Paisley has sold over 11 million albums and has won three Grammy Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards, 14 Country Music Association Awards, and two American Music Awards. He has also earned country music's crowning achievement, becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry.[2] Paisley also wrote songs for Pixar's Cars franchise ("Behind the Clouds", "Find Yourself", "Collision of Worlds" (along with Robbie Williams), "Nobody's Fool", etc.).
Paisley has stated that his love of country music stems from his maternal grandfather, who gave Paisley his first guitar at age 8 and taught him how to play. At age 12, Paisley wrote his first song, and by 13 he was the opening act for country singers.
Paisley graduated from John Marshall High School in Glen Dale and enrolled at Belmont University (from 1993 to 1995). While in college, he met Frank Rogers, a fellow student who went on to serve as his producer. Paisley also met Kelley Lovelace, who became his songwriting partner.
After graduating from Belmont, Paisley signed a songwriting contract with EMI Music Publishing. His debut as a singer was with the label Arista Nashville, with the song, "Who Needs Pictures" (released February 22, 1999). In May of that same year, he made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Seven months later he had his first #1 hit with, ""He Didn't Have To Be."
In 2000, Paisley made an appearance on the nationally televised special, "Route 66: Main Street America" featured on TLC (TV channel) and later that same year he won the Country Music Association's (CMA) Horizon Award and the Academy of Country Music's best new male vocalist trophy. He received his first Grammy Award nomination a year later. On February 17, 2001, after forty appearances on the show, he was inducted into the Opry Hall of Fame.
In 2002, he won the CMA Music Video of the Year for ""I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)." Several celebrities made notable guest appearances in the video, inluding Little Jimmy Dickens, Kimberly Williams (Paisley), Dan Patrick, and Jerry Springer.
Paisley released his third album, Mud on the Tires (2003), following Who Needs Pictures and Part II. The album features the hit song "Celebrity," the video of which parodies reality shows such as Fear Factor and American Idol and included such celebrities as Jason Alexander, Little Jimmy Dickens, Trista Rehn, and William Shatner. The album's title track, "Mud on the Tires," reached Billboard #1 in 2004.
In 2005, after touring with Reba McEntire and Terri Clark on the critically acclaimed "Two Hats and a Redhead Tour," he released Time Well Wasted, containing 15 tracks, including "Alcohol", a duet ("When I Get Where I'm Going") with Dolly Parton, another ("Out in the Parking Lot") with Alan Jackson, and a bonus track, "Cornography".
Brad Paisley was the 2008 CMA and ACM Male Vocalist of the Year winner. Starting with the release of his 1999 album Who Needs Pictures, Paisley has recorded seven studio albums and a Christmas compilation on the Arista Nashville label, with all of his albums certified gold or higher by the RIAA. In addition, he has charted 25 singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, 15 of which have reached #1 with a record 10 consecutive singles reaching the top spot on the charts. On November 10, 2010, Paisley won the coveted Entertainer of the Year award at the 44th annual CMA Awards.
In 2009 he released American Saturday Night which has his first single Then.
His song "High Life," on the 2014 album Moonshine in the Trunk, refers to suing Carrie Underwood after hearing that one of Carrie's songs "reminded me of a poem my brother wrote back in second grade." This was a subtle joke about an actual lawsuit from a songwriter who accused Brad of using her material. (In real life, the lawsuit was won by Paisley in 2016.)
Paisley released "Without a Fight", a duet with Demi Lovato, on May 13, 2016. It was to have served as the lead single to his eleventh studio album, but due to poor chart performance it did not make the album's final cut. He was selected as one of thirty artists to perform on "Forever Country", a mash-up track of "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "On the Road Again" and "I Will Always Love You" which celebrates 50 years of the CMA Awards. The second single "Today" was released on October 6, 2016, which gave Paisley his first Country Digital Song Sales #1, opening at the top of the chart with 41,000 first-week downloads. The single landed in the #1 spot on the Country Aircheck/Mediabase charts, marking Paisley's 24th #1 song. On November 11, Paisley announced on Twitter that the title of the album would be Love and War, which was released in April 2017.
Love and War features several collaborations with iconic artists, including Timbaland, John Fogerty, Bill Anderson, and Mick Jagger, as well as a songwriting credit with Johnny Cash.
On October 4, 2018, Paisley and his wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley partnered with Belmont University and opened a free referral-based grocery store in Nashville to help the community in need. The Board of Trustees for The Store include Brad Paisley, President; Megan Zarling, Chair; Pete Fisher, Vice-Chair; Doug Paisley, Secretary and Elaine Bryan, Treasurer. Other board members include Sarah Cates, Jaynee Day, Hope Fisher, David Minnigan, John Zarling, Olivia Munn, John Schario, Scott Scovill, Michael Stagg, Becca Stevens and Kimberly Williams-Paisley. Executive Director is Gina Hancock.
In November 2018, Paisley released "Bucked Off", the lead single from his upcoming studio album. On March 11, 2019, Paisley released "My Miracle".
In 2021, Paisley released his own Bourbon brand called "America Highway Reserve." As this whiskey was aged in barrels in the "Rolling Rickhouse" semi-trailer that followed Paisley's 2019 concert tour, Paisley collaborated with Bardstown Bourbon Company to create this Bourbon.
Famous People
Brad Paisley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm glad you stopped in it's sure been slow around here today
Just like everyday
Well I couldn't help but notice your California plates
And I thought I recognized that name on your credit card
You're a movie star
Well I can't wait to get back home and tell all my buddies
That I met one of the most famous people in the country
[Chorus]
Well I only go to movies when I'm down in Bowling Green
The cable don't come out this far so I never watch TV
I know you played in somethin' but I'm gonna need some help
Wait weren't you in Cannonball Run, no oh well
Allow me to introduce myself
My name ain't John this is somebody else's greasy shirt my name's Kurt
This is the town that I grew up in
Never seen L.A. the closest I've been to Hollywood is Dollywood
But when you get back to Beverly Hills you can tell all your buddies
That you met one of the most famous people in the country
[Chorus]
Cause I caught the record small mouth out on Kentucky lake
And I threw the winning touchdown pass the night that we won state
And I'm still signin' autographs after all these years
Oh yeah, guess I'm gonna need yours, sign um here
I've been thinking about doing some acting some day
If I ever do make it out to L.A. can I give you a shout
Maybe crash on your couch
If you hear of any roles that are floating around
That would put me and Ashley Judd makin' out in a steamy love scene
Well I'd work pretty cheap
If the phones are down just ask around you'll get a hold of me
Cause I'm one of the most famous people in the country
Tag
You're talkin' to one of the most famous people in the country
The lyrics to Brad Paisley's song "Famous People" present an amusing interaction between a small-town guy and a Hollywood celebrity. Paisley tells the story of a man who is excited to meet a famous person he does not recognize, but assumes that anyone who comes from California and has a recognizable name on their credit card must be a movie star. The singer is proud to inform his buddies of his encounter with the "most famous people in the country." When the celebrity tries to introduce himself, the singer pretends to be someone else, but he continues to impress his guest with stories about his own achievements, including catching a record smallmouth bass and winning a state championship game. The lyrics suggest that both men share an imaginary experience that they can boast about to their respective social circles.
The song is a critique of the culture of celebrity worship in America. Paisley pokes fun at those who are star-struck and fascinated with famous people, to the point of being blind to the reality of everyday life. The small-town guy is so eager to impress the celebrity that he lies about himself and his achievements, suggesting that he too is seeking fame and recognition. The song also highlights the differences between life in small towns and life in Hollywood. The singer has never been to Los Angeles and the closest he has been to Hollywood is Dollywood. In contrast, the celebrity is a representation of glitz and glamour, someone who lives in a world of fame and fortune.
Overall, "Famous People" is a witty and ironic song that challenges the idea of celebrity culture and reminds us of the importance of authenticity and humility. It is a clever example of how country music often uses humor and satire to comment on contemporary issues.
Line by Line Meaning
Well you're the first car in an hour or so
I haven't seen anyone come by in a while, thanks for stopping.
I'm glad you stopped in it's sure been slow around here today
Business has been slow, so it's nice to have someone stop by.
Just like everyday
Things have been slow every day, so this is a nice change.
Well I couldn't help but notice your California plates
I noticed you are from California based on your license plates.
And I thought I recognized that name on your credit card
I think I recognize the name on your credit card.
You're a movie star
You're a famous actor.
Well I can't wait to get back home and tell all my buddies
I'm excited to tell my friends that I met a famous person today.
That I met one of the most famous people in the country
I'm going to tell my friends that I met one of the most famous people in the country.
Well I only go to movies when I'm down in Bowling Green
I only watch movies when I visit Bowling Green.
The cable don't come out this far so I never watch TV
I don't have cable, so I can't watch TV at home.
I know you played in somethin' but I'm gonna need some help
I know you're an actor, but I can't remember what movies or shows you've been in.
Wait weren't you in Cannonball Run, no oh well
I thought you might have been in the movie Cannonball Run, but I guess I was mistaken.
Allow me to introduce myself
Let me introduce myself to you.
My name ain't John this is somebody else's greasy shirt my name's Kurt
My name isn't John - I'm wearing someone else's greasy shirt. My name is Kurt.
This is the town that I grew up in
I grew up in this town.
Never seen L.A. the closest I've been to Hollywood is Dollywood
I've never been to Los Angeles, the closest I've been is Dollywood (in Tennessee).
But when you get back to Beverly Hills you can tell all your buddies
When you go back to Beverly Hills, you can tell your friends that you met someone famous in my hometown.
Cause I caught the record small mouth out on Kentucky lake
I caught the record Breaking Smallmouth Bass on Kentucky Lake.
And I threw the winning touchdown pass the night that we won state
I threw the winning touchdown at the state championship game.
And I'm still signin' autographs after all these years
Even after all these years, I'm still signing autographs for fans.
Oh yeah, guess I'm gonna need yours, sign um here
Can I have your autograph too? Please sign here.
I've been thinking about doing some acting some day
I'm interested in pursuing an acting career.
If I ever do make it out to L.A. can I give you a shout
If I make it to Los Angeles, can I contact you?
Maybe crash on your couch
Can I stay on your couch for a bit?
If you hear of any roles that are floating around
If you hear of any acting opportunities available.
That would put me and Ashley Judd makin' out in a steamy love scene
If there's a role where I get to make out with Ashley Judd in a passionate scene.
Well I'd work pretty cheap
I'd work for a low salary.
If the phones are down just ask around you'll get a hold of me
If the phones aren't working, just ask around and someone will know how to reach me.
Cause I'm one of the most famous people in the country
I consider myself to be one of the most famous people in the country.
You're talkin' to one of the most famous people in the country
Just so you know, you're talking to one of the most famous people in the country.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Anthem Entertainment
Written by: CHRIS DUBOIS, CHRIS WALLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind