b. 28 October 1972, Glen Dale, West Virginia, USA. Singer-songwriter Paisley is widely acknowledged by the US country scene as one of his generation’s leading new traditionalists. His talent was apparent from an early age. Before becoming a teenager Paisley was singing in his local church, and playing alongside his guitar teacher Clarence ‘Hank’ Goddard in the four-piece Brad Paisley And The C-Notes. He regularly appeared on the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree radio programme as a teenager, and also performed alongside country stars at the show’s outdoor festivals. Paisley attended West Liberty College in West Virginia before transferring to Belmont University in Nashville, where he majored in Music Business. He also made valuable connections during his college internship at the performing rights association, ASCAP. Shortly after he graduated Paisley signed a songwriting contract with EMI Music Publishing, and a recording contract with Arista Records was not long in following.
Paisley’s 1999 debut Who Needs Pictures included the country chart-toppers ‘He Didn’t Have To Be’ and ‘We Danced’ (both also reached the mainstream Top 30), alongside ‘Me Neither’, a slyly humorous tale of bar room rejection that demonstrated Paisley’s lyrical abilities. The album was also distinguished from other Nashville products by the singer’s adept guitar work. During the same year Paisley made his Grand Ole Opry debut. Paisley returned in 2001 with a strong follow-up album and maintained his commercial ascendancy with the crossover hits ‘Two People Fell In Love’, ‘Wrapped Around’, ‘I Wish You’d Stay’ and the country chart-topper ‘I’m Gonna Miss Her’.
The slick Mud On The Tires (2003) provided Paisley with his first country chart-topper and even reached the mainstream Top 10. The title track, meanwhile, returned the artist to the top of the country charts in 2004. Paisley’s fourth album, Time Well Wasted, was premiered by the Top 5 country hit ‘Alcohol’. Like its predecessor, the album quickly achieved double platinum status, and this despite being a rougher-edged and altogether less corny collection of material than Mud On The Tires. A seasonal album preceded the release of 5th Gear in 2007. The album featured one of Paisley’s biggest and best country hits, ‘Ticks’.
