Brad Paisley awakened to his 47th autumn today (Oct. 28), but don’t expect to impress him with a fancy birthday card or a forest of blazing candles.
Here’s a man, after all, who’s married a movie star, performed on stage with the Rolling Stones, recorded with Mick Jagger and LL Cool J, charmed Andy Griffith into joining with him on a music video and starred in a series of inescapable insurance commercials playing straight man to Peyton Manning.
It’s going to take a mighty special gift to make this guy’s eyes sparkle — perhaps persuading his native West Virginia to re-name itself Paisleyvania for the day.
Paisley might recall other whiz-bang milestones, such as his three Grammys, having had Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert as opening acts, his 18-year membership on the Grand Ole Opry and 11 years co-hosting the CMA awards show or, maybe, having once racked up 10 No. 1 singles in a row
Suffice it to say, that the singer, songwriter and guitar wizard has gotten considerable mud on the tires (to cite the title of his third album) since he made his recording debut in 1999.
Fresh off a world tour that took him through Norway, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, England and Ireland, Paisley is currently keeping an eye on the progress of the free grocery store he and his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, will open next year in partnership with Belmont University, his alma mater, and Second Harvest Food Bank.
Paisley’s latest single, “My Miracle,” is a love song to his wife.