Brady Seals, Brad Paisley, Justin Moore Make Hometown News

Justin Moore photo by Kristin Barlowe, courtesy of The Valory Music Co.

Sept. 1, 2009 — Who says you can’t go home? Justin Moore, Brady Seals and Brad Paisley are among the many country stars who are proud of their roots, and their interactions with their hometowns are creating headlines.

Each of them comes from a different state — Justin hails from Arkansas, Brady’s from Ohio and Brad grew up in West Virginia — but all of them have the same sense of connection to their birthplace that Alabama celebrated in its personal-roots classic "My Home’s In Alabama."

The hometown highlights include:

• Brady got a big surprise when he went back to Fairfield, Ohio, Sunday in support of his new album Play Time. Mayor Ronald D’Epifanio surprised the former Little Texas singer by declaring Brady Seals Day and giving him a key to the city. The gesture is "one of the greatest honors of my life," Brady says. "Though I live in Franklin, Tenn., I will always consider Fairfield home. Go, Indians!"

• Brad has plans to come back to Wheeling, W.Va., for a special concert to celebrate the reopening of the Capitol Theater, according to West Virginia Public Broadcasting. The Wheeling Jamboree, a regular radio show that used the same barn-dance motif as the Grand Ole Opry, aired from that location for decades, though the site was closed several years ago for remodelling at an estimated price tag of $8 million. Brad performed many times at the Jamboree during his formative years. Formerly known as the Capitol Music Hall, the upgraded venue’s grand opening is set for Sept. 23. A date for Brad’s concert has yet not been announced.

• Justin Moore drew from his roots in Poyen, Ark., when he wrote "Small Town USA," a song that recently became his first hit. While he was there, his neighbors often told him that his dream of making it in big-city Nashville wasn’t realistic. He’s proven them wrong, but he’s not holding a grudge about it. In fact, Justin plans some day to re-establish his roots in Poyen. "[Music] was all I ever wanted to do, and I wouldn't be happy anywhere if I wasn't doing this," he told AOL’s The Boot. "I will move home one day, and it will all be worth it."