"We've been looking forward to this the whole tour," Gill, one of country music's top stars, said of the fourth stop on a 14-city circuit. He introduced 10 GIs and their spouses. They exchanged tearful greetings, holiday wishes and news about dogs, children and teens itching to drive.

"You look very lovely tonight," a serviceman said to his wife on the SBC Center stage while the audience cheered. Another said, "Tell the people in the audience that all their support makes the job over here a lot easier."

A standing ovation - in San Antonio and in Baghdad - closed the segment, aired in more than 175 countries on the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.

The husband-wife team's third holiday tour was an easygoing celebration of Christmas and its meaning, interspersed with jokes and stories from comedian Henry Cho. Through the show's almost three hours, Cho introduced himself as a Korean from Tennessee, making him a South Korean, and sprinkled jokes about everything from Wal-Mart shoppers to Santa.
John Goodspeed - Express-News Staff Writer

Don't miss K92FM's Simply Christmas with Vince Gill & Amy Grant Dec. 18th at Silver Spurs Arena! Ticket info here...

Troops take center stage with Vince & Amy
The headliners were Amy Grant and Vince Gill, but U.S. service members half a world away stole the show. A live broadcast allowed families in San Antonio and troops watching the concert in Baghdad, Iraq, to talk to each other on camera during "Simply Christmas With Amy Grant and Vince Gill" at the SBC Center on Monday night.

"We've been looking forward to this the whole tour," Gill, one of country music's top stars, said of the fourth stop on a 14-city circuit. He introduced 10 GIs and their spouses. They exchanged tearful greetings, holiday wishes and news about dogs, children and teens itching to drive.

"You look very lovely tonight," a serviceman said to his wife on the SBC Center stage while the audience cheered. Another said, "Tell the people in the audience that all their support makes the job over here a lot easier."

A standing ovation - in San Antonio and in Baghdad - closed the segment, aired in more than 175 countries on the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.

The husband-wife team's third holiday tour was an easygoing celebration of Christmas and its meaning, interspersed with jokes and stories from comedian Henry Cho. Through the show's almost three hours, Cho introduced himself as a Korean from Tennessee, making him a South Korean, and sprinkled jokes about everything from Wal-Mart shoppers to Santa.
John Goodspeed - Express-News Staff Writer

Don't miss K92FM's Simply Christmas with Vince Gill & Amy Grant Dec. 18th at Silver Spurs Arena! Ticket info here...