Brad Paisley Enjoys Andy Griffith’s Renewal

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Brad Paisley performs "Waitin’ on a Woman" at "The 42nd Annual CMA Awards," on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008, live from the Sommet Center in Nashville on the ABC Television Network. Photo courtesy of the Country Music Association.


Dec. 31, 2008 — Andy Griffith has remained a staple of the American cultural landscape thanks to endless reruns of his 1960s TV series, but the venerable actor is gaining new acclaim as well: His classic 1957 picture A Face In The Crowd was added this week to the National Film Registry, and last month he won a Country Music Association award for his role in Brad Paisley’s "Waitin’ On A Woman" video.

"A little-known fact is that Andy Griffith was at the birth of the CMA s with Roger Miller and someone else at a hotel in Chicago — I think [that’s] the story he told," Brad said backstage at the awards. "He was at whatever that was that gave birth to it. He loves country music as much anybody, so for something like this [award] to go on his mantel is something that means a lot to me."

A Face In The Crowd is one of 25 movies added to the Film Registry. Among the other new entries are The Terminator, Flower Drum Song, Sergeant York and Deliverance, which spawned the instrumental country hit "Dueling Banjos."

Brad, who released his own instrumental album in 2008, meanwhile has another group of public figures on his itinerary for January. He kicks off the next leg of the Paisley Party concert tour on Jan. 15 with Dierks Bentley, Darius Rucker and Crystal Shawanda.

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