He’s been called the nicest man in country music—a gentle soul with a voice like velvet and a heart to match. But even Vince Gill admits there’s a side of him few ever see. In a refreshingly honest moment, the country legend opened up about his temper, the moments that push him too far, and why owning it has made him a better man. It’s not the story fans expected—but it’s the one they’ll respect him even more for

Ask anyone in Nashville, and they’ll tell you that country music legend Vince Gill is the nicest guy around, and certainly not one to get angry easily.

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In a recently unearthed interview with Dan Rather from back in 2015, Vince Gill talked about how he got to where he is today. Gill was forthright about never having superstardom on his mind early on in his career. Rather, he only really cared about the art and the collaborative aspect of making music.

“I wanna be a better musician, I wanna play with better musicians, every step I take, I want it to be in a way that I feel like I’m improving,” he said.

Vince Gill Is Capable of Getting Angry, Despite Being Known for Being a Big Sweetheart

Eventually, the conversation took a turn toward collaboration, specifically. Gill gushed about his band and how he finds a lot of value in surrounding himself with good people. From there, how Gill has historically been seen in the music industry was brought up. Even country fans who aren’t diehard Vince Gill fans know that he’s known for being an all-around good guy. But according to Vince Gill himself, he does occasionally have an angry side.

Rather commented that even people who don’t necessarily listen to Gill’s music often say that “he’s probably the nicest guy in the music business.” He asked Gill what made him angry, and Gill was happy to answer with a bit of a laugh.

“A lot of stuff,” Gill answered. “People disrespecting my friends. That’ll set me off in a bad way. I’m a hot head. There ain’t no question about it, and it’s pretty legendary. I do a lot better as I’ve gotten older. But I play golf with a guy that was a sports psychologist. I looked at him and I said ‘Doc, I know [that] my buddies told you all the great horror stories about me’ and he laughed. He goes, ‘Yeah, you’re legendary. You’re one of the great hot heads of golf.’”

So, there you have it. Two things set Vince Gill off: People disrespecting his friends, and a bad game of golf.

Gill went on to say that his doctor friend noted that his drive and hot-headed personality likely led to his success as a musician. I’d argue that his talent pulled most of the weight in that department.