Chalk up another award for Brad Paisley. He walked away with the Favorite Country Male Artist award at the 2008 American Music Awards Monday night (November 23). It was his first nomination and his first win at the American Music Awards.
Brad Paisley, however, is no stranger to awards. Ever since his first album, 1999’s “Who Needs Pictures,” the 36-year-old West Virginia native has been charting Number 1 records and winning awards. In fact, he won the 2008 Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMs) Top Male Vocalist of the Year award and the 2008 Country Music Association (CMA) Awards Male Vocalist of the Year award. He’s won a total of 8 ACMs and 11 CMAs since 1999. He also won his first Grammy Award this year for Best Country Instrumental Performance with “Throttleneck.”
Paisley is also promoting his new album, “Play,” which was released on November 4. The 16-track album debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and at No. 1 on the Country Albums chart last week. Paisley picked up a 2008 Country Music Award for the video of “Waitin’ On A Woman,”which featured acting great Andy Griffith, from “Play.” The current single from the album, a duet with Keith Urban, “Start A Band,” is currently in the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot Country Songs singles chart.
“Play” is a bit of a departure from Brad Paisley’s previous six studio albums in that it is largely an instrumental endeavor. It is subtitled “The Guitar Album” and that is exactly what it is. Paisley allows himself some guitar-pickin’ freedom, something that he is known for in his live performances.
“Play” is also a showcase of legendary guitarists. Jamming with Paisley on the new album are B.B. King, Vince Gill, Albert Lee, fellow West Virginian Little Jimmy Dickens, Steve Wariner, the late Buck Owens, and, of course, the aforementioned Keith Urban.
Not only is Brad Paisley a seriously great musician, but he has a great sense of humor, which is evidenced by many of his songs and videos videos. He won a 2002 Country Music Association award for Video of the Year with “I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishing Song),” which chronicles a young man’s dilemma over whether or not to choose his wife over his favorite pastime. Not only is the song a light-hearted poke at relationships, but relationship exploiter extraordinaire Jerry Springer makes a guest appearance in the video.
In 2003, Paisley released “Celebrity,” a song that made fun of people coping with their fame. The video was a parody of reality shows and included guest appearances by Jason Alexander (“Seinfeld”) and William Shatner (“Boston Legal”).
Paisley released “Alcohol” in 2005. This frolicking tune narrates the story of alcohol from the perspective of the bottle, with emphasis on the effects.
“Online” won the 2007 Country Music Association Awards Video of the Year. Directed by Jason Alexander, the video (and song) chronicles the life a computer geek that takes on a totally different persona “online.” The video also won Comedy Video of the Year at the 2008 CMT Awards.
“I’m Still A Guy” was released in 2008 and became Paisley’s seventh straight No. 1 country hit (with “Waitin’ On A Woman” he has 8 in a row, the most number one country hits since Nielsen Soundscan began monitoring in 1990). “I’m Still A Guy” was Paisley’s admission of stereotypical male behavior, even though his partner might attempt a few adjustments here and there.
Whether he is pickin’ up a storm on his guitar or hamming it up in a video, Brad Paisley is one of the hottest performers in country music. And there is something likeable about a man who can step back from all the hoopla and laugh at himself.
******
Sources:
“2008 American Music Awards”, ABC Television
Billboard.com
Wikipedia.org
