Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will co-host on "The 42nd Annual CMA Awards" on Nov. 12, 2008, broadcast live on ABC Television from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn.
Nov. 10, 2008 — Brad Paisley took an unusual step with his latest album, Play, stocking the bulk of it with instrumental guitar music. It’s particularly different because Brad’s a mainstream, hit-making artist, and it’s tough to think of a successful instrumental single in country music since "Dueling Banjos" came out in 1972.
But Brad’s work on the guitar has helped to set him apart from his fellow performers, and the album is, in some ways, a nod to his past. It turns out that instrumental music was a big part of his history.
"My grandfather's record collection was what I heard as a kid, and that was all Buck Owens, Floyd Cramer, Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash, Roy Clark and Boots Randolph," Brad told The Tennessean. "I grew up with a lot of instrumental music, so it's not a stretch for me to go into this. I felt like this was a way of honoring the country music that I loved, like the stuff Buck Owens would do. He did instrumentals all the time, and he was known for having a great band."
Play includes a duet with Buck, matching Brad with his late friend through the magic of studio technology. It also features guest appearances by Steve Wariner, Keith Urban, B.B. King and former Country Music Association Awards host Vince Gill.
Brad will co-host "The 42nd Annual CMA Awards" with Carrie Underwood Wednesday on ABC from Nashville’s Sommet Center.
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