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Vince Gill “Back in Class” Concert Raises $100,000 for Elementary School Auditorium Renovation in Oklahoma City

OKLAHOMA CITY—March 28, 2008—Vince Gill performed an intimate concert last night for the Back in Class event at the site of his first stage performance, Cleveland Arts & Science Specialty School in Oklahoma City. This time, however, the country music star graced the stage to raise $100,000 to renovate the Oklahoma City Public School’s auditorium, as well as receive the 2007 Oklahoman of the Year Award from Oklahoma Today magazine, the event sponsor. The concert was a far cry from his first effort when a seven-year-old Gill performed House of the Rising Sun.

 “The real beauty of this event is that this is the first place I played guitar and sang in front of anybody of my whole life,” says Gill. “Even though it is nice to have a night to honor me, I’m coming home to do something for someone else and make it more than just about me.”

The auditorium—renamed Vince Gill Auditorium at a student assembly earlier in the day—provided just enough room on its stage to accommodate Gill, several guitars, speakers, and keyboard musician Pete Wasner. The venue was devoid of the glitz and glamour normally associated with a big headliner and instead was tenderly decorated in children’s artwork inspired by Gill and his music. The 1938-built school auditorium hosted a sold-out crowd of 228 concertgoers, each paying $495 per ticket with all proceeds going towards the auditorium renovation project. “When they told me the ticket charge, I nearly spit out my Ted’s Escondido meal,” says Gill.

Gill thrived in the elementary school environment, turning out a two-hour performance showcasing his extraordinary storytelling talent through music and personal anecdotes. Gill allowed the crowd to guide his set by taking requests directly from audience shout outs, a gathering that included Governor Brad Henry, Barry and Becky Switzer, Lee Allan Smith, Blake Wade, Gill’s mother, Jerene, and sister Gina. Gill’s perfectly pitched tenor rang out over the guitar and keyboard accompaniment, with each song sounding as flawless as one of his studio recordings.

The audience cheered as Gill performed some of his greatest hits, including “When I Call Your Name,” “I Never Knew Lonely,” and “Oklahoma Borderline,” as well as new song about Route 66 set on Oklahoma City’s 39^th Expressway stretch of the Mother Road. Gill told engaging stories of his Oklahoma childhood between songs, moving the audience to tear-jerking laughter with tales of his unfortunate encounter with an Oklahoma City bus driver and adventuresome driving lessons with his father. In a particularly heartwarming moment, Amy Grant, Gill’s wife and Christian recording artist, performed two songs while seated on the first row with daughter Corrina fast asleep on her lap. “I think the concert was a wonderful experience that people will never forget,” said Joan Henderson, Oklahoma Today publisher. “I hope they understand why Vince Gill is Oklahoman of the Year.”

An awards ceremony kicked off the Back in Class event, featuring a proclamation from the Oklahoma City Public Schools honoring Gill, the presentation of the 2007 Oklahoman of the Year Award by Oklahoma Today magazine, and the official announcement of Vince Gill Day from Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry.

“Oklahoma Today got it right when they named Vince Gill the 2007 Oklahoman of the Year,” said Governor Henry. “There is no one better that exemplifies the great characteristics of the state than Vince Gill.”

Gill was selected for his accomplishments in 2007, which included induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, nomination for his nineteenth Grammy award, and participation in writing and performing the Oklahoma Centennial anthem, “Oklahoma Rising.”

The ceremony also featured the presentation of $94,957 to Cleveland Elementary School principal Dr. Mary Coughlin and PTA president Virginia Holleman, who plan to use the money to renovate the auditorium by refurbishing the vintage wood folding chairs, staining the concrete floors, painting the walls, and adding new curtains, back-stage storage, audio equipment, and a lighting system. A silent auction held that evening raised nearly $5,000. “It would probably have taken us close to ten years to raise $100,000 without this event,” says Holleman. “It has been a dream come true, we’ve been pinching ourselves all day.”

Earlier in the day, Gill performed for Cleveland Elementary School students, where the country crooner was named this month’s Pick of the Litter, an honor bestowed on choice Cleveland Bulldogs. Here, Gill shined as he recounted E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web as his favorite children’s book and the trampoline as his favorite toy. He also was awarded a Pick of the Litter dog tag that he proudly wore around his neck during the evening concert. The assembly roared with excitement and energy as he sang What You Give Away with the student body and encouraged student Collin Holloway to perform guitar on stage with him. A favorite moment, as recalled by Oklahoma Today editor in chief Louisa McCune-Elmore, is when Gill encouraged the students to aim high, saying, “Dream big, you never know what will happen. I guarantee it.”

The impact of the event was summed up through poignant comments by Gill’s wife Amy Grant during the awards ceremony, who said while choking on tears, “I felt so swept up with the energy of the children singing today, encouraging kids is what really pushes Vince’s buttons.”

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