First, I want to say "well done!" to the web site designers. My husband and I run a web and graphic design business (nothing on this scale, obviously) and I felt I must say kudos on the excellent design work!

It's 2 am and for some reason I feel the need to ramble, so I thought I'd share with this great group of people I've discovered.

It's strange to think of myself as a newbie here, even though I've been a Vince fan for over 20 years. Fan doesn't even seem like the right word; it's more like an unknown friend you admire. I'm sure you all know what I mean.

I was just a little girl the first time I heard Vince sing. The one major thing my dad and I shared was a great love and respect of country music. We would spend hours driving around back roads listening to the local country station, singing along to the music. One of my first "favorite songs" was Cinderella. Even to this day, when I hear that song, I instantly think back to my dad's white truck with the red interior, my feet barely touching the floor and Dad turning the radio up loud so I could sing even louder. How I loved that song - and still do!!

Though "The Voice" was what hooked me, it was the sincerity and compassion of the man that I really grew up admiring. Many years after "Cinderella", when I was a Junior in high school in 1991, there was a benefit auction for NARAS and one of the items was tickets to see Vince and backstage passes for dinner with Vince before the show. I decided to give it a shot, never expecting in a million years that I would win! Well … I won! I will never EVER forget it. Long story short, my family was going through a rough time then. My parents had gone through a painful, bitter divorce and my little brother (he was 9 at the time) was really troubled. Vince was so kind; he allowed my entire family (my mom, brother and grandmother) to come backstage with me and spent the ENTIRE DAY with us. My grandmother was a mess of tears, she was so happy. My brother…well, for the first time in a long time, he was smiling and happy. Vince will never know what an impact he had on my little brother … my whole family, actually. Even my life changed as a result. Vince encouraged me to check out Belmont University in Nashville as a college option. One year later, I moved to Nashville and attended Belmont. I lived in Nashville for 7 years and met my husband there. How different would my life have been?

Anyway, this post was not intended to be about me. I've just always wanted to say THANK YOU to Vince and the way he has touched people's lives, even without knowing it. I will ALWAYS be one of his admirers and will always consider him a friend in my heart. It honestly moves me to tears. I really hope someday I will be able to thank him face to face. As I sit in the audience at his concerts, I am filled with respect and admiration … but I don't have to explain that to all of you.

Okay...I guess that's the end of my sentimental rambling...but I know you will all understand. I'm so glad to be here!

JoyLynn, You bet we all know your feelings. What a great surprise for you and your family. Vince has touched so many lives but you know.........................I think he really does know. Maybe not each individual person but it's like he said about Go Rest High.When he did it he had no idea it would become what it has. He wrote it as a celebration of his brother's life. He is now in the process of trying to get it into a hymnal. Isn't that the neatest thing. So each person he comes in contact with has a story . I believe he knows in his heart how he has touched so many through his music and his giving spirit. Thanks for sharing your Vince story with us and welcome to the fan club. Come back often. We all love those Vince stories.

Joylynn, what a great story and nice to see you have such good taste. Through the years there have been so many wonderful Vince stories on here. Thank you for sharing this one.

Trish

Hi Joylynn,
It's nice to have you join us here on the message board. What a wonderful story about how Vince influenced your life, and the kindness he has shown to you and your family. Loving Vince is something I think we all understand. I hope you get to meet him again, and remind him of that great day.

Thanks grissy,

I hope I get that opportunity someday, too!

If I may be so bold, I would like to encourage him to perform at Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis. (My husband is an event manager there. Ha,ha!)

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome. I look forward to reading everyone's stories. Take care!

JoyLynn, What a wonderful thing to have happend to you. Hope you get to meet Vince again.

JoyLynn,Welcome home to the Vince we all know and love !!!!

JoyLynn, so great to have you with us!!! And what a touching story you have shared with us!!! We love to hear stories like these...just can't get enough of them!!! Vince has truly effected all of our lives in such a positive way. I do believe that Vince feels very blessed that he has been able to touch so many people...some I'm sure he has heard about and others he may never hear about...but I do know one thing..and that is that he loves to hear the stories of the influence that his music has on people...and how his music brings a group of people together...

We're glad you found us here and hope you will remain with us!!! We love to meet new folks here!!!

Glad you are joining us JoyLynn. I enjoyed reading your story of meeting Vince. He is such a remarkable person with a great big heart.

Hi JoyLynn!! Welcome to the board. I enjoyed reading your post!!!

JoyLynn......what a wonderful experience for you and your family. Vince is a very special man and anyone who has ever met him can attest to that. I'ts no wonder he was chosen as Humanitarian of the Year! (It should read "Humanitarian of the World") I have never met a kinder sole in my life. People who do not know him will ask me...what do you see in that guy? The answer lies in stories like yours.

JoyLynn, thank you for such a candid, moving post! It is so special to hear stories about how Vince's kindness has effected our lives, and especially in times when we so needed such an emotional connection, even for just a day, to help us cope with with what life often deals us. Your story was very sweet and I do hope that you get to see Vince again soon and tell him how much he inspired you and how well you fared in Nashville, especailly meeting your husband. Hope to hear from you often on the boards.

Maggie

Welcome JoyLynn!! That was a very nice and touching story! I also would like to see Vince come to the Northrop Auditorium, or any where in Minnesota. Hint, Hint!!!!!

Thank you to everyone for your kind welcome. I'm surprised this was moved to "off topic" but I guess it's not directly about latest breaking Vince news.

Still no tour dates in Minnesota ... argh. I am excited that Amy is coming to the MN State Fair though; I'm counting the days! My very first concert when I was 11 years old was an Amy Grant concert, wow - that was 21 years ago - my how time flies. I still find it ironic that 2 of my biggest musical influences growing up were Vince and Amy ... and they end up together 20 years later!

Have a great time seeing Amy, Joylynn!!! We are going to see her in Atlana in late August...can't wait!!! It's been several months since we saw Amy and we're taking my Mother to see Amy for her 75th birthday...she'll be in Atlanta on 8/26 and my Mother's b'day is 8/27...so we should have a really good time!!! Hope the weather is nice out there at Chastain, since it's all open out there!!!

Welcome JoyLynn. Hope you get dates up there. I am hoping Vince will come back around here again. Last Jan he came within 25 miles of me, but it was right after Christmas and a fund raiser. About $200 a ticket if you wanted to get a Meet & Greet. That was too steep for me at Christmas time to get a ticket.