Brad Paisley Bio
Brad Douglas Paisley (born October 28, 1972) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for his traditional country sound, witty lyrics, and virtuosic guitar work. Over the course of his career, Paisley has released multiple platinum albums, scored more than 20 number-one singles on the Billboard country charts, and collaborated with a wide range of artists across genres. In addition to his recording career, he is recognized for his philanthropy, public advocacy, and high-profile marriage to actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley.
Early Life and Background
Brad Douglas Paisley was born on October 28, 1972, in Glen Dale, West Virginia. He is the only child of Douglas Edward “Doug” Paisley, who worked for the West Virginia Department of Transportation, and Sandra Jean “Sandy” Paisley, a teacher. His love of country music traces back to his maternal grandfather, Warren Jarvis, who gave him his first guitar, a Sears Danelectro Silvertone, and taught him how to play at the age of eight. He performed publicly for the first time in third grade, singing in his church, and soon became a regular at local events in his small hometown.
By age 13, Paisley had written his first song, “Born on Christmas Day”, which later appeared on his holiday album. He took lessons from local guitarist Clarence “Hank” Goddard, and the two formed a band called “Brad Paisley and the C-Notes” with two adult friends. As a junior high student, his performance of “Born on Christmas Day” caught the attention of a local principal and led to an invitation to appear on Jamboree USA in Wheeling, West Virginia. He went on to open for major country acts including The Judds, Ricky Skaggs, and George Jones, and became the youngest person inducted into the Jamboree USA Hall of Fame.
Paisley graduated from John Marshall High School in Glen Dale in 1991. He then studied for two years at West Liberty State College in West Liberty, West Virginia, before receiving a fully paid ASCAP scholarship to Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. At Belmont, he majored in music business and earned a bachelor of business administration degree from the Mike Curb School of Music Business in 1995. During his college years, he interned at ASCAP, Atlantic Records, and the Fitzgerald-Hartley management firm, and met future collaborators Frank Rogers, Kelley Lovelace, and Chris DuBois.
Path to Country Music
Within a week after graduating from Belmont University, Paisley signed a songwriting contract with EMI Music Publishing. His early success as a songwriter came in 1997 when he penned David Kersh’s top-five hit “Another You”, followed by David Ball’s 1999 single “Watching My Baby Not Come Back”. These achievements helped him land a recording contract with Arista Nashville in 1998, launching his career as a performing artist.
Paisley made his debut as a singer in 1999 with the single “Who Needs Pictures” on Arista Nashville. He made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry in May 1999, and seven months later, he earned his first number-one hit with “He Didn’t Have to Be”, a song he co-wrote about frequent collaborator Kelley Lovelace and Lovelace’s stepson. The success of his debut album and his early singles positioned him as one of country music’s most promising new talents heading into the new millennium.
Brad Paisley Career
Early Career (1999–2003)
Paisley’s debut album, Who Needs Pictures, was released in 1999 and produced two number-one hits: “He Didn’t Have to Be” and “We Danced”. The album was certified platinum by February 2001. In 2000, he won the Country Music Association’s Horizon Award and the Academy of Country Music’s Best New Male Vocalist trophy. He was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on February 17, 2001, becoming a member at age 28, and later received his first Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist.
His second album, Part II, produced four top-10 singles, including the CMA Music Video of the Year winner “I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song)” in 2002. The album remained on the charts for more than 70 weeks and was certified platinum in August 2002. To support the record, Paisley toured the country as the opening act for Lonestar.
Breakthrough (2003–2010)
Paisley’s third album, Mud on the Tires, was released in 2003 and certified double platinum. The title track reached number one on the Billboard country chart in 2004, and the duet “Whiskey Lullaby” with Alison Krauss became one of his signature songs, winning multiple awards and ranking second on CMT’s 100 Greatest Videos in 2008.
In 2005, Paisley released Time Well Wasted, which won the CMA Award for Best Album and the ACM Album of the Year in 2006. The album included number-one hits “When I Get Where I’m Going” with Dolly Parton, “The World”, and “She’s Everything”. His fifth studio album, 5th Gear, released in 2007, produced five consecutive number-one singles and earned Paisley his first Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental for “Throttleneck” in 2008. That same year, he was named CMA Male Vocalist of the Year and won Music Video of the Year for “Waitin’ on a Woman”.
The 2008 instrumental album Play featured collaborations with artists including B.B. King, Vince Gill, and James Burton, and produced the number-one duet “Start a Band” with Keith Urban. In 2009, Paisley released American Saturday Night, which included the hit “Then” and the socially conscious single “Welcome to the Future”. On November 10, 2010, he received country music’s highest honor, the CMA Entertainer of the Year Award.
Continued Success (2011–2017)
Paisley’s 2011 album This Is Country Music produced the number-one hit “Old Alabama” with Alabama and the popular duet “Remind Me” with Carrie Underwood. In 2013, he released Wheelhouse, which included the single “Southern Comfort Zone” and the controversial track “Accidental Racist” with LL Cool J. The 2014 album Moonshine in the Trunk debuted at number one on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and included “Perfect Storm”, which reached number one in January 2015.
In 2017, Paisley released Love and War, an album that featured collaborations with Mick Jagger, John Fogerty, Timbaland, and Bill Anderson, as well as a songwriting credit with Johnny Cash. The album’s single “Today” became his 24th number-one hit on the Country Aircheck/Mediabase charts.
Recent Work (2018–2024)
In 2018, Paisley and his wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley partnered with Belmont University to open a free referral-based grocery store in Nashville. He released the single “Bucked Off” in November 2018, followed by “My Miracle” in March 2019. In 2021, he released “The Medicine Will”, a song criticizing the pharmaceutical industry’s role in the United States opioid crisis.
His collaboration with Jimmie Allen, “Freedom Was a Highway”, reached number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in February 2022, marking Paisley’s 20th career number-one single. In February 2023, he signed with EMI Nashville after the closure of Arista Nashville, releasing the lead single “Same Here” featuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with royalties pledged to rebuilding efforts in Ukraine. In September 2024, Paisley announced he was postponing the Son of the Mountains album and working on a new project, with the single “Truck Still Works” released as the first offering from the upcoming record.
Notable Works and Milestones
Throughout his career, Brad Paisley has charted more than 50 singles on the Billboard country charts, including 20 number-one hits. His signature songs include “He Didn’t Have to Be”, “Mud on the Tires”, “Whiskey Lullaby”, and “Perfect Storm”. He has collaborated with artists such as Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and Alabama, and has been a long-time co-host of the CMA Awards. Paisley is also known for his signature 1968 Pink Paisley Fender Telecaster and his custom Crook Custom Guitars.
Brad Paisley Award Nominations
Brad Paisley has received numerous award nominations throughout his career, reflecting his consistent presence on the country music charts and his collaborations with major artists. He has earned multiple Grammy Award nominations across categories including Best Country Album, Best Country Song, Best Country Vocal Male, and Best Country Instrumental. He has also been nominated repeatedly at the Country Music Association Awards, including several nominations for CMA Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year, and at the Academy of Country Music Awards for categories such as Album of the Year and Top Male Vocalist.
Brad Paisley Awards Won
Brad Paisley has won multiple major awards across his career. His early wins include the Country Music Association Horizon Award in 2000 and the Academy of Country Music Best New Male Vocalist in 2000. In 2002, he won the CMA Music Video of the Year for “I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song)”. His album Time Well Wasted earned him the CMA Award for Best Album and the ACM Album of the Year in 2006. In 2008, he received his first Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental for “Throttleneck” and was named CMA Male Vocalist of the Year. In 2010, Paisley received the CMA’s highest honor, the Entertainer of the Year Award.
Brad Paisley Family
Brad Paisley was raised in Glen Dale, West Virginia, by his father Douglas Edward “Doug” Paisley, who worked for the West Virginia Department of Transportation, and his mother Sandra Jean “Sandy” Paisley, a teacher. His maternal grandfather, Warren Jarvis, played a formative role in his life by introducing him to country music and giving him his first guitar. Paisley has publicly honored his grandfather’s influence on his career, including during his 2010 CMA Entertainer of the Year acceptance speech.
Personal Life
Brad Paisley married actress Kimberly Williams on March 15, 2003, at Stauffer Chapel on the campus of Pepperdine University, after a nine-month engagement. The couple first connected when Williams appeared in the music video for his single “I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song)”. They reside in Franklin, Tennessee, and have two sons: William Huckleberry, also called “Huck”, born on February 22, 2007, and Jasper Warren, born on April 17, 2009, named after Paisley’s late grandfather. Paisley is also an active Freemason and a self-described Christian.