Brad Paisley

This country crooner was born on October 28th, 1972 in the tiny town of Glen Dale, West Virginia. His earliest memory is running down to his grandfather’s house to listen to the older man play the music of the all time greats like Chet Atkins and Merle Travis. He was only eight when that grandfather gave him his first guitar, but two years later Brad was playing it well enough to accompany himself at church and civic meetings around town. Before long he’d formed his first band and by twelve he’d written his first song. Word of the boy’s talent made its way to the program director of WWVA, a nearby country radio powerhouse. Brad spent the next eight years as a regular on the station’s legendary Saturday night show, Jamboree USA, opening for a host of traveling singers and his musical heroes. Brad took full advantage of the opportunity, soaking up their talent and their tips.

In 1999, after paying his dues to the industry during college by working as a ASCAP intern and singing and playing on the demos of other musicians, Brad Paisley broke into the business with his own hit single called, “He Didn’t’ Have to Be”. The ballad was co-written by his friend, Kelly Lovelace, about Kelly’s stepson and the father he didn’t have to be but was blessed to become. Two short years later, Brad Paisley owned the CMA’s Horizon Award, the Academy of Country Music’s trophy for best new male vocalist, and a Grammy nomination. And on February of that same year, 2001, he was inducted into the Grand Old Opry.

In today’s Southern Quote we hear the famous singer explain why he’s fond of humorous lyrics. Brad Paisley once said, “I can’t help but include some of the lighthearted stuff. I guess that’s the way I observe things. My favorite saying is, ‘If you’re going to laugh about something later, you might as well start now.” — Brad Paisley

~Shellie