Brad Paisley

2008-07-14T00:18:00.000-07:00

Biography

Brad Paisley has stated that his love of country music stems from his maternal grandfather, who gave Paisley his first guitar at age 8 and taught him how to play. At age 12, Paisley wrote his first song, and by 13 he was an opening act for country singers such as Ricky Skaggs and George Jones.

Paisley graduated from John Marshall High School in Glen Dale, West Virginia, studied briefly at West Liberty State College (WV), and later was awarded a full-paid ASCAP scholarship to Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee (from 1993 to 1995). While in college, he met Frank Rogers, a fellow student who went on to serve as his producer. Paisley also met Kelley Lovelace, who became his songwriting partner.

After graduating from Belmont, Paisley signed a songwriting contract with EMI Music Publishing and he wrote David Kersh's top 5 hit, "Another You", as well as cuts by Tracy Byrd and David Ball. His debut as a singer was with the label Arista Nashville, with the song, "Who Needs Pictures" (released February 22, 1999). In May of that same year, he made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Seven months later he had his first #1 hit with, "He Didn't Have To Be", which detailed the story of Lovelace and Lovelace's stepson.

In 2000, Paisley was exposed to his first national non-country music oriented audience when producer, Todd Baker, tapped him to appear on the TLC special, "Route 66: Main Street America". This show featured Brad and band doing rare live and acoustic versions of Route 66. The international and home video versions of this program end with a full, un-cut acoustic rendition of the piece, which was performed live on Rainbow Bridge in Riverton, KS.

Later in 2000 Paisley won the Country Music Association's (CMA) Horizon Award and the Academy of Country Music's best new male vocalist trophy. He received his first Grammy Award nomination a year later. On February 17, 2001, after forty appearances on the show, he was inducted into the Opry Hall of Fame.

In 2002, he won the CMA Music Video of the Year for "I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)." Several celebrities made notable guest appearances in the video, including Little Jimmy Dickens, Kimberly Williams, Dan Patrick, and Jerry Springer.
Image:Alison Krauss Brad Paisley Whiskey Lullaby.jpg
Paisley performs with Alison Krauss in the successful video for "Whiskey Lullaby" from his album Mud on the Tires.

Paisley released his third album, Mud on the Tires (2003), following Who Needs Pictures and Part II. The album features the hit song "Celebrity," the video of which parodies reality shows such as Fear Factor and American Idol and included such celebrities as Jason Alexander, Jim Belushi, Little Jimmy Dickens, Trista Rehn, and William Shatner. The album's title track, "Mud on the Tires," reached Billboard #1 in 2004.

In 2005, after touring with Reba McEntire and Terri Clark on the critically acclaimed "Two Hats and a Redhead Tour," he released Time Well Wasted, containing 15 tracks. This album includes "Alcohol", two duets - "When I Get Where I'm Going" with Dolly Parton and "Out in the Parking Lot" with Alan Jackson - and a bonus track, "Cornography". On November 6, 2006, the album "Time Well Wasted" won the Country Music Association CMA Award for Best Album.

Paisley uses custom made Crook Telecaster Guitars and Dr. Z Amplifiers for his signature sound.[citation needed]

Paisley contributed two original songs to the Disney film Cars. These can be found on the film's soundtrack. This was in recognition of his contribution to the "Route 66: Main Street America" television special.

Brad Paisley currently owns a Lear Jet and bought over 100 acres in Williamson County just outside of Franklin, TN.[citation needed]

Personal life

Paisley began dating actress Kimberly Williams in 2001, on whom he'd had a crush since watching the movie Father of the Bride which, ironically enough, had been the inspiration of his "Part II" song and album since it was the movie he'd seen with an ex-girlfriend. The two married on March 15, 2003. They live in Franklin, Tennessee with another home in Los Angeles.

Paisley and Williams welcomed their first child, a son named William Huckleberry Paisley, on February 22, 2007. [1]

Discography

Albums

* 1999 Who Needs Pictures US #22 Platinum
* 2001 Part II US #31 Platinum
* 2003 Mud on the Tires US #8 2xPlatinum
* 2005 Time Well Wasted US #2 2xPlatinum
* 2006 Brad Paisley Christmas Gold
* 2007 5th Gear (to be released June 19)[1]

Singles
Year Single Album US Hot 100 US Country US Pop US Digital
1999 "Who Needs Pictures" Who Needs Pictures 65 12 - -
1999 "He Didn't Have to Be" Who Needs Pictures 25 1 - -
2000 "Hard To Be a Husband, Hard To Be a Wife"
(w/ Chely Wright)A Grand Ole Opry 75th Anniversary, Vol. 2 - 68 - -
2000 "Me Neither" Who Needs Pictures 85 18 - -
2000 "We Danced" Who Needs Pictures 29 1 - -
2001 "Too Country"
(w/ George Jones, Bill Anderson, and Buck Owens)A Part II - 58 - -
2001 "Two People Fell in Love" Part II 51 4 - -
2001 "Wrapped Around" Part II 35 2 - -
2002 "I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)" Part II 29 1 - -
2002 "I Wish You'd Stay" Part II 57 7 - -
2003 "Celebrity" Mud on the Tires 31 3 - -
2004 "Little Moments" Mud on the Tires 35 2 - -
2004 "Whiskey Lullaby" (w/ Alison Krauss) Mud on the Tires 41 3 - -
2004 "Mud on the Tires" Mud on the Tires 30 1 - -
2005 "Alcohol" Time Well Wasted 28 4 42 23
2005 "When I Get Where I'm Going" (w/ Dolly Parton) Time Well Wasted 39 1 72 67
2006 "The World" Time Well Wasted 45 1 81 -
2006 "She's Everything" Time Well Wasted 35 1 47 28
2007 "Born On Christmas Day"A A Brad Paisley Christmas - 41 - -
2007 "Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy"A A Brad Paisley Christmas - 49 - -
2007 "Penguin, James Penguin"A A Brad Paisley Christmas - 55 - -
2007 "Winter Wonderland"A A Brad Paisley Christmas - 58 - -
2007 "Kung Pao Buckaroo Holiday"A A Brad Paisley Christmas - 59 - -
2007 "Ticks"B 5th Gear 40 8