Vince Gill Dedicates “Go Rest High” To Toby Keith At ‘All For The Hall’ Concert
Photo by Phil Clarkin Photography for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (Inlay) Toby Keith / Instagram
During Blake Shelton’s All For The Hall concert in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday night (March 30), Vince Gill made a special appearance as a guest performer.
Shelton’s event, “Blake Shelton & Very Special Friends: Oklahoma Is All For The Hall,” served as a fundraiser for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. The concert marked the conclusion of Shelton’s Back To The Honky Tonk Tour, which kicked off in February.
This historic occasion was the first-ever All For The Hall benefit show held in Oklahoma and proved to be immensely successful, raising nearly $800,000 for the museum’s education programs.
According to the Country Music Hall of Fame, it stands as the most successful All For The Hall event outside of Nashville thus far.
About All For The Hall
During All For The Hall, artists frequently pay tribute to their personal heroes, who are often members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Instead of performing their own repertoire extensively, artists opt to cover some of their favorite recordings from these iconic figures.
Over the years, numerous artists have been honored in this manner.
RELATED: Tanya Tucker Honors George Jones With ‘The Grand Tour’ At ‘All For The Hall’ Benefit’
Gill’s Presence At The Oklahoma All For The Hall Held Special Significance.
Gill was actually the one who started the All For The Hall series of fundraising concerts in 2005 with the concept of country music artists donating proceeds from one annual performance to the nonprofit Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Amidst the Oklahoma concert’s electrifying atmosphere, Vince Gill’s performance added a heart-wrenching touch. His rendition of his 1993 song “Go Rest High on That Mountain” evoked strong emotions, particularly as he dedicated it to Shelton’s late brother Richie and to Toby Keith, the legendary Oklahoma native and Country Music Hall of Fame inductee who passed away from stomach cancer in February.
Gill expressed his gratitude to Shelton for the invitation to participate in the event, underscoring its significance as a successful fundraiser for the education programs of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
“I was grateful that Blake invited me to do this. I want to thank him on behalf of all of us and especially the people at the Country Music Hall of Fame. All the proceeds tonight are going to benefit the Country Music Hall of Fame and we are so grateful,” Gill conveyed to the audience.
He shared that he felt compelled to do “something sweet” to pay tribute to the memories of their late family members and Toby Keith.
“This song was written about the loss of my brother Bob. And tonight, I want to also include the dedication of this song to Blake’s brother Richie that he lost when he when a young boy in a car accident. And also dedicate to another fella, Mr. Toby Keith.”
Dressed in jeans and a blue and white flannel, Gill took up his acoustic guitar and started singing the emotional lyrics to “Go Rest High on That Mountain.”
“I know your life /
On earth was troubled /
And only you could know the pain /
You weren’t afraid to face the devil /
You were no stranger to the rain /
Go rest high on that mountain /
Son your work on earth is done /
Go to heaven a-shoutin’ /
Love for the Father and the Son.”
Toby Keith Wanted To Be A Part Of Oklahoma All For The Hall
Despite Toby Keith’s absence from the concert, Shelton revealed to the host of TuneIn Radio’s The Big 615, Storme Warren, that the late country icon expressed a desire to participate in the special evening. Shelton shared that Keith, a fellow proud Oklahoma native, had wanted to be part of the celebration.
“Toby wanted to do it…If you couldn’t physically see him, you would never know that he was sick.”
Warren then offered reassurance that Keith would “be there in spirit.”
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Just yesterday, Shelton turned to social media to express his enthusiasm about the event and share the amount raised by the benefit concert.
“A big THANK YOU to all the artists, fans, and the great state of Oklahoma for celebrating the [Country Music Hall of Fame] Saturday night and for helping me raise nearly $800,000! Oklahoma is All For The Hall!”
