30 Years Ago: Vince Gill Releases The Perfect Country Eulogy
It wasn’t a hit when it was released on August, 22nd, 1995. “Go Rest High On That Mountain” stalled at #14 on the charts. And this was during the peak of Vince Gill’s commercial era. 21 of the 23 songs Gill released between 1990 and 1998 hit the Top 10, including 11 songs that were either #1 or #2. “Go Rest High On That Mountain” was the outlier.
But chart placement isn’t the true testament to the importance of a piece of music. Time is. Over time, the fortitude of a song or album is tested rigorously, either becoming a product of its era and dated, or forged over a prolonged period to be rendered legendary. Vince Gill’s song “Go Rest High On That Mountain” is one of the latter, rising to become one of those songs audiences will be listening to 100 years from now.
“Go Rest High On That Mountain” was written by Vince Gill himself, and was recorded in 1994 to appear on his album When Love Finds You. But Gill began writing the song many years before. In 1989 after the tragic death of Keith Whitley, this is where Gill was first struck by inspiration. But never quite got the song to where he wanted it to be, and it remained on the shelf. When Gill’s older brother Bob died in 1993, that is what inspired Vince to complete it.
Neither Keith Whitley nor Gill’s brother Bob are named in the song directly. Whitley is alluded to though when “I’m No Stranger To The Rain” is referenced in the first verse. The ambiguity is one of the many elements that has helped “Go Rest High On That Mountain” become so favored by people looking for the perfect funeral eulogy. This was also probably one of the reasons that when it was released as a single, it somewhat failed to resonate. It just felt too dour, too morbid for country radio at that time.
“Go Rest High On That Mountain” was recorded with harmony vocals from Ricky Skaggs and Patty Loveless, both of whom were from Whitley’s native Kentucky. Ricky Skaggs had grown up with Whitley, and Keith and Ricky got their start in country music when they auditioned for Ralph Stanley’s band and won spots. Skaggs and Whitley also played in J.D. Crowe’s band The New South, though at separate times. Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs had also been in a band together in the ’70s called Boone Creek.
Patty Loveless and Ricky Skaggs reprised their roles in the music video for the song, which was filmed at the Ryman Auditorium. In 1995, the Ryman was mostly shuttered and abandoned, making the appearance of the Mother Church in the video that much more rare and special. Though a silhouetted woman plays the crucial fiddle part in the video, in the studio it was performed by Stuart Duncan.
Though the song faced headwinds commercially, it was recognized by peers and critics as a landmark song immediately. In 1996, “Go Rest High On That Mountain” won the Grammy Awards for Best Male Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song, as well as the CMA Song of the Year. Soon after, the song began to be selected for the eulogies of country fans and their families on a regular basis.
Then on May 2, 2013 when Vince Gill performed the song with Patty Loveless at the funeral for George Jones at the Grand Ole Opry House, it solidified its place in the pantheon of American eulogies, and perhaps as one of the greatest country songs of all time. Gill struggled to make it through the performance. But it seemed to make it all the more special.
The legacy of “Go Rest High On That Mountain” is one that teaches that country music isn’t just here to entertain. It is here to heal. And few songs have the healing power, and present such grace and adulation for a fallen friend, loved one, or fellow country great than “Go Rest High On That Mountain.” 30 years later, the song has only grown in majesty and potency.
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August 28, 2025 @ 11:53 am
And I don’t think any other artist understood and respected the impact of one of their songs and never treated it as something they were tired of performing.
August 28, 2025 @ 2:02 pm
…like Vince has with that song
August 28, 2025 @ 12:04 pm
This song by Vince and That’s My Job by Conway Twitty are 2 All-time tear jerkers
August 28, 2025 @ 1:24 pm
It came nine days after iconic Yankees outfielder Mickey Mantle’s passing,so perhaps some of us Baby Boomer baseball fans were trying to heal.
August 28, 2025 @ 2:56 pm
This song was a favorite of both my grandparents. They had it played at each of their funerals. To this day I can’t listen to it without bawling uncontrollably. Such a moving song.
August 28, 2025 @ 3:00 pm
Didnt’ appreciate this song when I was younger, but now at 60 having lost several dear family members…this song is GOLD. A song that Gill could have sang once, gently set the mic down on the ground, walked away, and he would have had a life well-lived.
August 28, 2025 @ 3:21 pm
So true. Once you get into that place in life where you have people near and dear to you pass on, this song takes on a resonance that you can’t relate to when you haven’t lived it yet.
August 28, 2025 @ 3:24 pm
I don’t know which hits me harder, this song or “Look at Us.”
August 28, 2025 @ 3:33 pm
That was the year my gma died a momth before my graduation I was mad cuz 2 brothers 2 step brother she got to go to… I want the song to play i don’t remember if it was… but when my Step Dad died it was but not by Vince it was by a church person but didn’t care they were singing was to upset at time… but I rather just heard a tape of Vince instead or regular singing.
August 28, 2025 @ 3:42 pm
A class act indeed. Of course my favorite album with Vince Gill has Rodney Crowell their cherry bombs album. Vince is always a class act, but that album is just gold.
August 28, 2025 @ 3:56 pm
Thank you for this & congrats on your new endeavor
https://www.countryhighroad.com/post/new-songwriter-showcase-podcast-internet-show-the-hook-is-arriving
August 28, 2025 @ 4:13 pm
Vince and Patty’s performance is one of the greatest moments in country music history. The pure emotion of it all, Vince breaking down and dealing with his grief on stage at the mother church, patty stepping in and comforting her friend and taking over the vocals and then the instrumental break giving Vince just enough time to gather himself to play his solo and get it rigged enough to finish out the song.
When we say we love country music, this performance in particular is a reason why. This isn’t just music to us, it’s life and death and beautiful stories told through song. It’s pain and loss but also triumph and redemption. It’s being so overcome you are sobbing and everyone in the crowd is sobbing, yet the words, the music, the vocals all soothe us in a way only this genre can. Even if this was the only thing Vince ever did in his career, this performance, he cemented himself as one of the greats with this alone.
There’s been many great musical performances overall from Hendrix to The Who, from classical conciertos to opera maestros, and everyone in between.
But this is an example of a performance that only could have happened in our genre. We are all the better for it.
August 28, 2025 @ 4:52 pm
Nice article. I had the opportunity to see Vince play at a theater in Ohio last month. The show was essentially Vince with a 7 piece band. The always great Tom Bukovac on lead guitar and the great Wendy Moten on background vocals. Pedal steel, piano, 3 guitarists onstage in addition to Vince. Vince played over 3 hours!!!!! Yes that’s right, 3 hours, no opener. Its a career retrospective tour hes doing right now, go see it while you can. Of course he played Go Rest High on that Mountain. And it still sounds epic.
Had no idea he’d go 3 hours but he ended up playing deep cuts, the hits and a bunch of unreleased songs. Definite show for the ages. Hes been doing this show at The Ryman as well.