Introduction
At the 2024 All for the Hall concert—an annual fundraiser for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum—Vince Gill took the stage for a moment that brought the audience to tears. During his set, Gill performed his soul-stirring ballad “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” originally penned for his late brother Bob, and dedicated the rendition to Toby Keith (who passed away in February 2024) and Blake Shelton’s brother Richie (who died in a car accident in 1990).
“Go Rest High on That Mountain” first took shape in 1989 following the death of country singer Keith Whitley, but Vince Gill didn’t complete it until 1993 after losing his older brother, Bob, to a heart attack. The song, released in August 1995 as part of the When Love Finds You album, has since become one of country music’s most poignant elegies.
On March 30, 2024, at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Gill paused mid-set to explain, “I thought I’d do something sweet tonight,” before dedicating the performance to Shelton’s late brother, Richie, and “my fellow Okie, Mr. Toby Keith”. Strumming his acoustic guitar in a simple blue-and-white flannel, Gill’s voice trembled as he sang the opening lines:
“I know your life on earth was troubled, and only you could know the pain…”.
Toby Keith, a fellow Oklahoman and Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, succumbed to stomach cancer in February 2024 at age 62. Blake Shelton, who lost his brother at age 14 when Richie died in a 1990 car crash, revealed that “my world went silent” after his brother’s passing—a silence echoed in Gill’s haunting tribute.
The emotional resonance of “Go Rest High on That Mountain” lies in its universal message of farewell and hope. Rolling Stone ranked the song #17 on its “40 Saddest Country Songs of All Time,” underscoring its enduring power to console those facing loss. By dedicating it to both Keith and Richie, Vince Gill reminded fans that music can bridge personal grief and collective remembrance.