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Gill has earned 22 Grammy Awards and a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame. He knows how to hold an audience with a song, a guitar, or a single aching harmony. Yet during his Christmas shows with Grant, his wife and fellow musician, he seems just as comfortable listening. When she begins a story, he gives it space. When she sings, he finds the notes that bring her voice closer to the audience.
That quiet exchange has become part of a Nashville holiday tradition. Grant and Gill’s Christmas at the Ryman residency reached its 14th year in 2024, and by then the pair had performed more than 100 shows together at the historic auditorium.
The Ryman is a fitting place for them. Its wooden pews and long musical history give a Christmas concert a sense of closeness, even with a crowd in the room. Grant can move from a familiar seasonal favorite to a song of faith, while Gill’s guitar and unmistakable voice add warmth around her. Their performances leave room for both joy and reflection. For some listeners, Christmas brings memories of people they miss as surely as it brings memories of people gathered around the table.
Grant understands that mixture especially well. Songs such as “Tennessee Christmas” and “Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song)” have long been part of her holiday music. One evokes the pull of home; the other approaches the Christmas story through Mary’s feelings. In Grant’s hands, the season can sound tender, uncertain, grateful, and full of hope all at once.
Gill brings his own history to those songs. Country audiences know the clarity of his voice, but they also know how much feeling he can carry without raising it. Beside Grant, a small harmony can say enough. Their partnership works because each recognizes what the other can give to a song—and when the kindest contribution is simply to listen.
In 2024, they brought the spirit of their Ryman shows to When I Think of Christmas. The album gathers recordings from both artists’ Christmas catalogs and adds two new recordings: Grant’s version of the title song and their duet on “‘Til the Season Comes Round Again,” a song associated with the close of their holiday concerts.
That closing duet feels especially suited to them. A Christmas show lasts only an evening. Soon the lights come up, coats are pulled on, and people return to their ordinary lives. But the promise of seeing one another again gives the farewell its warmth. Sung by a couple who have returned to the same stage year after year, the thought feels personal without needing a grand speech.
It is easy to admire Gill and Grant for their awards, their songs, and the years they have spent performing. The Ryman shows reveal something smaller and more affecting: the way they make room for each other in real time. One voice begins, the other joins, and for a few minutes the audience can hear the care between them.
