an old statesman to tell the truth to power."
Sure OkieGill also tells the truth to love – his dedication to his wife Amy Grant, his mother and idols, and what it means to lose those we love and admire. One called "Nothin 'Like a Guy Clark Song" was written for the great lost composer-performer and another for Haggard, one of Gill's most revered icons. "He was my biggest inspiration, the reason I sing blues, "He sings on the track," A world without Haggard ", which Gill played with emotion during the tribute of the country's legend.
"He liked the fact that there was a younger generation that had an old soul," says Gill about his friendship with Haggard. "When you find a younger person who has an appreciation of some of the things you have done, it connects you to the next generation in an elegant way. We had a lot of good conversations in the last years of his life. "
Gill discovers this relationship with Worsham and also admires Luke Combs and Chris Stapleton ("they are genuine," he says). But he also rejects the idea that once again he must take a polarized stance on the direction of country music.
"Everyone is trying to make me talk about new music today and I will not do it," he says. "These kids love what they do, and they do not need my blessing. At some point, the real chestnuts of the day will stand the test of time. You need mediocrity to let the really special things surface. Take the ones you love. "
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