Nashville, TN (Top40 Charts/ Nashville Symphony) Country superstar
Brad Paisley will receive the 2013 Harmony Award at the 29th annual Symphony Ball, event co-chairs Mrs. Robert Dale Pilkinton, Jr. (Jane Anne) and Mrs. Gustavus A. Puryear IV (Jennifer) announced today. The award will be presented on Saturday, December 14, 2013, at Schermerhorn Symphony Center, where Paisley will join the orchestra to perform one of his hits.
Each December, at its annual Symphony Ball fundraiser, the Nashville Symphony presents the Harmony Award to an individual who exemplifies the harmonious spirit of Nashville's thriving musical community. "As one of country music's biggest stars, Brad has made a huge impact by staying true to his artistic and personal vision," says Alan Valentine, CEO and President of the Nashville Symphony, "We can't think of anyone today more deserving of this award, which over the years has honored the many artists who've helped make Nashville the thriving creative capital that it is today. Without a doubt, Brad's talents and contribution to the music of Nashville have been outstanding."
Over the course of his career, Paisley has earned three GRAMMY® Awards, 14 Academy of Country
Music Awards (including five Male Vocalist of the Year awards) and 14 Country
Music Association awards (including Entertainer of the Year in 2010), as well as three awards from ASCAP as Country
Music Songwriter/Artist of the Year. He is also a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry, having been inducted in 2001. Since his first No. 1 single in 1999, Paisley has placed 22 singles at the top of the charts. His current single is "I Can't Change the World," from his acclaimed new album, Wheelhouse — which also includes the back-to-back No. 1 hits "Southern Comfort Zone" and "Beat This Summer." Wheelhouse is Paisley's first self-produced project, on which he wrote or co-wrote all of the tracks. He is currently finishing his highly successful 2013 Beat This Summer Tour, presented by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® and will co-host the 47th Annual CMA Awards with
Carrie Underwood for the sixth consecutive time on Nov. 6.
Paisley was born in 1972, in tiny Glen Dale, West Virginia. His earliest memory is of his railroad-worker grandfather, a fan of Merle Travis, Chet Atkins and Les Paul, playing guitar. At 8, Paisley received his first guitar from his grandfather. By 10 he was performing, and by 13 he was a regular on the Saturday-night Jamboree USA radio show at Wheeling's WWVA, becoming the youngest person ever inducted into the Jamboree Hall of Fame. While still in his teens, he opened shows for Roy Clark, Jack Greene and
Little Jimmy Dickens. He garnered a songwriting deal at EMI
Music Publishing within a week of graduating from Belmont University's music business program. Nashville demos on which he began to appear led to his signing by Arista Records.
Past recipients of the Nashville Symphony's Harmony Award include Amy Grant, LeAnn Rimes, Michael W. Smith, Mike &
Linda Curb, Lyle Lovett, Trisha Yearwood, Dolly Parton, The Judds, Steve Winwood, Vince Gill,
Wynonna and Naomi Judd, Chet Atkins, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Marty
Stuart and Keith Urban.
