It wasn't easy for country singer Vince Gill and his wife Amy Grant to have a happy blended family when the couple wed in 2000. Contemporary Christian music icon Grant, known for such crossover hit songs as "House of Love" and "Baby Baby," was freshly divorced from her first husband, Gary Chapman, and her three children weren't the least bit pleased when she walked down the aisle with a country music legend. The Queen of Christian Pop had first met the multi-Grammy Award winner in 1993 on his first televised special and it was an immediate friendship. Contrary to popular belief at the time, Grant wasn't immediately over her husband after the first time she met Gill.
Videos by Wide Open Country
"I didn't get a divorce because 'I had a great marriage and then along came Vince Gill," the Christian pop star explained in an interview with CCM Magazine following the divorce. "Gary and I had a rocky road from day one. I think what was so hard—and this is (what) one of our counselors said—sometimes an innocent party can come into a situation, and they're like a big spotlight. What they do is reveal, by comparison, the painful dynamics that are already in existence."
Initially, the future couple were just friends.
"When we first met, I think the first year we worked together, I remember telling Vince if I were a guy, we would have been best friends," Grant told CNN's Larry King in 2003. "We would have been running buddies. But that was really -- that's truly all it was. And November would roll around and I'd go hey, we're doing that Christmas show again. And that happened for several years. I knew hey, I get to see him at Christmas because we're going to do the benefit."
Apparently, on the actual wedding day, Grant's three children, along with Gill's daughter from his previous marriage, were far from happy.
"I laugh about our wedding day, because all of our photographs, I refer to my grim-faced children," Grant told Katie Couric. "But really, Vince and I were the only excited ones."
Fortunately, time heals all wounds, and eventually, the anger turned to love and acceptance. Here's a closer look at the five children that comprise the blended Grant/Gill household.
Matthew Garrison Chapman (Born 1987)
The only son of all of Grant's children is Matthew. He co-owns LabCanna, a CBD company with his brother-in-law Derek, "which got the first license to process hemp in the state of Tennessee," Amy revealed to Closer Weekly. "I'm very proud of them!" Otherwise, he lives a private life and pictures of him are hard to come by.
Gloria "Millie" Chapman (Born 1989)
Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images
Amy Grant's oldest daughter Gloria Millie Chapman --named after her maternal grandmother, Gloria Grant-- lives in New York City where she works in publishing. She tied the knot with her husband Ben Long in 2019 and made national news for donating a kidney to her best friend. The selfless act helped bring healing to her divorced parents, decades after their painful split.
"In the wake of a loving gift, we all came together to do our hospital vigil and it was a lot of waiting, but so much joy," Grant told the Tennessean. "It's been unbelievable, sitting around talking, looking at old family pictures."
In January 2022, Gloria gave birth to her mom's first biological grandchild, a daughter named Penelope Willow Long. Stepdaughter Jenny Gill already had two kids: son Wyatt and daughter Everly June.
Sarah Cannon Chapman (Born 1992)
Ron Wolfson/Getty Images
Not much is known about Grant's daughter Sarah outside of the fact that she's married to her husband Derek Besenius. Derek is in business with her brother Matthew and based on what we know about their business, they appear to be based in Tennessee.
Corrina Grant Gill (Born 2001)
Rick Diamond/Getty Images
Daughter Corrina is the only biological child from Grant and Gill's marriage. Born in 2001, she has been credited with helping create healing among the children after the marriage.
"[She's] the glue of this whole family," Gill told AARP. "She bonded all of us in a blood way that really did connect us."
With the genes of two successful artists, it makes sense that Corrina would want to follow in her parents' footsteps. She has an incredible voice and regularly posts videos singing on social media. She's also currently in college attending Belmont.
"Our youngest, Corrina, is studying music performance in college. She's a great singer," Grant gushed to Closer Weekly.
Corrina has joined her dad onstage at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium in Aug. 2022 to sing a song about her mom, "When My Amy Prays." At the time, Grant was healing from a bicycle accident— which happened slightly under two years after Grant underwent open-heart surgery to correct a rare congenital heart defect.
Jennifer Jerene Gill (Born 1982)
Frederick Breedon/Getty Images for NARAS
Jenny is Gill's only child from his first marriage to country singer-songwriter and Sweethearts of the Rodeo member Janis Oliver. According to Grant, she has quite the singing voice. She's sang live with her stepmom and in studio with her duet partner dad.
This story previously ran on March 11, 2021.
