Brad Paisley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brad Paisley
Paisley performing at the White House in 2009
Born	Brad Douglas Paisley (1972-10-28) October 28, 1972 (age 52) Glen Dale, West Virginia, U.S.
Education	Belmont University (BBA)
Occupation	Singer songwriter guitarist
Spouse(s)	Kimberly Williams ​ (m. 2003)​
Children	2
Musical career
Genres	Country
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Arista Nashville EMI Nashville

Brad Douglas Paisley (born October 28, 1972) is a famous American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He first became known in 1997 for writing the song "Another You". After that, he signed with Arista Nashville in 1998. He released his first album, Who Needs Pictures, in 1999.

Brad Paisley has released many successful albums. Two of his most popular albums are Mud on the Tires (2003) and Time Well Wasted (2005). Both of these albums sold millions of copies. He has had more than 50 songs on the Billboard country charts. Nineteen of these songs reached number one, including "He Didn't Have to Be" and "Perfect Storm". He even had ten number-one songs in a row! Brad Paisley has also worked with other big stars like Dolly Parton and Carrie Underwood. Since 2003, he has been married to actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Brad Douglas Paisley was born on October 28, 1972, in Glen Dale, West Virginia. He is the only child of Douglas Edward Paisley and Sandra Jean Paisley. His dad worked for the West Virginia Department of Transportation, and his mom was a teacher.

Brad's love for country music started with his grandfather, Warren Jarvis. His grandfather gave him his first guitar when Brad was eight years old. He also taught Brad how to play it. Brad first sang in public at his church when he was in third grade. People loved his singing, and he became a local star.

Brad wrote his first song, "Born on Christmas Day," when he was 13. This song later appeared on his album Brad Paisley Christmas. He also took guitar lessons from a local guitarist named Clarence "Hank" Goddard. Soon, Brad, Hank, and two adult friends formed a band called "Brad Paisley and the C-Notes."

When Brad was in junior high, his principal heard him play. He was invited to perform at a local Rotary Club meeting. There, a radio station program director named Tom Miller heard him. Miller invited Brad to be a guest on Jamboree USA, a famous country music show. Brad became a regular on the show for eight years. He opened for big country singers like The Judds and George Jones. He was the youngest person ever to be put into the Jamboree USA Hall of Fame.

Brad graduated from John Marshall High School in 1991. He then studied at West Liberty State College for two years. He later received a special scholarship to Belmont University in Nashville. There, he studied music business and graduated in 1995. While in college, he met Frank Rogers, who became his music producer. He also met Kelley Lovelace and Chris DuBois, who became his songwriting partners.

Right after college, Brad signed a songwriting contract. He wrote "Another You" for David Kersh, which became a top-five hit.

Brad Paisley's Music Career

First Albums and Big Hits

Brad Paisley's first song as a singer was "Who Needs Pictures" in 1999. In May of that year, he performed for the first time at the famous Grand Ole Opry. Seven months later, he had his first number-one hit with "He Didn't Have to Be". This song told the story of his co-writer Kelley Lovelace and his stepson.

His first album, Who Needs Pictures, also had other hits like "Me Neither" and "We Danced". By 2001, the album had sold over a million copies. In 2000, Brad won the Country Music Association's (CMA) Horizon Award for new artists. He was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. In 2001, Brad became a member of the Grand Ole Opry at just 28 years old.

His second album, Part II, released in 2001, had popular songs like "I Wish You'd Stay", "Wrapped Around", and "Two People Fell in Love". All of these songs reached the top 10. The music video for his song "I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)" won an award in 2002. Many famous people appeared in the video, including Kimberly Williams, who later became his wife.

Continued Success and Awards

In 2003, Brad released his third album, Mud on the Tires. This album included the hit song "Celebrity". The music video for "Celebrity" made fun of TV shows and featured stars like William Shatner. The song "Mud on the Tires" also became a number-one hit. Another popular song from this album was "Whiskey Lullaby", a duet with Alison Krauss. This song won several awards for its music video.

His album Time Well Wasted came out in 2005. It featured number-one hits like "When I Get Where I'm Going" (with Dolly Parton) and "She's Everything". This album won the CMA Award for Best Album in 2006. Brad also wrote two songs for the Disney Pixar movie Cars.

Brad's fifth album, 5th Gear, was released in 2007. The first four songs from this album, including "Ticks" and "Online", all reached number one. This gave Brad seven number-one hits in a row! The song "Throttleneck" from this album won Brad his first Grammy award in 2008 for Best Country Instrumental. He toured a lot for this album, playing for over a million fans.

More Albums and Collaborations

In 2008, Brad released an instrumental album called Play. He also released his first duet with Keith Urban, "Start a Band", which became his 13th number-one hit. In 2008, Brad won Male Vocalist of the Year at the CMAs.

His seventh album, American Saturday Night, was released in 2009. The first song from this album, "Then", became his 14th number-one single and his tenth in a row! In 2009, Brad performed at the White House for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. He also co-hosted the CMA Awards for the second time and won Entertainer of the Year in 2010.

In 2010, Brad released his first greatest hits album, Hits Alive. This album included both studio and live versions of his popular songs.

Recent Music and Projects

Brad's eighth album, This Is Country Music, was released in 2011. It included the hit song "Old Alabama" with the band Alabama, which became his 19th number-one hit. He also released "Remind Me" with Carrie Underwood. Brad even had a game called Brad Paisley World where fans could interact and see special content. He also contributed two songs to the Cars 2 movie soundtrack.

In 2012, Brad released "Southern Comfort Zone", the first song from his ninth album, Wheelhouse. This album came out in 2013. Other songs from the album included "Beat This Summer" and "The Mona Lisa".

His tenth album, Moonshine in the Trunk, was released in 2014. The song "River Bank" was the first single. "Perfect Storm" from this album reached number one in 2015. In 2014, Brad traveled with President Barack Obama to perform for US troops in Afghanistan.

In 2016, Brad released "Today", which became his 24th number-one song. His eleventh album, Love and War, was released in 2017. This album featured collaborations with famous artists like John Fogerty and Mick Jagger.

In 2018, Brad and his wife opened a free grocery store in Nashville to help people in need. In 2019, Brad was a guest judge on America's Got Talent. In 2021, he was featured on Jimmie Allen's song "Freedom Was a Highway", which became his 20th number-one single.

In 2023, Brad signed a new record deal with EMI Nashville. He released the song "Same Here" featuring Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine. Brad has been a strong supporter of Ukraine and has donated royalties from "Same Here" to help with rebuilding efforts. He also released "The Medicine Will" in 2021, a song that talks about important issues related to medicine and health.

Brad has been working on a new album, which is expected to be released in early 2025. The first song from this new album, "Truck Still Works," was released recently.

Books Written by Brad Paisley

Brad Paisley has also written a few books.

• Jug Fishing for Greazy and Other Brad Paisley Fishing Stories was released in 2003. He wrote it with M. B. Roberts.
• Diary of a Player: How My Musical Heroes Made a Guitar Man Out of Me came out in 2011. This book is about his life in music and how he became a guitar player. It talks about his first guitar, his first band, and how he started his career.

Discography

Studio albums

• Who Needs Pictures (1999)
• Part II (2001)
• Mud on the Tires (2003)
• Time Well Wasted (2005)
• Brad Paisley Christmas (2006)
• 5th Gear (2007)
• Play: The Guitar Album (2008)
• American Saturday Night (2009)
• This Is Country Music (2011)
• Wheelhouse (2013)
• Moonshine in the Trunk (2014)
• Love and War (2017)

Tours

Paisley performing live in Providence, Rhode Island, September 27, 2008

Headlining Tours

Co-headlining Tours

• Mud and Suds Tour (2005) (with Sara Evans & Andy Griggs)
• Two Hats and a Redhead Tour (2005) (with Reba McEntire and Terri Clark)

Opening Tours

• Brooks and Dunn's Neon Circus & Wild West Show (2003)

Brad Paisley's Band: The Drama Kings

Brad Paisley records his music and performs live with his band, the Drama Kings. Their first show together was on May 7, 1999.

Current Band Members

• Brad Paisley – lead vocals, lead guitar
• Gary Hooker – rhythm guitar
• Randle Currie – steel guitar
• Kendal Marcy – keyboards, banjo, mandolin
• Justin Williamson – fiddle, mandolin
• Kenny Lewis – bass guitar, vocals
• Ben Sesar – drums
• Kevin Freeman - live audio

Personal Life and Interests

Family Life

Paisley performing live in Providence, Rhode Island, September 27, 2008

In 2001, Brad Paisley started dating Kimberly Williams. He had first seen her in the movie Father of the Bride many years before. Brad thought she seemed like a wonderful person.

When Brad was making the music video for his song "I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)", he asked Kimberly to be in it. They started dating soon after. Brad and Kimberly got married on March 15, 2003. They live in Franklin, Tennessee.

Brad and Kimberly have two sons. Their first son, William Huckleberry (called "Huck"), was born on February 22, 2007. Their second son, Jasper Warren, was born on April 17, 2009. Jasper was named after Brad's grandfather, who gave him his first guitar.

Hobbies and Other Activities

Brad Paisley is a member of a group called Freemasonry. He is also a big fan of sports teams like the Cleveland Browns (football) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (baseball). He has sung the national anthem at Dodger Stadium several times before big baseball games. Brad also loves West Virginia sports.

In 2009, Brad Paisley was an executive producer for a TV show called Nashville. It was a drama series, but the pilot episode was not picked up for a full series. Later, a different show with the same name premiered in 2012, and Brad and his wife made guest appearances on it.

Instruments Brad Paisley Uses

Paisley with his Crook Custom T-style

Brad Paisley's first guitar was a Silvertone Danelectro 1451, given to him by his grandfather. The guitar he is most known for is a 1968 Pink Paisley Fender Telecaster. Brad often uses custom-made guitars designed by Bill Crook. These guitars have a special paisley pattern.

In 2010, Brad lost some of his instruments in a flood in Nashville. But this allowed him to buy a special 1937 Martin D-28 guitar. Brad has also worked with companies to create his own signature guitar pedals and amplifiers. In 2015, the Santa Cruz Guitar Company released a special acoustic guitar named after Brad Paisley.

Paisley at the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, April 18, 2010

Charity Work and Support

In 2021, Brad Paisley helped promote the COVID vaccine with First Lady Jill Biden. He changed the words of the song "Jolene" to "vaccine, vaccine, vaccine" to encourage people to get vaccinated.

Brad has also become a strong supporter of Ukraine after the conflict began in 2022. He joined the United24 project to help rebuild Ukraine. In March 2023, he announced that he would donate money from his song "Same Here" to help with rebuilding efforts.

Filmography

Television Appearances

See also

In Spanish: Brad Paisley para niños