How One Phone Call From Vince Gill Helped Eric Church After His Brother’s Death

Eric Church’s Brother Passed Away In 2018

Amid a heartbreaking time in his life, Eric Church received a phone call from Vince Gill.

Eric’s brother, Brandon, died in June 2018. He was only 36 years old.

Brandon supported Eric early in his career. He came to stay with Eric in Nashville when he was ready to throw in the towel.

But Brandon helped him through it, and even joined Eric to co-write two songs, “How ‘Bout You” (released in 2006) and “Without You Here” (released in 2009).

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Now, nearly eight years after Brandon’s death, Eric opened up about his loss during a recent appearance on CNN’s podcast, All There Is with Anderson Cooper.

“I didn’t comprehend that it’s never going to be the same again — with my parents, with their relationship, with the whole family, the family dynamic,” he said. “When my brother died, I wasn’t prepared for that part.”

But a call from a fellow artist helped Eric come to terms with his family’s new dynamic.

One Phone Call From Vince Gill Helped Eric Church Process His Grief

Sadly, Vince Gill understands exactly what Eric was going through. Vince’s brother, Bob, passed away in 1993 after suffering a heart attack.

Vince finished writing his emotional song, “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” after Bob’s death.

Vince and Eric didn’t know each other that well when Eric’s brother died in 2018. But Vince still took the time to call him a few days after Brandon passed away.

Speaking from experience, Vince shared some profound words of advice during that phone call.

“…he actually was the first one that said to me, ‘You don’t understand this now, but you’re never going to be the same. Your mom and dad are never going to be the same. Your sister’s never going to be the same. Y’all are never going to be the same as a unit,’” Eric recalled Vince telling him.

Vince reiterated that nothing would ever be the same for Eric or his family. He said, “[the] quicker you understand that, the better you’ll deal with it.”

Eric admits that he didn’t understand Vince’s message at the time. But now, he knows Vince was right.

“It never is the same,” Eric said. “When something like that happens, it changes everything. And it becomes a new normal.”

Watch the video below to hear Eric speak more about how losing his brother changed his life forever. May Brandon rest in peace…