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Vince Gill

Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He began in a number of local bluegrass bands in the 1970s, and from 1978 to 1982, he achieved his first mainstream attention as lead singer of the soft rock band Pure Prairie League. Gill sang lead on their hit single "Let Me Love You Tonight" in addition to writing several songs of theirs. After leaving Pure Prairie League, Gill briefly played guitar in Rodney Crowell's backing band the Cherry Bombs before beginning a solo career in country music in 1984. Gill recorded for RCA Records Nashville from then until 1988 with minimal success. A year later he signed with MCA Nashville, and he has recorded for this label ever since.

His commercial peak came in the first half of the 1990s, starting with his breakthrough album When I Call Your Name. Gill has 65 entries on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including four solo number one hits: "I Still Believe in You", "Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away", "One More Last Chance", and "Tryin' to Get Over You", all between 1992 and 1994. He has also had number-one singles as a guest on Reba McEntire's "The Heart Won't Lie" in 1993, as well as Chris Young's "Sober Saturday Night" and the multi-artist collaboration "Forever Country", both in 2016. All of Gill's albums released in the 1990s were certified platinum or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with the highest being 1992's I Still Believe in You at quintuple-platinum. Gill has won 22 Grammy Awards, the most among solo male country music artists.

Gill was a member of Western swing group the Time Jumpers from 2010 to 2020, and joined the rock band Eagles in 2017 following the death of longtime member Glenn Frey. He has also participated in a variety of collaborations, including songs by Patty Loveless, Brooks & Dunn, Kelly Clarkson, and Maren Morris. From 1980 to 1997 he was married to Janis Oliver, one-half of the country duo Sweethearts of the Rodeo; after they divorced, he married contemporary Christian music singer Amy Grant in 2000. Additionally, Gill has written songs for Alabama and Ty Herndon, and holds a number of credits as a backing vocalist and session musician.

Gill's music is known for his songwriting, his tenor singing voice, and his lead guitar work, with many critics noting his prolificacy in both ballads and up-tempo material. In addition to guitar, Gill plays mandolin, banjo, and Dobro. He has been referred to as the "nicest guy in Nashville" due to his pleasant mannerisms and frequent contributions to charity.

Biography
Vincent Grant Gill was born April 12, 1957, in Norman, Oklahoma, as the youngest of three children to Jerene and Stan Gill. Stan Gill worked as a judge and also played guitar and banjo, both of which he also taught his son how to play. His mother also sang and played harmonica. The Gill family often listened to the Grand Ole Opry on the radio, as well as contemporary rock and roll artists. Both parents also enjoyed golf, a pastime which Gill himself would develop as well. As a child, Gill began playing a guitar his grandmother owned, and learned how to play "Old Shep" on it when he was five years old; three years later, he and his half-brother Bob played the Beach Boys' "Long Tall Texan" on a local radio show. Gill also took guitar lessons from a local guitarist named J. Julian Akins. Additionally, Gill brought his guitar to school for show and tell a number of times, where he would entertain students by playing "The House of the Rising Sun". Gill also learned how to play Dobro, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and bass guitar during his teenage years.

He developed an interest in bluegrass music after becoming friends with the son of his father's friend, who was a fan of the genre and also played mandolin. After graduating high school, Gill chose to become a bluegrass performer. He briefly founded his own bluegrass band called Mountain Smoke, which once opened for the hard rock band Kiss. According to Gill, the crowd began booing and throwing objects on the stage during Mountain Smoke’s set, to which he responded by flipping the bird and mooning them before leaving the stage. After Mountain Smoke disbanded, Gill moved to the state of Kentucky. There he played in the bands Bluegrass Allliance and Boone Creek, the latter of which also featured Ricky Skaggs as a member. In 1976, he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he briefly joined fiddle player Byron Berline's backing band, Sundance.

Early 1980s: Pure Prairie League and the Cherry Bombs
In 1978, soft rock band Pure Prairie League was auditioning new lead singers after their previous vocalist Larry Goshorn departed. Gill attended the auditions at the recommendation of a friend, as he had served as an opening act for the band while in Mountain Smoke. By October 1978, Gill had begun performing in concert as guitarist and vocalist for Pure Prairie League. He appeared on their 1979 album Can't Hold Back in addition to writing several songs on it. During Gill's tenure as lead vocalist, the band had a top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Let Me Love You Tonight"; he also wrote its follow-up "I'm Almost Ready", as well as five other songs on the corresponding album Firin' Up. Of this album, Joe Viglione of AllMusic thought that Gill's contributions to the album were "highly entertaining" and showed more of a country pop and adult contemporary influence than his later works. By comparison, Jim Worbois wrote of Can't Hold Back on the same site, "By this time, they are [Pure Prairie League] in name only as there is no resemblance between this and the original band." Overall, Gill recorded three albums as lead singer of Pure Prairie League.

In 1982, Gill was invited by singer Rodney Crowell to play guitar in his backing band, the Cherry Bombs. Gill had previously been offered to do so during the success of "Let Me Love You Tonight" and declined, but chose to accept Crowell's offer the second time because the following singles and albums had not been successful. As a result, he quit Pure Prairie League and was replaced by Gary Burr. His role as guitarist in the Cherry Bombs also led to him briefly playing guitar for Crowell's then-wife, Rosanne Cash. Because of these roles, Gill and his wife Janis moved to Nashville, Tennessee, a year later.

1983–1988: Beginning of solo career
Another member of the Cherry Bombs, keyboardist and record producer Tony Brown, had become the president of artists and repertoire at RCA Records Nashville. As Gill wanted to become a solo artist, Brown recommended him to Joe Galante, then an executive of the same label, who signed him in 1983. Shortly before his signing with RCA, Gill also appeared as a guest vocalist on David Grisman's Here Today, and sang backing vocals on Steve Wariner's "Midnight Fire", on which Brown was a producer.

Gill debuted on RCA in 1984 with a six-song extended play titled Turn Me Loose. The project accounted for three singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts: "Victim of Life's Circumstances", "Oh Carolina", and the title track, all of which peaked just within the top 40. Delbert McClinton wrote the former of these, while Gill wrote the title track. The album was produced by Emory Gordy Jr., also a member of the Cherry Bombs at the time. Despite the minimal success of Turn Me Loose, Gill won Top New Male Vocalist from the Academy of Country Music in 1984. Word of mouth within the Nashville community towards Gill's extended play also led to him serving as a backing vocalist and session musician for a number of other country singers. He served in this capacity for Conway Twitty and Lee Greenwood, in addition to providing backing vocals on Rosanne Cash's 1985 album Rhythm & Romance.

After Turn Me Loose, Gill performed a number of shows at Nashville's Bluebird Café, a popular venue for songwriters, as a means of refining his own songwriting. His first full album for RCA was 1985's The Things That Matter. While the lead single "True Love" underperformed on the country charts, the follow-up "If It Weren't for Him" (a duet with Cash) became Gill's first top-ten country hit the same year. The song was originally to have been included on Turn Me Loose, but was delayed until The Things That Matter due to legal complications between Gill's and Cash's labels. The album accounted for another top-ten in "Oklahoma Borderline", which Gill wrote with Crowell and Guy Clark. The last single, "With You", was less successful. To promote the album, Gill began touring as an opening act for Ricky Skaggs.

Author Jo Sgammato stated that while Gill's first two projects for RCA were not commercially successful, both were well-received by music critics and fans. For his third RCA release, Gill intentionally wanted to choose a new producer to vary his sound. He selected Richard Landis, whom he also allowed to select material for the album. In addition, Landis allowed Gill to play mandolin, banjo, and Dobro as well as guitar. Titled The Way Back Home, the project accounted for four singles. First was "Cinderella", written by Reed Nielsen, which peaked at number five on the country charts in 1987. Crowell provided backing vocals as did Sweethearts of the Rodeo, a duo consisting of Gill's then-wife Janis and her sister Kristine. The album's second and third singles "Let's Do Something" and "Everybody's Sweetheart" were both top-20 hits, but the final single "The Radio" stopped at number 39 on the country charts. After this album, Gill ended his contract with RCA as Galante wanted him to record only songs by other writers. Despite this disagreement, Gill stated that he left RCA amicably and still considered Galante a friend. During Gill's departure from RCA, Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler invited Gill to join the band on their then-upcoming world tour, but Gill declined as he wanted to stay within country music.

1989–1992: Early years with MCA Nashville
Gill had remained in contact with Tony Brown, who by 1988 was president of MCA Nashville Records and helped him sign a contract with that label in 1989. Brown would also go on to serve as Gill's producer throughout the entirety of the 1990s. Of their relationship, Brown stated that he considered himself more of a "coach" due to his perception of Gill's artistic identity. Brown also chose to put more emphasis on Gill's vocals by mixing them more prominently than the instruments; previously, both Gordy and Landis had mixed the instruments more prominently due to Gill's lack of confidence at the time over his singing ability. His first single release for MCA was "Never Alone", previously recorded by Cash on Rhythm & Romance and co-written by both of them. This was the first of four singles off his MCA debut When I Call Your Name, considered by the editors of The Encyclopedia of Country Music to be Gill's breakthrough album. When I Call Your Name included a large number of backing vocalists. Among them were Kathie Baillie (of Baillie & the Boys), Patty Loveless, Emmylou Harris, and Herb Pedersen. The second single from the album was "Oklahoma Swing", a duet with Reba McEntire. This charted within the top 20 in early 1990, with Sgammato noting that some stations refused to play the song due to its Western swing sound. It was followed by the number two title track and number three "Never Knew Lonely" by year's end. "When I Call Your Name" also received a music video. AllMusic writer Thom Jurek praised the singles in particular, stating that the album "serves as the testament to Gill's arrival as a star and an enduring part of the country music legacy."

When I Call Your Name accounted for a number of accolades. The album itself was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1996, honoring shipments of two million copies in the United States. The title track won Gill his first Grammy Award in 1991, in the category of Best Male Vocal Country Performance; it was also nominated for Best Country Song. Additionally, the song won Single of the Year from the Country Music Association (CMA), his first award from that institution, in 1990. It would win Song of the Year in 1991, where Gill was also awarded Male Vocalist of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year. He would win the former again in 1993, 1994, and 1995. The success of When I Call Your Name led to Gill touring in support of the album, which included a concert at SeaWorld San Antonio and one opening for McEntire at Caesars Palace, along with an induction into the Grand Ole Opry.

Next on MCA was 1991's Pocket Full of Gold. The title track charted at number seven on Hot Country Songs that same year. Follow-up "Liza Jane". another collaboration between Gill and Reed Nielsen, reached the same peak. "Look at Us" (co-written by Gill and Max D. Barnes) and "Take Your Memory with You" also charted within top five between then and 1992. Gill told Bob Paxman of the blog Sounds Like Nashville that he allowed Brown to select songs for the album, as he "trusted [Brown's] song sense". "Pocket Full of Gold" was inspired by an idea given to Gill by Brian Allsmiller, a friend of his who at the time was playing basketball for Vanderbilt University's college team. Although Gill wrote the song by himself, he credited Allsmiller as a co-writer. Once again, Loveless and Pedersen were among the backing vocalists. Another contributor to the album was pedal steel guitar player John Hughey, whose intro on "Look at Us" Gill later described as "iconic". Like its predecessor, Pocket Full of Gold was also certified double-platinum. The album accounted for Gill's second consecutive Grammy nomination in the category of Best Male Vocal Country Performance, as well as CMA Award for Song of the Year. In October 1991, Gill hosted the CMA awards telecast with Clint Black. Gill went on to host the awards ceremony every subsequent year through 2003.

1992–1993: I Still Believe in You and Let There Be Peace on Earth
The late-1992 release I Still Believe in You was Gill's third on MCA. It also became his best-selling album, receiving a quintuple-platinum RIAA certification. The title track became Gill's first number-one on Hot Country Songs in September 1992, a peak also achieved by its follow-up "Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away" between December 1992 and January 1993. After this song, Gill provided duet vocals on Reba McEntire's number-one single "The Heart Won't Lie", on which Brown was also a producer. She had originally intended to record the song with Kenny Rogers, but after proving unable to find a key in which both of them could sing the song comfortably, she instead chose Gill. The next single off I Still Believe in You was the number three "No Future in the Past". Following this, "One More Last Chance" and "Tryin' to Get Over You" both topped Hot Country Songs between late 1993 and early 1994. The latter was also Gill's first solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100. Alanna Nash of Entertainment Weekly contrasted I Still Believe in You favorably against then-labelmate Trisha Yearwood's Hearts in Armor in a dual review, considering both singers to have emotive vocals and an affinity for mature lyrics. She praised the lyrics of "I Still Believe in You" and "No Future in the Past" in particular. AllMusic writer Johnny Loftus considered Gill to have a "smooth" voice, while finding influences of soul music on the title track and of bluegrass music on "No Future in the Past". "I Still Believe in You" won both Best Country Song and Best Male Country Vocal Performance at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in 1993, while "The Heart Won't Lie" was nominated for Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals a year later. Gill won five CMA Awards in 1993, including Album of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Song of the Year, the last of which went to "I Still Believe in You".

During promotion for I Still Believe in You in 1993, Gill also released his first Christmas album Let There Be Peace on Earth. The album included a number of traditional Christmas songs as well as a cover of "Let There Be Peace on Earth", a 1955 gospel song written by Harlene Wood and Sy Miller. Gill's rendition featured vocals from his daughter Jenny. Other vocalists on the album included Gene Merlino, Sally Stevens, and Chris Rodriguez. Gill also included the original songs "One Bright Star", "'Til the Season Comes Around Again", and "It Won't Be the Same This Year".

1994–1995: When Love Finds You and Souvenirs
His next release on MCA was 1994's When Love Finds You, which would chart a total of six singles between then and 1995. First among these were "Whenever You Come Around" and "What the Cowgirls Do", both of which peaked at number two. Next were the title track, "Which Bridge to Cross (Which Bridge to Burn)", and "You Better Think Twice". All peaked within the top five throughout 1995. The sixth and final single was "Go Rest High on That Mountain" at number 14. Jurek thought that When Love Finds You was more reliant on ballads than the preceding albums, but praised the lyrical qualities of each, as well as the country rock influence of "You Better Think Twice". Bill Anderson co-wrote "Which Bridge to Cross", and attributed renewed interest in his music in the late 1990s to the success of this song. Gill had begun writing "Go Rest High on That Mountain" in 1989 as a tribute to Keith Whitley following his death that same year, but did not finish it until four years later when the death of Gill's half-brother Bob Cohen inspired him. Patty Loveless and Ricky Skaggs provided backing vocals on the track. Despite its lower chart showing, "Go Rest High on That Mountain" remained popular among fans and critics. Dayton Duncan's Country Music: An Illustrated History (adapted from the Ken Burns documentary Country Music) described it as a popular song for fans to commemorate the deaths of family members and friends. Rolling Stone ranked it number 17 in a list of the 40 Saddest Country Songs. In addition, the song received a platinum certification in 2023. At the 37th Annual Grammy Awards, "When Love Finds You" won Best Male Country Vocal Performance and was nominated for Best Country Song; a year later, "Go Rest High on That Mountain" would receive both awards. When Love Finds You was nominated for Best Country Album during the former ceremony as well.

Gill ended 1995 with a pair of compilation albums. First was Souvenirs, a greatest hits album featuring most of his MCA singles to that point as well as selected collaborations. In a review for The Orange County Register reprinted in The Orlando Sentinel, Gene Harbrecht thought the compilation showed Gill's artistic growth in the intervening years, while also noting its mix of ballads and up-tempo material. At the same time, RCA released The Essential Vince Gill, consisting of 20 singles and other songs he had recorded while on that label in the 1980s.

1996–1999: High Lonesome Sound and The Key
In 1996, MCA released Gill's next studio album High Lonesome Sound, with its title track also serving as the lead single. Although this song only reached number 12 on the United States country music charts, it went to number one on the Canadian country music charts then published by RPM. The album featured two versions of the song: one accompanied by studio musicians, and one accompanied by Alison Krauss & Union Station. Next was the top five hit "Worlds Apart", followed by "Pretty Little Adriana" and "A Little More Love", which both peaked at number two. Last was "You and You Alone", a top-ten country hit for him in 1997. Gill was inspired to write "Pretty Little Adriana" after reading a news story about a girl named Adriana Dickerson, who was shot to death outside a Nashville supermarket in 1995. Michael McCall of AllMusic thought individual tracks off High Lonesome Sound showed influence of bluegrass, Chicago blues, and Cajun music; he also considered the ballads such as "Pretty Little Adriana" overall the strongest, calling them "more progressively atmospheric" than his previous ballads. Writing for Country Standard Time, Brian Wahlert praised Gill's vocals and guitar work, but thought that some songs including "Pretty Little Adriana" and the title track were "trite" and "cliché". The version of "High Lonesome Sound" featuring Alison Krauss & Union Station won Best Country Collaboration with Vocals, and "Worlds Apart" won Best Male Country Vocal Performance, at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards in 1997; one year later, "Pretty Little Adriana" won the latter award as well. Gill continued to tour in 1997, with his tours that year being the fourth most profitable among country artists. Despite this, he canceled a number of dates later in the year to take some time off following the death of his father, Stan.

Gill released two albums in 1998. First was the studio release The Key. It was led off by the song "If You Ever Have Forever in Mind", a top-five country hit. The song won the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. Also released as singles were "Kindly Keep It Country", "Don't Come Cryin' to Me", and "My Kind of Woman/My Kind of Man". The last of these, a duet with Patty Loveless, also appeared on her 1999 compilation Classics. In addition to Loveless, other featured vocalists included Dawn Sears on "Don't Come Cryin' to Me" and Lee Ann Womack on "Kindly Keep It Country", as well as Alison Krauss, Shelby Lynne, Sonya Isaacs, Faith Hill, and Sara Evans. In turn, Gill sang backing vocals on Hill's "Let Me Let Go" and Evans's "No Place That Far", both of which were number-one country songs between late 1998 and early 1999. AllMusic writer Jana Pendragon summarized her review of the album by writing, "For emotional depth, honesty, and the kind of musical depth and artistry listeners have come to expect from Gill, The Key stands among his very finest recordings." No Depression writer Grant Alden also reviewed the album with favor, noting that Gill wrote most of the songs by himself; he also described the album's sound and lyrics as containing "emotion and elegance". Later in the year was Gill's second Christmas project, Breath of Heaven: A Christmas Collection, on which he was accompanied by Patrick Williams and his orchestra. AllMusic reviewer Jana Pendragon praised the album for the orchestral accompaniment, as well as its inclusion of both secular and Christian material. Both The Key and Breath of Heaven: A Christmas Collection were certified platinum.

2000–2003: Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye and Next Big Thing
In 2000, Gill released the studio album Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye. The album accounted for three singles in its title track, "Feels Like Love", and "Shoot Straight from Your Heart". Of these, "Feels Like Love" was the most successful with a peak of number six on Hot Country Songs. It also accounted for his highest solo Hot 100 peak of number 52. Amy Grant, to whom Gill would become married during recording of the album, co-wrote and provided duet vocals on the track "When I Look into Your Heart". Many critics considered the album's themes to have been influenced by the then-recent marriage. Jurek noted that the project was dominated by songs about falling in love, but praised Gill's lyrics and vocals, as well as Brown's production. Nash criticized the sound of the album as "goop" and "tepid" outside the title track. Similarly, in a review for Knight Ridder republished in the Ventura County Star, Howard Cohen panned the project for "stock sentiments and imagery" of love and "overly slick balladry". Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye was certified gold after release.

Gill did not issue another studio album until 2003's Next Big Thing. He wrote its lead single and title track "Next Big Thing" with John Hobbs and former NRBQ member Al Anderson; the song would become Gill's last solo top-20 country chart entry upon release. Also released from the album were the less successful singles "Someday" and "Young Man's Town". In a 2003 telephone interview with Country Standard Time, Gill said that many of the lyrics on Next Big Thing were inspired by his increasing age and the rise of younger artists who had surpassed him commercially in the intervening years. He also wanted the album to include more humorous material than his previous works. As Brown had stopped working for MCA at the time, this left him unavailable as a producer, so Gill produced the project by himself. Jurek praised the album for including more songs than normal for a country album and having strong production. His review highlighted the singles in particular, additionally noting the contributions of Grant and Michael McDonald. The track "Real Mean Bottle" (inspired by a comment session guitarist Harold Bradley made about Merle Haggard's "The Bottle Let Me Down" ) was later covered by Bob Seger on his 2006 album Face the Promise. "Next Big Thing" won the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.

2004–2007: The Notorious Cherry Bombs and These Days
In 2004, Gill and Rodney Crowell decided to re-establish Crowell's former backing band the Cherry Bombs after most of the members had reunited at an awards banquet for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). This lineup included all the former members except for bassist Emory Gordy Jr., who declined to participate, and drummer Larrie Londin, who died of a heart attack in 1992. Their respective roles were taken over by session musicians Michael Rhodes and Eddie Bayers. Crediting themselves as the Notorious Cherry Bombs, this group of musicians recorded one self-titled album for Universal South Records (now Show Dog-Universal Music) in 2004, which featured Gill and Crowell alternating as vocalists. The project also charted one single on Hot Country Songs with "It's Hard to Kiss the Lips at Night That Chew Your Ass Out All Day Long".

Gill's next project for MCA was 2006's These Days, a box set comprising four albums each recorded in a different style. These were Workin' on a Big Chill for country rock, The Reason Why for soul music, Some Things Never Get Old for neotraditional country, and Little Brother for bluegrass music. Among the guest vocalists on the album were Grant, McDonald, Loveless, Crowell, Del McCoury, LeAnn Rimes, Sheryl Crow, Diana Krall, and Trisha Yearwood. Gill co-produced with Justin Niebank and John Hobbs, and wrote most of the songs by himself. Jurek reviewed the project favorably on AllMusic, highlighting the stylistic and lyrical diversity; he concluded his review by stating that the project was "an exhaustive, profound, fun and fulfilling set that not only gives fans something to delight in, but goes wide and if given half a chance could and would attract many new ones." Scott Jordan of the Austin Chronicle panned the songs on The Reason Why but compared the tracks on Workin' on a Big Chill favorably to Delbert McClinton and praised the introspective lyrics in some of the tracks on Little Brother. The project charted two singles: "The Reason Why" (featuring Alison Krauss) and "What You Give Away" (featuring Sheryl Crow). At the end of 2006, These Days was certified platinum. "The Reason Why" won Gill a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in 2007; one year later, These Days won Best Country Album and was nominated for Album of the Year.

2008–2015: The Time Jumpers, Guitar Slinger, and Bakersfield
Despite recording fewer albums throughout the first two decades of the 21st century, Gill remained active as a touring artist. He and Amy Grant also accompanied actor, comedian, and musician Steve Martin in May 2009 for his debut on the Grand Ole Opry, which also served as promotion for Martin's album The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo. In 2010, Gill joined the Time Jumpers, an informal collection of musicians who play bluegrass and Western swing concerts at various venues around Nashville. The ensemble recorded their self-titled second studio album at Gill's home studio in 2012. During his tenure in the band, Gill and the Time Jumpers won Grammy Award for Best American Roots Song for the track "Kid Sister" from their 2016 album of the same name. Gill would continue to perform with the Time Jumpers until 2020.

His next solo release was 2011's Guitar Slinger. The album once again featured songs written or co-written by Gill, along with vocal contributions from Bekka Bramlett, Chris Stapleton, then-former McBride & the Ride member Billy Thomas, and Gill's daughter Jenny. Hobbs and Niebank also co-produced with Gill. Grant also provided a duet vocal on the track "True Love". The project charted one single in "Threaten Me with Heaven". Jurek thought this track and others on the album had themes of "mortality", which he considered unusual for Gill's work. Additionally, Jurek found influences of rhythm and blues and gospel music among individual tracks. Two years later, Gill collaborated with session steel guitar player Paul Franklin on the cover song project Bakersfield. This featured their renditions of songs by Merle Haggard and Buck Owens, two of the main artists known for the Bakersfield sound. Gill and J.T. Corenflos alternated as lead guitarists on the sessions, with other musical contributors including bassist Willie Weeks, drummer Greg Morrow, and backing vocalist Dawn Sears. Both Franklin and Sears had also recorded with Gill in the Time Jumpers. Among the tracks covered were Owens's "Together Again" and Haggard's "The Fightin' Side of Me". Jurek thought that the album's song choices highlighted the "edgier" nature of the Bakersfield sound, while also speaking favorably of Gill's vocals and Franklin's playing. Roughstock writer Matt Bjorke also praised the musicianship and song selection, stating that "Mainstream channels may not care much for this kind of music anymore but it's still as vibrant and fantastic as it has always been and in the loving hands of Vince Gill and Paul Franklin it shines once again."

2016–present: Down to My Last Bad Habit, membership in Eagles, and Okie
Gill released Down to My Last Bad Habit through MCA in 2016. The lead single to the project was "Take Me Down", featuring guest vocals from Little Big Town. He wrote the song with Richard Marx and Jillian Jacqueline. Cam also contributed vocals to the track "I'll Be Waiting for You". The former was issued as the project's lead single. Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that Gill "maintains an elegant, soulful air throughout the record", while highlighting the number of guest artists and considering the sound to be influenced by Memphis soul.

Following the death of Eagles member Glenn Frey in 2017, Gill was asked by the remaining band members to replace him. He accepted the offer, as he considered himself a fan of not only the Eagles, but also of Frey's solo material. Gill debuted as a member of the band at a concert held in Dodger Stadium in 2017. Both Gill and Frey's son Deacon have continued to tour as members of the band throughout the 2010s and 2020s, and plan to continue doing so until the end of the band's farewell tour in 2025. Of his membership with the Eagles, Gill stated in an interview with Taste of Country in 2018 that he had a sense of "gratitude" for the other band members choosing him as Frey's replacement, but also added, "in my heart of hearts I wish I wasn’t doing it. That would mean Glenn would still be around, but life is what it is and you just go do what you can do because of what happens. Those songs deserve to live on as long as they can."

His next release on MCA was 2019's Okie. Once again, Gill produced with Niebank, in addition to playing guitar alongside Jedd Hughes and Tom Bukovac. According to Taste of Country, Gill conceived the album as more autobiographical than his previous works. The track "Letter to My Mama" was promoted as the first single. The track features Gill playing Dobro. Jurek considered the album "a laid-back collection of original songs that are more poignant and more nakedly autobiographical and topical than anything he's previously issued." The album included a song about Amy Grant titled "When My Amy Prays", which won Gill the Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance after release. With 22 wins from this association, Gill has the most wins of any male country music artist.

A second collaborative album with Paul Franklin followed in 2023. Titled Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & the Cherokee Cowboys, it features the two covering songs by Ray Price. In an interview with Variety, both musicians stated that they wanted to do a second album following Bakersfield, and chose Ray Price because both had contributed to some of his later albums.

Work for other artists
Gill is known for a large number of collaborative works as a duet partner, session musician, songwriter, and backing vocalist. Of his prolificacy as a collaborative artist, Brown stated in 1998 that Gill often sang harmony for other artists because he enjoyed doing so. One of his first collaborations came in 1987 when Emmylou Harris chose Gill to appear on her album Angel Band, a compilation of gospel music standards. Gill played mandolin and sang backing vocals on the project, which also included Emory Gordy Jr. and bluegrass musician Carl Jackson. Alabama recorded one of Gill's compositions, "Here We Are", on their 1990 album Pass It On Down. Their version went to number two on the country music charts in 1991. In 1991, Mark O'Connor recorded a cover version of Carl Perkins' "Restless" for his album The New Nashville Cats. This rendition featured O'Connor on fiddle, with Gill, Steve Wariner, and Ricky Skaggs alternating on lead vocals and guitar. Credited to Mark O'Connor & the New Nashville Cats, this rendition went to number 25 on the country charts. All four artists won Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals in 1992 for this song, as well as CMA Vocal Event of the Year. Gill covered the Eagles' "I Can't Tell You Why" for the late-1993 tribute album Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles, with then-former Eagles member Timothy B. Schmit on backing vocals and Jim Horn on soprano saxophone. While not officially promoted as a single, this cover reached number 42 on Hot Country Songs due to unsolicited airplay. On two occasions, Gill collaborated with Asleep at the Wheel on a cover of a Bob Wills song. The first was "Red Wing" on the 1993 album Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys; the second was "Bob's Breakdowns" from Ride with Bob: A Tribute to Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys six years later. Both collaborations won Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance in their respective years of release. Gill's third instrumental Grammy Award win came in 2001 on a rendition of Earl Scruggs's "Foggy Mountain Breakdown", done for the collaboration album Earl Scruggs and Friends.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Gill was a frequent collaborator of Patty Loveless. Their collaborative work began with him singing backing vocals on her 1987 self-titled debut album, and also on her 1989 hit "Timber, I'm Falling in Love". Conversely, she sang on his "When I Call Your Name", "Pocket Full of Gold", and "Go Rest High on That Mountain". In 1994, Gill contributed to two collaborations. First was "House of Love", a duet with Amy Grant from her album of the same name. The song was a top-40 hit on the Hot 100 after its release. Gill's other collaboration in 1994 was on Kermit Unpigged, an album released by Jim Henson performing in-character as the Muppets alongside a number of musical guests. On this album, Gill and Henson in-character as Kermit the Frog recorded a cover of the Lovin' Spoonful's "Daydream"; this cover reached number 65 on the Canadian RPM country charts. A year later, Gill sang a duet with Dolly Parton on a re-recording of her hit "I Will Always Love You" on her album Something Special. Gill had originally wanted to wait until after "Go Rest High on That Mountain" to release the duet version of "I Will Always Love You". However, demand from radio caused the duet to chart prematurely and ascend the charts simultaneously with "Go Rest High on That Mountain", and Gill chose not to intervene. Gill co-wrote and provided backing vocals on the track "You Just Get One", recorded in 1995 by Ty Herndon on his debut album What Mattered Most. Jeff Wood later released a version of the song in 1997, which featured Gill on both lead guitar and mandolin. Also in 1997, both Gill and Alison Krauss were credited for their backing vocals on Mark Chesnutt's "It's Not Over"; the three had originally recorded it in 1992 for Chesnutt's album Longnecks & Short Stories, but Chesnutt chose to include it on his 1997 album Thank God for Believers and release it as a single as he thought the song still had potential as a single. In 1998, Gill won another Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance, as a featured performer on Randy Scruggs's "A Soldier's Joy" from his album Crown of Jewels. In 1999, Gill sang duet vocals on Barbra Streisand's "If You Ever Leave Me".

Gill and Sheryl Crow were both credited for their backing vocals on Brooks & Dunn's "Building Bridges", a top-five country hit in 2006. Brad Paisley's 2008 instrumental album Play: The Guitar Album featured Gill as one of several instrumentalists on the track "Cluster Pluck", which accounted for Gill's fourth Grammy win in the category of Best Country Instrumental Performance. Gill was featured on Kelly Clarkson's 2012 single "Don't Rush" as well. A year later he co-produced Ashley Monroe's album Like a Rose and co-wrote two songs on it. The two toured with Charlie Worsham in 2015. Between late 2016 and early 2017, Gill was credited for his backing vocals and lead guitar on Chris Young's "Sober Saturday Night", which also went to number one on the country charts. Gill also charted in 2017 as a guest vocalist on Maren Morris's promotional single "Dear Hate", written in response to the 2017 Las Vegas shooting. The song was Gill's 65th entry on the country charts.

Three notable multi-artist collaborations have featured Gill as a performer. First was "Tomorrow's World", a charity single written by Kix Brooks and Pam Tillis featuring over 20 country music singers, and released by Warner Records to honor the 20th anniversary of Earth Day. In 1996, he participated in "Hope: Country Music's Quest for a Cure", a charity single by the T.J. Martell Foundation to honor cancer and leukemia research. He also participated in the 2016 collaboration "Forever Country", a medley of "I Will Always Love You", "On the Road Again", and "Country Roads, Take Me Home" recorded by 30 country artists to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Country Music Association. This collaboration went to number one on the Billboard country charts under the credit "Artists of Then, Now, and Forever".

Musical style
Gill's music is defined by his tenor voice, guitar playing, and breadth of influences. The editors of The Encyclopedia of Country Music wrote of Gill, "With an aching tenor, award-winning songwriting skills, and virtuoso guitar chops that rivals those of any ace Nashville session player, Vince Gill is one of today's biggest country superstars." His vocal style has also been noted for its bluegrass music phrasing. Steve Huey of AllMusic describes Gill as "one of the most respected musicians in the history of country music". He characterizes Gill's early work as influential in the neotraditional country movements of the late 1980s to early 1990s, but thought his membership in both Pure Prairie League and the Eagles showed an interest in his music outside of country music as well. Sarah Rodman of Entertainment Weekly referred to Gill as "the Oklahoma native with the tenor kissed by angels and the guitar prowess of a man who made a deal with the devil" and stated that he "rose to become one of the most respected names in country music, often serving as a link between the classic artists that preceded him and the generation of stars that have followed in his footsteps." Jeffrey B. Remz, writing for Country Standard Time, stated that Gill "was a fine singer with his sturdy tenor, and his guitar playing has always been considered top notch. A heavy touring schedule resulted from his success with concerts sometimes going on for three hours. He was not a paint-by-the-numbers kind of country performer." Joe Bosso of Guitar World describes Gill as having "virtuosic and sweetly expressive solos" in both flatpicking and fingerstyle guitar; in the same article, Gill himself stayed that he "play[s] what's necessary". Of his guitar playing, Jo Sgammato stated that his playing lead guitar while also being a vocalist was uncommon among country music artists; she also noted that critics had compared his style to Eric Clapton and Chet Atkins.

Gill cites Merle Haggard as one of his main influences. In 2003, he stated in an interview with Country Standard Time, "he's the greatest singer, the greatest phraser, and then on top of that, his songs are really poetic." He has also named female artists he grew up on, such as Patsy Cline and Kitty Wells, as influences. Outside of country, Gill has also named Bruce Springsteen and John Fogerty as influences, as he considered their works to have "honesty". Gill said that he characterized his own songwriting by "simplicity", a characteristic he also thought was present in the works of Hank Williams. Jo Sgammato also noted in The Vince Gill Story that Gill's albums had a higher number of songs written by him than his contemporaries did. She also thought the track "Nothing Like a Woman" from I Still Believe in You had a Motown influence due to Gill's "high, wailing chorus", while comparing both "Say Hello" from the same album and "Don't Come Cryin' to Me" from The Key to the Bakersfield sound. Additionally, Sgammato observed that Gill tended to have hits with ballads more frequently than with up-tempo material, although she cited "Liza Jane" and "One More Last Chance" as successful examples of the latter.

Gill has also been named as an influence by other artists. Jason Sellers played bass guitar in Gill's road band in the late 1990s, and consulted Gill a number of times for career advice prior to singing with BNA Records in 1997. In a review of his debut album, Jeff Davis of Country Standard Time thought that Sellers idolized Gill and was "imitative" of him. In turn, Sellers filled in for Gill on a number of live performances of "Don't Rush" where Gill was unavailable. Country and bluegrass singer Charlie Worsham has named Gill as an influence, and claimed that "Liza Jane" was one of the first songs he learned to play on guitar. In 2018, Gill gave Worsham a custom-made guitar, which Worsham played on his second album Beginning of Things.

Personal life

In April 1980, Gill married singer Janis Oliver, who would join her sister Kristine in the country duo Sweethearts of the Rodeo later in the decade. Gill wrote both "Everybody's Sweetheart" and "The Radio" about his relationship to her. The two divorced in 1997, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason behind their divorce. The couple had one daughter, Jenifer "Jenny" Gill, of whom Janis assumed custody following their divorce. Jenny has contributed to her father's albums on a number of occasions, including Let There Be Peace on Earth. Steve Huey, writing for AllMusic, noted that many critics thought songs from The Key were influenced by the divorce from Oliver. Gill began dating contemporary Christian music singer Amy Grant in 1999 following her divorce from singer Gary Chapman. The two married on March 10, 2000. AllMusic writer Thom Jurek thought that certain tracks on Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye were inspired by his marriage to Grant, which occurred during the recording of that album. Shortly after their marriage, the couple had a daughter named Corrinna. In 2023, Corrinna Gill began releasing her own music online.

Gill is known for his pleasant demeanor and frequent involvements in charity works, leading many publications to refer to him as the "nicest guy in Nashville". In an article for The Washington Post republished in The Palm Beach Post, journalist Richard Harrington described Gill as "perpetually affable, easily approachable, [and] ego-deficient." Gill enjoys golf and in 1993 started a golf charity known as the Vinny Pro-Celebrity Golf Invitational, which raises money for children's golf in the state of Tennessee. Gill received a 2003 Distinguished Service Award from Professional Golfers' Association of America to honor this charity. In 1995, Gill held a concert to benefit the American Red Cross following the Oklahoma City bombing. Overall, Gill is credited with contributing to over 60 charities, including All for the Hall, an annual benefit concert for the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Gill and Grant both live in Nashville, Tennessee, where he also owns a recording studio.

Studio albums

 * The Things That Matter (1985)
 * The Way Back Home (1987)
 * When I Call Your Name (1989)
 * Pocket Full of Gold (1991)
 * I Still Believe in You (1992)
 * Let There Be Peace on Earth (1993)
 * When Love Finds You (1994)
 * Souvenirs (1995)
 * High Lonesome Sound (1996)
 * The Key (1998)
 * Breath of Heaven: A Christmas Collection (1998)
 * Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye (2000)
 * Next Big Thing (2003)
 * These Days (2006)
 * Guitar Slinger (2011)
 * Bakersfield (with Paul Franklin) (2013)
 * Down to My Last Bad Habit (2016)
 * Okie (2019)
 * Sweet Memories (with Paul Franklin) (2023)

Awards and nominations
Gill has won 22 Grammy Awards, eight Academy of Country Music awards, and 18 Country Music Association awards.

title: Vince Gill


text:
Meixian, Meizhou

Meixian District is a district of Meizhou City, in northeastern Guangdong Province, China. The district is an important Hakka settlement and is the ancestral home of many Hakka descendants living in Taiwan.

History
Its original name was Chengxiang county (程鄕) during the southern Han Dynasty where it was first created, all the way to the Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties, and then renamed Jiaying county during the Qing dynasty. It only obtained the name Meixian in 1911 during the Xinhai Revolution.

Geography
Meixian almost completely surrounds Meizhou's central urban Meijiang District. This is due to the old urban core of Meixian becoming separated from the bulk of the county in the territorial reorganization following the 1949 establishment of the People's Republic of China, when it was given equal status.

Ethno-linguistic make-up
Meixian is noted for its large Hakka population.

Administrative divisions
Meixian has administrative jurisdiction over one subdistrict and 18 towns.

 * Subdistrict:
 * Xincheng

 * Towns:
 * Chendong (城东镇)
 * Shisan (石扇镇)
 * Meixi (梅西镇)
 * Daping (大坪镇)
 * Shikeng (石坑镇)
 * Shuiche (水车镇)
 * Meinan (梅南镇)
 * Bincun (丙村镇)
 * Baidu (白渡镇)
 * Songyuan (松源镇)
 * Longwen (隆文镇)
 * Taoyao (桃尧镇)
 * Shejiang (畲江镇)
 * Yanyang (雁洋镇)
 * Songkou (松口镇)
 * Nankou (南口镇)
 * Chengjiang (程江镇)
 * Fuda (扶大镇)

Culture
With a majority Hakka population, Meixian, along with Dabu County, is known as the home of Standard Hakka.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Meixian, Meizhou


text:
Patrons of Industry

The Patrons of Industry in Canada were based on the Patrons of Industry of Michigan that had formed in 1889. It was dedicated to upholding and encouraging the moral, social, intellectual, political and financial situation of farmers and to preserve the way of life that existed in farming communities in the late nineteenth century against encroaching industrialization. It cooperated with the urban labour movement to address the political frustrations of both groups with big business.

The Patrons' first appearance in Canada was The Grand Association of the Patrons of Industry in Ontario, founded in 1890. It declared itself independent of the U.S. group in 1891.

Although centred in Ontario, the organization branched out into Manitoba (see Patrons of Industry in Manitoba), Alberta, Quebec and the Maritime provinces. The Patrons' membership exceeded 30,000 at its peak.

In the Maritimes, the Patrons of industry had some successes but soon collapsed. in the 1895 New Brunswick general election, two Patrons of Industry MLAs were elected. Duncan Marshall in 1895 established more than eighty lodges in Prince Edward Island alone. He also edited a Charlottetown weekly newspaper "The Patron of Industry". He contested a by-election in 1896 but the organization was unable to break into the established two-party alignment in the province and was soundly defeated. Marshal left the province soon after the election (and would go on to be a cabinet minister in Alberta and in Ontario), and the movement in the region collapsed.

The Patrons ran candidates in the 1894 Ontario provincial election. Three Patrons of Industry candidates were elected, and 13 other members of the Legislative Assembly were elected with Patrons of Industry support — 12 Liberals and one Conservative.

The Patrons of Industry ran 31 candidates (including three in Manitoba and one in Quebec) in the 1896 federal election (see below). Several, including David Dickson Rogers, William Varney Pettet, John Tolmie and Douglas Moffat, were elected, Rogers by acclamation.

The party was soon divided on the question of cooperation with the Ontario Liberal Party, and the group was virtually extinct by 1900. Both Rogers and Pettet ran for re-election in the 1900 federal election but not under the Patrons banner.

The party achieved a few gains for farmers, such as institution of a cooling-off period to ban Ontario defeated politicians from holding office in government for one year after defeat and a cut in tariffs effected in 1894.

1896 federal candidates

 * Manitoba
 * W. Postlethwhaite, Brandon
 * Charles Baithwaite, Macdonald
 * G. A. J. A. Marshall, Marquette

 * Ontario
 * James Tolton, Bruce East
 * John G. Adams, Cornwall and Stormont
 * Charles Jonas Thornton, Durham West
 * J. P. Martyn, Elgin East
 * Alexander A. McKillop, Elgin West
 * Daniel Willis Mason, Essex North
 * David Dickson Rogers, Frontenac
 * James Lockie Wilson, Glengarry
 * James Bowes, Grey East
 * William Allan, Grey South
 * S. A. Beck, Haldimand and Monck
 * James Balcanquel, Hastings East
 * G. Mcl. Kilty, Huron West
 * James Miller, Lanark North
 * James H. Horton, Leeds South
 * E. B. Switzer, Lennox
 * William McGuire, Norfolk North
 * George Walker, Norfolk South
 * C. A. Mallory, Northumberland East
 * John C. Rosevear, Northumberland West
 * Duncan Graham, Ontario North
 * Henry Joseph Cloran, Prescott
 * William Varney Pettet, Prince Edward
 * Robert A. Jamieson, Renfrew South
 * D. C. Anderson, Simcoe East
 * Thomas W. Lennox, Simcoe South
 * John Brown, York West

 * Quebec
 * Francis F. Wellard, Compton

title: Patrons of Industry


text:
Talk:Pacific Islands Forum

Comments
Yes? -Itai 21:05, 21 Feb 2004 (UTC)

Editing assistance needed Someone has inserted a summary bar at the bottom of this article which implies that the Cook Islands and Niue are included in New Zealand's membership of the Forum as "Self Governing Territories". Whilst they are indeed self governing territories of New Zealand, the Cook Islands and Niue are actually full members of the Forum in their own right, in equality with all other members, and should be classed here as such. Trouble is - I don't know how to edit this membership "object". Can anyone do it for me? --Timonroad 20:56, 1 May 2005 (UTC)

Biketawa
The Bougainville and Tonga operations mentioned in the article are not conducted under the Biketawa Declaration. That should be corrected. Henning Blatt 17:00, 12 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Please see Five pillars and go for it! Newportm (talk) 04:32, 23 August 2008 (UTC)

Population 7,810,905????
Australias population alone is triple this, and when combined with the populations of other members, surely it would be much higher? I'm going to correct the population figures.211.28.54.73 (talk) 11:57, 24 May 2008 (UTC)

The actual population of all of these countries, according to the population data given by wikipedia on each of these nations, is 34,137,339. I will do the editing.211.28.54.73 (talk) 12:12, 24 May 2008 (UTC)

Regional trade blocks table
Nice table, but it is hard to figure out which row of data pertains to the countries mentioned in this article, if any. An annotation would help, or distinguishing formatting if that is not too challenging. Newportm (talk) 23:03, 12 August 2008 (UTC)
 * I added an annotation about PARTA preceeding the table. Newportm (talk) 07:26, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Wallis and Futuna
Wallis and Futuna has been observer since 2006, and will probably become associate member during this week meeting. The map would need to be modified Nevers (talk) 17:21, 19 August 2008 (UTC)
 * The decision has been postponed until 2010, but anyway W&F is observer. Nevers (talk) 08:43, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS)
Is the Pacific Islands Forum equivalent to the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat? Should the text and red wikilink in this article be changed? Newportm (talk) 18:58, 16 April 2009 (UTC)
 * No, the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat is the secretariat of the Pacific Islands Forum. The Forum is established under Article I of the Agreement Establishing the Pacific Islands Forum; the Secretariat under Article IV -- they're quite separate things (although obviously closely linked). Dan (talk) 08:43, 29 July 2009 (UTC)

 * The Secretariat is established by the Agreement Establishing the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat of 2000. The Forum itself is established by the Agreement Establishing the Pacific Islands Forum of 2005, which is not in force yet (and which will eventually terminate the 2000 agreement). Right now the Forum simply is a political gathering without a legal foundation. Henning Blatt (talk) 15:42, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

Melanesian Spearhead Group
Some updating needed here. The "new millenium" has been here for nine years now. Caeruleancentaur (talk) 11:05, 3 May 2009 (UTC)
 * True, but also it doesn't make a lot of sense to have information on the MSG here when the MSG is quite separate from the PIF. The fact that "Melanesian Spearhead Group" redirects here when this entry doesn't mention the MSG, just its trade agreement, is also a concern.  There is also a revised version of the MSGTA in force based on the negative list approach. Dan (talk) 08:43, 29 July 2009 (UTC)

 * MSG has nothing to do with PIF. Anybody please move the MSG section to a separate article. Henning Blatt (talk) 15:45, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

Common Currency
The comment that Tonga is the only "smaller island nation" with its own currency is confusing if not misleading. Tonga is not defined as a Small Island State under the PACER, and is certainly not the only FIC with its own currency (PNG Kina, Solomon Dollar, Fiji Dollar, Vanuatu Vatu, Samoan Lata...). This statement ought to be removed. Dan (talk) 08:43, 29 July 2009 (UTC)

 * PIF is not proposing a common currency. This section has nothing to do with PIF. Any objection against a complete delete? Henning Blatt (talk) 15:47, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

Is PIF a Customs Union?
In the navbox template at page bottom, should the Pacific Islands Forum be listed as one of the customs unions? Here is a link to the template: Template:Trade. Newportm (talk) 14:24, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
 * (Responding to own post) After reviewing a few resources, it seems to me that PIF is not a customs union yet, but forming such a group is part of what PARTA is working toward. Newportm (talk) 14:31, 29 July 2009 (UTC)

GDP is wrong
the GD per capita is just too low, consider 25 out of 35 lve in aus and NZ both with 30000 + gdpprcapita's. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.217.59.87 (talk) 03:15, 3 October 2009 (UTC)

I updated the GDP per capita, GDP, and population. I'm not sure who did it originally, or where they got their data, but the data should make more sense now. Calculated based on IMF and CIA factbook data.210.215.140.180 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 04:09, 12 October 2009 (UTC).

 * P.S. If you want the definitive GDP figures for most of these countries, see the Pacific Islands Regional Information System website.
 * --Timonroad (talk) 12:05, 12 October 2009 (UTC)

Forum Leaders Meeting Chair
The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) web site states that the role of meeting chair is generally assumed by the head of government of the country hosting the Forum's annual meeting. From September 7, 2011, here is reference to Mr. Slade, Secretary-General of PIF Secretariat, welcoming and thanking Mr. Key, Prime Minister of New Zealand, for hosting the meeting. I provide this talk page entry because the IP editor gave no edit summary and provided no citation when he provided Key's name in the article infobox. –Newportm (talk • contribs) 04:36, 26 October 2011 (UTC)

 * The correct designation is Forum Chair. Henning Blatt (talk) 17:10, 26 October 2011 (UTC)

Dialogue Partners
Updated the dialogue partners per PIF Secretariat page. –Newportm (talk • contribs) 04:28, 13 January 2015 (UTC)

External links modified
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I have just modified 2 external links on Pacific Islands Forum. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20130531002429/http://www.forumsec.org/_resources/article/files/PICTA%20Text.pdf to http://www.forumsec.org/_resources/article/files/PICTA%20Text.pdf
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20130530213931/http://www.forumsec.org/_resources/article/files/PICTA%20Status%20Report.pdf to http://www.forumsec.org/_resources/article/files/PICTA%20Status%20Report.pdf

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Palau's Withdrawal - Map
Palau withdrew from the Pacific Islands Forum on February 4th and is no longer a member. Could somebody update the maps on the article to reflect this? Thanks. Bibliopole5795 (talk) 04:51, 8 February 2021 (UTC)
 * Reflecting recent events, can somebody please update the maps to reflect the five states' exit from the Forum? Thanks. Bibliopole5795 (talk) 01:23, 9 February 2021 (UTC)
 * Done, back to being the South Pacific Forum I suppose. CMD (talk) 01:56, 9 February 2021 (UTC)

 * There has been only public declarations of intents recently since February 2021, but still no official withdraw in April 2021. The PIF secretariat has still not received any formal decision, and not even initiated any withdrawal discussions and negociations. So the only thing seen for now is a closure of a few diplomatic missions (estimated as "non longer necessary", but still the Micronesian countries maintain their official "warm" relations). Beware when you read the news or when some political leaders affirm something that is not confirmed by legal instruments.
 * For now the 5 Micronesian countries are still full members of the Forum (and the procedures for the 2021 nomination of the PIF secretary are still not terminated: Meg Taylor is still the elected secretary currently in charge, and the newly elected Henry Puna has still not taken his office -- planned later, but not before May 2021, and this may still be postponed, with Meg Taylor possibly continuting the interim if nomination and vote procedures are not terminated: there are still lot of negociations to find a solution to this crisis which may just be temporary). As well they are still all full member of the larger Pacific Union (in which PIF is now a subregional entity, with just larger goals).
 * They should have not been removed early just by reading some news or personal opinions of some political leaders (all the linked references are just news articles in various medias, all of them informal, none of them from any official legal source of these 5 countries!) without initiating any formal procedure that would be negociated and accepted by all parties (so clearly the withdrawal is completely unsourced): see how it took many years of negociations before UK could ratify the "brexit", and until this was effective by ratification by UK and the EU, UK was still a full member of the EU and had to implement all the EU legal framework (and still even now that brexit is effective, there are still binding conditions still enforceable for several years to make the transition and compensate all third parties to honor all existing contracts and binding agreements).
 * The same will apply to any withdrawal attempt from any international organization: the legal ratification instruments are strongly enforceable as long as the ratified procedures are not formally registered with an effective date of application (which includes a delay and a transition period): the all preexisting instruments are deposited near other international organizations (including the United Nations) and observers as they have legal consequences in many other countries, and in many justice courts (which will continue to enact later in case of any conflicts still existing for their application which will remain valid until the effective date of withdrawal even if courts make their decisions later). verdy_p (talk) 11:25, 4 April 2021 (UTC)

The five Micronesian countries have not yet formally left the Forum. What happened in February 2021 is that Palau (followed by the other four) began the process that will lead to withdrawal. They are expected to formally withdraw "by February 2022". So for now they are still members; the article should be corrected to indicate that. Aridd (talk) 10:30, 8 August 2021 (UTC)
 * I changed "Former" to "Departing" in the table. The text already notes the lengthy time needed to leave. Noting as well that you have restored the previous map version. What else needs to be updated? CMD (talk) 14:05, 8 August 2021 (UTC)
 * Thanks. In the infobox, the "Membership" tab doesn't list the Micronesian countries, and data concerning those countries seems to have been removed from every aspect of that inbox (such as the list of currencies). Aridd (talk) 09:33, 9 August 2021 (UTC)
 * I've put back the members and entirely removed the list of currencies and time zones, as trivia unrelated to the PIF itself. CMD (talk) 10:25, 9 August 2021 (UTC)
 * Note that Kiribati's withdrawal has confirmed, at least as per RNZ, so why don't we partly re-edit that map file to indicate this as a "former member"? --Liuxinyu970226 (talk) 06:41, 18 October 2022 (UTC)
 * This also suggests Kiribati is out, despite others remaining in. They're still on the PIF website though? Perhaps there are some formalities we are unaware of, much like the previous announcements of withdrawal. Or perhaps it's a diplomatic tussle. CMD (talk) 07:30, 18 October 2022 (UTC)
 * PIF website... Let's say it outdated, too many decade-old materials that are even lack of useful informations on their opinion of Russo-invasion. NB: A likely case can be found just via CIS website, they still show Ukraine as a member despite UKRexit already happened per Kyivpost. Liuxinyu970226 (talk) 08:03, 18 October 2022 (UTC)
 * Palau, the FSM, the Marshall Islands and Nauru are definitely remaining members. Kiribati confirmed its withdrawal "with immediate effect", so I think we can consider that Kiribati is now out. I'm not sure what the formal conditions for withdrawal might be, but as Kiribati considers itself out and is no longer participating, we can realistically consider it as a former member. Aridd (talk) 22:55, 20 October 2022 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the. —Community Tech bot (talk) 16:56, 2 June 2023 (UTC)
 * Pacific Islands Forum Flag.svg

title: Talk:Pacific Islands Forum


text:
Oostvaardersplassen

The Oostvaardersplassen is a nature reserve in the Netherlands, managed by the Staatsbosbeheer (state forestry service). Covering about 56 km2 in the province of Flevoland, it is an experiment  in rewilding. It is in a polder created in 1968; by 1989, its ecological interest had resulted in its being declared a Ramsar wetland. It became part of Nieuw Land National Park when that was established in 2018.

Geography
The Oostvaardersplassen is located in the municipality of Lelystad, between the towns of Lelystad and Almere, in the province of Flevoland in the Netherlands. The area of 56 km2 is situated on the shore of the Markermeer in the center of the Flevopolder. The Oostvaardersplassen can be divided into a wet area in the northwest and a dry area in the southeast.

Wet and dry areas
In the wet area along the Markermeer, there are large reedbeds on clay, where moulting geese often feed. This area is also home to great cormorant, common spoonbill, great egret, white-tailed eagle and Eurasian bittern, among many other animals. Oostvaardersplassen is a Special Protection Area for birdlife.

Before the establishment of the reserve, the dry area was a nursery for willow trees, and in the first year hundreds of seedlings could be found on each square metre. This led to concern that a dense woodland would develop, significantly reducing the value of the habitat for water birds. To avoid this, the park's managers brought in a number of large herbivores to keep the area more open, including Konik ponies, red deer and Heck cattle. These large grazing animals are kept out in the open all year round without supplemental feeding for the winter and early spring, and are allowed to behave as wild animals (without, for example, for now, castrating males). The ecosystem developing under their influence is thought to resemble those that would have existed on European river banks and deltas before human disturbance. However, there is some controversy about how natural the ecosystem is, as it lacks top predators.

Large herbivores
Before they were driven to extinction, large herbivores in this part of Europe included the tarpan (wild horse), wisent (European bison), red deer and aurochs (wild cattle). The tarpan and aurochs are extinct, but Konik ponies and Heck cattle are able to act as functional equivalents, occupying a similar ecological niche. The only native large herbivores now missing from Oostvaardersplassen are the elk (Alces alces), the wild boar and the wisent. There is a chance that the wild boar will find its way naturally from the Veluwe.

Management
The reserve is the subject of decades of management reports  and protests against the large reported number of grazers dying by starvation or shot to death,  while the animals are kept behind a fence and cannot migrate. During a particularly harsh winter in 2005, many animals in the Oostvaardersplassen died of starvation, leading to public outcry against alleged animal cruelty and leading to the culling strategy. In the winter of 2017–2018, almost 3.300 deer, horses and cattle starved to death dividing the Dutch public and leading to demonstrations and individuals feeding hay to the animals despite police arrests.

The Province asked the Van Geel Commission to write a policy which was presented in April and approved on 11 July 2018. This Van Geel report advised to manage the terrain instead of rewilding. The consequence is a reduction of the numbers of remaining animals either by replacing or shooting which led to another outburst of protests and court cases.

Mass mortalities were likely also caused by failure to connect the reserve to the Veluwe nearby due to conflicts with farmers and a lack of political support, abandonment of OostvaardersWold due to political transition, and failure to introduce large predators.

Future development
In many ways the Oostvaardersplassen is an isolated area; it is in a polder and there are currently no corridors connecting it to other nature reserves. The "Ecological Main Structure" plan proposes connections between nature reserves in the Netherlands, calling for a corridor to be created toward nearby. The resulting network, called Oostvaardersland, would be part of Natura 2000, the European-wide network of habitats to which Oostvaardersplassen belongs. The creation of Oostvaardersland will allow seasonal small scale migration and take some strain off the big grazers in winter. In the summer, Oostvaardersplassen will offer rich grazing and the sea winds will keep biting insects at bay, in the winter, the Horsterwold will offer protection from cold winds and supply browse. Oostvaardersland will comprise a total area of 150 km2. Furthermore, there is an option for a connection to the Veluwe forest. Eventually this could allow wild animals to move to and from Germany.

Oostvaardersland was expected to be finished by 2014. However, the project ran into financial and political troubles. In 2012 the creation of, the 7 × 1 mi connecting corridor between Oostvaardersplassen and the Horsterwold, was stopped, and four members of the regional parliament resigned. The government then planned to sell back the property to the previous owners for less money than it originally paid for the property; according to European nature laws it would then have to turn other lands into wilderness areas to compensate for the loss of the Oostvaarderswold nature area.

As above-mentioned, the plan to connect to the veluwe in Gelderland also failed.

title: Oostvaardersplassen


text:
Clockmaker

A clockmaker is an artisan who makes and/or repairs clocks. Since almost all clocks are now factory-made, most modern clockmakers only repair clocks. Modern clockmakers may be employed by jewellers, antique shops, and places devoted strictly to repairing clocks and watches. Clockmakers must be able to read blueprints and instructions for numerous types of clocks and time pieces that vary from antique clocks to modern time pieces in order to fix and make clocks or watches. The trade requires fine motor coordination as clockmakers must frequently work on devices with small gears and fine machinery.

Originally, clockmakers were master craftsmen who designed and built clocks by hand. Since modern clockmakers are required to repair antique, handmade or one-of-a-kind clocks for which parts are not available, they must have some of the design and fabrication abilities of the original craftsmen. A qualified clockmaker can typically design and make a missing piece for a clock without access to the original component.

Clockmakers generally do not work on watches; the skills and tools required are different enough that watchmaking is a separate field, handled by another specialist, the watchmaker.

Origins and specialities
The earliest use of the term clokkemaker is said to date from 1390, about a century after the first mechanical clocks appeared. From the beginning in the 15th century through the 17th century, clockmaking was considered the "leading edge", most technically advanced trade existing. Historically, the best clockmakers often also built scientific instruments, as for a long time they were the only craftsmen around trained in designing precision mechanical apparatus. In one example, the harmonica was invented by a young German clockmaker, which was then mass-produced by another clockmaker, Matthias Hohner.

Prior to 1800 clocks were entirely handmade, including all their parts, in a single shop under a master clockmaker. Examples of these complex movements can be seen in the many longcase clocks constructed in the 16th and 17th centuries. By the 19th century, clock parts were beginning to be made in small factories, but the skilled work of designing, assembling, and adjusting the clock was still done by clockmaking shops. By the 20th century, interchangeable parts and standardized designs allowed the entire clock to be assembled in factories, and clockmakers specialized in repair of clocks.

In Germany, Nuremberg and Augsburg were the early clockmaking centers, and the Black Forest came to specialize in wooden cuckoo clocks.

Guilds
As the art of making clocks became more widespread and distinguished, guilds specifically for this trade emerged around the sixteenth century. One of the first guilds developed in London, England, known as the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers; the group formed after a small number of foreign-trained clockmakers spent time working in London. A requirement of joining the guild was to practise their craft and gain as much experience as possible, along with joining one of many other trade guilds, such as the Blacksmiths, Stationers, or Drapers Company. There are many guilds where clockmakers meet to buy, sell and get clocks to repair from customers, the IWJG is one of the most prominent in the world.

Quality control and standards were imposed on clockmakers by the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, a guild which licensed clockmakers for doing business. By the rise of consumerism in the late 18th century, clocks, especially pocket watches, became regarded as fashion accessories and were made in increasingly decorative styles. By 1796, the industry reached a high point with almost 200,000 clocks being produced annually in London. However, by the mid-19th century the industry had gone into steep decline from Swiss competition. Switzerland established itself as a clockmaking center following the influx of Huguenot craftsmen, and in the 19th century the Swiss industry "gained worldwide supremacy in high-quality machine-made watches". The leading firm of the day was Patek Philippe founded by Antoni Patek of Warsaw and Adrien Philippe of Bern.

Tools
Early clockmakers fashioned all the intricate parts and wheelwork of clocks by hand, using hand tools. They developed specialized tools to help them.

 * Balance Truing Caliper: This device was used in fashioning the wheels and gearwork of the clock, to make sure the wheel, particularly the balance wheel was balanced and circular. The pivots of the wheel were mounted in the caliper.  An index arm was moved next to the edge and the wheel was spun to see if the edge was true.
 * Die/Screw Plate: The die plate was used to cut threads on small screws. It had a number of threaded die holes of different sizes for making different threads.  A piece of wire was inserted in a hole and turned to cut a thread on the end.  Then a head would be formed on the other end of the wire to make a screw.
 * File: Hardened steel files were used to shape the metal before it was used to make and fit wheels or plates. There were many variations of files.
 * Rivet Extracting Pliers: Made of brass or steel, rivet extracting pliers were used to remove rivets from assorted clock parts.
 * Jeweler’s Piercing Saw: The blade of the saw was released by undoing the thumbscrew adjacent to the handle. To start an interior cut, a hole was drilled and the blade was inserted and reattached to the saw. This device was popular among clockmakers to repair the ends of clock hands.
 * Staking tool: An iron vertical plunger was used with an array of stakes for placing rollers and balanced wheels on staffs.
 * Turns: The "turns" was a small bow-operated lathe used for furbishing parts and for working gear blanks to size. During use, the device was clamped in a vise and the worker held a cutting or polishing tool on a tee-shaped tool rest with one hand, and shifted the bow back and forth to spin the part.
 * Cross Peen Riveting Hammer: The flat end of the tool was for general use, whereas the radiused peen end was used for flattening rivet heads. This tool was used for forging, riveting, striking steel, etc.

Other uses
Clockmaker is also the name of several movies.

Deists often call God the "Clockmaker". The Temple of the Great Clockmaker, in the novel The Case Of The Dead Certainty by Kel Richards, is a temple which represents deism.

The Clock Maker Theory and the watchmaker analogy describe by way of analogy religious, philosophical, and theological opinions about the existence of god(s) that have been expressed over the years.

During the 1800s and 1900s, clocks or watches were carried around as a form of flaunting social status. They were also a way of instilling a sense of time regulation for work in the budding industrial market.

In 2004, Jim Krueger wrote a comic book entitled The Clock Maker, published by German publisher Image Publishing, that focuses on the life of a clockmaker.

Artist Tony Troy creates the Illustration titled "The Clockmaker" in 2003 for his Broadway musical "The Fluteplayer's Song".

Historical clockmakers

 * Aaron Lufkin Dennison, United Kingdom
 * Abraham Louis Breguet, France and Switzerland
 * Achille Brocot, France
 * Adolf Scheibe, Germany
 * Antide Janvier, France
 * Antoine Cronier, Paris
 * Benjamin Vulliamy, United Kingdom
 * Christiaan Huygens, Netherlands
 * David Hare, Scottish philanthropist and pioneer of modern European Education in India
 * David Rittenhouse, United States
 * Eli Terry, United States
 * Eugène Farcot, France
 * Ferdinand Berthoud, France and Switzerland
 * Franz Ketterer, Germany
 * G Bernard Ramsdale, United Kingdom
 * George Graham, United Kingdom
 * Giovanni de Dondi, Italy
 * Hans Düringer, Germany
 * Humbertus Gallet, Switzerland
 * J. B. Joyce & Company, United Kingdom
 * James Ivory, United Kingdom
 * Jean-Antoine Lépine, Franc
 * Jens Olsen, Denmark
 * Johann Andreas Klindworth, Germany
 * Johann Baptist Beha, Germany
 * John Alker, United Kingdom
 * John Arnold, United Kingdom
 * John Ellicott, United Kingdom
 * John Harrison, United Kingdom
 * John Tolson, United Kingdom
 * John Whitehurst, United Kingdom
 * Joost Bürgi, Switzerland
 * Joseph Knibb, United Kingdom
 * Konstantin Chaykin, Russia
 * Lazar the Hilandarian, late 14th- and early 15th-century Serbia and Russia
 * Martin Burgess, United Kingdom
 * Michelangelo Sapiano, Malta
 * Mikulas of Kadan
 * Peter Henlein, Germany
 * Peter Hill (1767-1820), African-American clockmaker.
 * Pierre Le Roy, France
 * Rasmus Sørnes, Norway
 * Richard Donisthorp, United Kingdom
 * Richard of Wallingford, United Kingdom
 * Salomon Coster, Netherlands
 * Sigmund Riefler, Germany
 * Simon Willard, United States
 * Smith of Derby Group, United Kingdom
 * Su Song, China
 * Thomas Tompion, United Kingdom
 * Thwaites & Reed, United Kingdom
 * Tim Hunkin (made the London Zoo Clock and the Southwold Water Clock) United Kingdom
 * Timothy Mason, United Kingdom
 * William Potts & Sons, United Kingdom

Clockmaking organizations

 * AWCI
 * British Horological Institute
 * Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH
 * Petrodvorets watch factory
 * Worshipful Company of Clockmakers

title: Clockmaker