Brad Douglas Paisley was born October 28, 1972 in Glen Dale, West Virginia.
His lifelong musical journal began at the age of 8 in Glen Dale, West Virginia, when his maternal grandfather, Warren Jarvis, a fan of Chet Atkins, Les Paul, and Merle Travis, gave him his first guitar and taught him how to play. A Sears Danelectro Silvertone, complete with an amplifier and case. At age 10, Brad was accompanying himself at local events. He was in his first band, the C-Notes. At age 12, Brad wrote his first song, “Born on Christmas Day,”; and by age 13, he was an opening act for country singers such as The Judds, Ricky Skaggs and George Jones, at the Capital Music Hall, in Wheeling, West Virginia.
“That sort of on-the-job training when you’re really young is a good thing,” he says. “I mean, I was 13 the first time I played on the Jamboree and I was 20 when I left. I opened for Jimmy Dickens and Steve Warner and Roy Clark and Charley Pride – they all came through there. I met them and watched them all play and learned as much as I could possibly learn. I’m not the same guy I would have been if I’d started playing at 20, and would’t be doing what I’m doing right now. That kind of experience entertaining an audience even goes into making an album, because I’m not one of these guys that wants my record to be background music for somebody. I don’t make dinner music.”
Brad Paisley graduated from John Marshall High School, in Glen Dale, West Virginia, studied briefly at West Liberty University (WV) and later was awarded a full-paid ASCAP scholarship to Belmont University, in Nashville, Tennessee (from 1993 to 1995). While in college, he met Frank Rogers, a fellow student who went on to serve as his producer. Brad also met Kelley Lovelace, who became his songwriting partner.
After two years at West Virginia’s West Liberty State College, he transferred to Nashville’s Belmont University, meeting many of those who would go on to work with him both on the stage and behind the scenes. Hard work and a growing circle of contacts led ultimately to a publishing deal and then a recording contract with Arista Nashville, whose artist roster, which includes Alan Jackson and Brooks & Dunn, he had always admired.
Brad is also a fan of West Virginia University athletics and the Boston Red Sox. He can even be seen occasionally on stage playing a custom guitar with the WVU logo and school colors or in a Red Sox shirt.
In 2001, Brad began dating Kimberly Williams. Kimberly appeared in a video for the song, "I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)," in 2002, the last release from his Part II album. The two married on March 15, 2003, at Stauffer Chapel on the campus of Pepperdine University after a nine month engagement. They live in Franklin, Tennessee, and have another home in Malibu. Their first son, William Huckleberry, or, "Huck," was born on February 22, 2007, in Nashville, Tennessee. Their second son, Jasper Warren (named after his grandfather who bought Brad his first guitar), was born on April 17, 2009.
“That sort of on-the-job training when you’re really young is a good thing,” he says. “I mean, I was 13 the first time I played on the Jamboree and I was 20 when I left. I opened for Jimmy Dickens and Steve Warner and Roy Clark and Charley Pride – they all came through there. I met them and watched them all play and learned as much as I could possibly learn. I’m not the same guy I would have been if I’d started playing at 20, and would’t be doing what I’m doing right now. That kind of experience entertaining an audience even goes into making an album, because I’m not one of these guys that wants my record to be background music for somebody. I don’t make dinner music.”
Brad Paisley graduated from John Marshall High School, in Glen Dale, West Virginia, studied briefly at West Liberty University (WV) and later was awarded a full-paid ASCAP scholarship to Belmont University, in Nashville, Tennessee (from 1993 to 1995). While in college, he met Frank Rogers, a fellow student who went on to serve as his producer. Brad also met Kelley Lovelace, who became his songwriting partner.
After two years at West Virginia’s West Liberty State College, he transferred to Nashville’s Belmont University, meeting many of those who would go on to work with him both on the stage and behind the scenes. Hard work and a growing circle of contacts led ultimately to a publishing deal and then a recording contract with Arista Nashville, whose artist roster, which includes Alan Jackson and Brooks & Dunn, he had always admired.
Brad is also a fan of West Virginia University athletics and the Boston Red Sox. He can even be seen occasionally on stage playing a custom guitar with the WVU logo and school colors or in a Red Sox shirt.
In 2001, Brad began dating Kimberly Williams. Kimberly appeared in a video for the song, "I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)," in 2002, the last release from his Part II album. The two married on March 15, 2003, at Stauffer Chapel on the campus of Pepperdine University after a nine month engagement. They live in Franklin, Tennessee, and have another home in Malibu. Their first son, William Huckleberry, or, "Huck," was born on February 22, 2007, in Nashville, Tennessee. Their second son, Jasper Warren (named after his grandfather who bought Brad his first guitar), was born on April 17, 2009.
Please turn off my music player and enjoy one of my favorite Brad Paisley songs!
Angela
7 comments:
Wow - so much I didn't know about him!! I just love his music, thanks for sharing.
You are right - love this blog - do one every day! I like Brad a lot. He seems to write real songs from his experiences. Loved Whiskey Lullaby. He is cute with Kimberly - loved his step-dad and grandpa! sandie
he is a great representative from your state Angela :)
betty
Loved this 'Made in West Virginia' Thanks for the song.
Wow, Angela...that song really got to me...thank you for sharing this.
What an accomplished musician and singer..not to mention very cute.
He's great Angela. Love his Christmas album too. Its really fun.
Very interesting life story! He is a very gifted man and always seems so nice, too. Thanks for sharing this with us.
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