Brad Paisley: Diary of a Player

Brad Paisley says he never intended to write a book.  It was just something that came up last year as he was preparing to host the CMA Awards.  He was working on the script with writer David Wild, when the subject came up.  “It was his idea.  It’s his fault.  I had no interest in writing a book.  Last year, we were writing the CMAs, and he said, ‘You should write a book about this.’  He had a lot of questions for me.  I think his boys play guitar.  And I realized I needed to read something like this when I was ten.  There was nothing that said ‘Here’s what you could do if you practice.’  In fact, that’s what this book should be called.”  Now, one year later, as Brad prepares to host his 4th CMA Awards show, the book he didn’t want to write has been released.

We spoke with Brad about his book a few weeks ago in one of his favorite places: The Grand Ole Opry House.  It’s been on that stage where Brad has been able to collaborate with a lot of his guitar heroes, including Vince Gill and Steve Wariner, both of whom are Opry members.  Brad told us as he was reading back through the book, he realized he missed a few things: “I didn’t get to everything.  I realized I may have to do a sequel one day.  But the way I play, every guitar player is a product of influences, and this book deals with some of the major ones for me.  It’s really an inspirational book in a way.  I don’t think I was destined to do this.  I don’t know what I’d be doing if it weren’t for a grandfather who said ‘Don’t let this get away from you.’ 

Brad said he learned a lot about himself during the writing of the book:  “I’m not one of these people who wants to write a book that makes someone look bad.  I talk about my internship at a management company, but I don’t talk about the fact that there was another intern there who was really rough on me, and called me stupid, and that’s why I quit.  I didn’t go into detail because I didn’t want to write a book like that.  I wanted to be inspiring.  So while writing this book, I realized what I’m not willing to do as a writer.  I’m probably not one to write a tell-all book.”

The book contains a couple of important personal moments for Brad.  We asked if it was hard to write about his grandfather and Aunt Rita dying? “That was hard for me.  I realized I needed to, though.  My Aunt Rita dying, I remember that moment.  I was calling my mom every 20 minutes.  My dad was an Emergency Medical Technician, so he was there too.  I called and my mom answers, and said it just happened.  That’s when I decided to record When I Get Where I’m Goin.’  I thought about her flying over our farm which she’d never seen.  The same with my grandfather.  I’d not thought about how he didn’t look at me when he was dying, because he didn’t want me to see him that way.  Writing the book brought it all back, and made me appreciate my grandfather in a way I couldn’t have done before.  I realized how many people collaborated to get me where I am.  That’s why I’m glad I wrote the book, because I’m here today because of those people.”

“Diary Of a Player” by Brad Paisley & David Wild is available everywhere now.

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