First penning hits for other artists like Sheryl Crow and Darius Rucker, Brad Paisley got his first taste of the Top 40 charts in 1999. The second single from his debut album Who Needs Pictures, “He Didn’t Have to Be” became the first of 19 chart-topping hits for the West Virginian. More than a quarter century later, Paisley is gearing up to release lucky album No. 13 sometime this year. The “Mud on the Tires” singer helped represent country music during Sunday’s (Feb. 2) 67th annual Grammy Awards.
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Lainey Wilson, Brad Paisley Represent Nashville in LA
Brad Paisley and Lainey Wilson showed up and showed out for Nashville at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Paisley was part of a star-studded ensemble, led by L.A. rock band Dawes, that opened the night with a rendition of Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” The “Mud on the Tires” singer joined John Legend, Sheryl Crow, St. Vincent, and Brittany Howard.
Undoubtedly, this was a bittersweet moment for the “Whiskey Lullaby” crooner. Earlier this month, Paisley revealed on social media that the Pacific Palisades home he once shared with wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley had been lost to the devastating California wildfires.
While the 52-year-old singer-songwriter is not up for any Grammys tonight, he is certainly no stranger to music’s biggest stage. Paisley made his Grammy debut in 2001, performing “We Danced” during the 43rd awards ceremony.
The “Perfect Storm” hitmaker won his first Grammy six years later in 2007, when he took home the trophy for Best Country Instrumental Performance with “Throttleneck.” Likewise, he won the same award the next year for “Cluster Puck. Additionally, Paisley nabbed Best Male Country Vocal Performance that year for “Letter to Me.”
[RELATED: Exclusive: Brad Paisley Talks “Truck Still Works,” Modern Sequel to “Mud On The Tires”]
New Album Coming Soon?
In 2023, Brad Paisley released an extended play titled Son of the Mountains: The First Four Tracks. Soon, he will release the remainder of the tracklist as part of his first full-length album since 2017’s Love and War.
Son of the Mountains will provide an unflinching look of the Appalachian region that reared Paisley. That dichotomy is reflected in the upbeat “Son of the Mountains” and its more downcast counterpart, “The Medicine Will.”
“I definitely think the two of them together help set the picture for the rest of this album,” Paisley told Variety in September 2023.
Featured image by Daniel DeSlover/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
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