Feb. 17 is undoubtedly a day that is etched in Brad Paisley‘s mind forever. It was on that day in 2001 that he achieved a lifelong ambition, when he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.
Paisley was surprised with an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry on Dec. 16, 2000, by Bill Anderson, Jeannie Seely and Little Jimmy Dickens. At the time of his invitation into the prestigious institution, the singer, who was only 28 years old, had released his debut album, Who Needs Pictures, and performed on the revered stage 36 times.
Paisley paid tribute to one of his own musical heroes, Buck Owens, on the night of his induction by wearing the same yellow jacket that Owens wore when he recorded his 1966 live album, Carnegie Hall Concert. The West Virginia native sang his then-new single, “Two People Fell in Love,” from his sophomore album, Part II, and a letter from George Jones was read to the crowd.
“I am counting on you to carry on the tradition,” Jones wrote, “and make folks sit up and listen to what good country music should sound like.”
It’s a mantra Paisley has been happy to live by.
“I love the Opry,” he says. “I would call it my favorite place in the city of Nashville. That hallowed place that feels like home that has accepted me from the beginning.”
5 Songs You Didn’t Know Brad Paisley Wrote
Aside from being one of the genre’s most celebrated vocalists and guitarists, Paisley has proved his skills as a talented songwriter. His musical career began to skyrocket after the West Virginia native attended Nashville’s Belmont University, where he studied business with a focus on the music industry. His hard work paid off, earning him a publishing deal just a few weeks after he graduated from college.
Paisley didn’t take long to prove his chops as a writer. After a few of his songs were cut by country artists and became hits on country radio, his talents caught the attention of a few important industry leaders who quickly signed him to his own label deal — and the rest, as they say, is history.
Over the years, Paisley has continued to pen country songs that run the gamut of human emotion, from lighthearted looks at modern life to moving love songs. Tracks like “Two People Fell in Love,” “Celebrity, “Letter to Me” and “Ticks” show the creative range that has caused artists to jump at the chance to make these Paisley compositions their own.
Let’s look at five stellar country songs written by Brad Paisley and recorded by other country artists.