Country star Vince Gill gets back on the road with his big hits and a stop in Des Moines

Country music artist Vince Gill is back on the road with his first set of live solo shows since the pandemic started in 2020.

"I think it’s been almost three years and it shows," chuckled Gill, recalling the past few days of finding his footing on stage again.

Gill kicked off his 2022 18-city solo tour on July 7 in North Carolina and continues with a jam-packed schedule through the end of August.

“I think you realize how much you missed it," he continued. "There’s no way you can tell (audiences), but they have to know that you miss doing this too… you have a conversation when you play music with people.”

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Gill last toured solo in 2019, and he's conscious that audiences want to hear the hits, such as songs like "I Still Believe in You," "Whenever You Come Around" and "Go Rest High on That Mountain," but he's also offering a look at some of his new material.

“I do about four new songs that I’d written during the pandemic to give people a little taste of what’ll be coming up," he said.

Since beginning his music career roughly 40 years ago, the Norman, Oklahoma, native has also become known for hits like “When I Call Your Name" and "Don't Let Our Love Start Slipping Away." He's won 22 Grammy Awards, making him the most frequent recipient of the award among male country artists.

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Last year, he released "Live at the Prince of Wales Hotel 1988" with guitarist Albert Lee, and before that, his 18th studio album, titled "Okie," in 2019.

Though Gill's recent tour marks a return to solo shows, Gill is no stranger to touring. He performs with classic rockers The Eagles.

Gill first began touring with the band famous for classic rock songs from "Hotel California" and "Take It to the Limit" to "Take It Easy" and "Lyin' Eyes" in 2017 after the death of the band's previous guitarist, Glenn Frey.

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"I’ve been pretty grateful that they’ve taken me in and been kind to me," Gill said.

“I think for me, I don’t sing it, but getting to be a part of 'Desperado' is pretty powerful," Gill said of his favorite Eagles' songs to perform. "That’s the very first song that Glenn and Don (Henley) wrote together.”

Gill performed at the Iowa State Fair in 1995 and was in Des Moines in 2018 with The Eagles.

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Gill recognizes the importance classic rock and country music has for fans of the material and, in both cases, tries to play to that love.

“It’s interesting because in either case, because whether it’s my own show or The Eagles' show, it’s songs that have a lot of history to them, a lot of years to them," Gill reflected. “The reverence the audience has for the songs they love is important... You do want to please them and the things they plan to see and want to hear.”

At 8 p.m. on July 22, Gill performs at the Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut St.. Wendy Moten, the R&B/soul singer best known for "Come in Out of the Rain," opens the show. Moten previously performed with Gill in The Time Jumpers, a Western swing band, and went on to become a finalist on "The Voice" on NBC.

Tickets for Gill's performance range from $50.50 to $154.50 and are available through desmoinesperformingarts.org.

Isaac Hamlet covers arts, entertainment and culture at the Des Moines Register. Reach him at ihamlet@gannett.com or 319-600-2124, follow him on Twitter @IsaacHamlet.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Country star Vince Gill performs at the Des Moines Civic Center in July