Brad Paisley wins Favorite Country Male at the "2008 American Music Awards," live from the NOKIA Theatre L.A. on Sunday, November 23 on the ABC Television Network. RD / DiMaio / Retna Digital.
Jan. 20, 2009 — Brad Paisley kicked off the final leg of his Paisley Party Tour last week in Southaven, Miss., and in the process, he demonstrated his humor remains intact, even when he’s been badly slammed.
The last time Brad played the Memphis area, in January 2008, he was grilled by The Commercial Appeal.
"I got the worst review I think I’ve ever gotten," Brad says.
Indeed, The Memphis Commercial Appeal suggested that Brad is less an artist than many of his predecessors: "In the broad historical context, it's obvious that Paisley's no Merle Haggard; no one would seriously make that claim. But, in truth, he's no Gene Watson or John Anderson either; nor is he even as engaging as the generation of early-'90s hat acts — Clint Black, Mark Chesnutt — that he helped dethrone."
So when Brad rolled back to town last week with Darius Rucker and Dierks Bentley, he added a surprise act to the bill: Gene Watson.
"In the spirit of giving everyone their money’s worth, I asked Gene if he would join the show," Brad says. "There’s nothing like kicking off the final leg of the Paisley Party with the one and only Gene Watson singing his amazing ‘Farewell Party.’"
"Farewell Party" was released during January 30 years ago and was one of the highlights of Gene’s smooth-voiced string of hits. Among the other songs that earned him acclaim: "Love In The Hot Afternoon," "This Dream’s On Me," "Nothing Sure Looked Good On You" and "Fourteen Carat Mind."