With Nashville becoming the center of country music, George D. Hay created the WSM Barn Dance which eventually turned into the Grand Ole Opry. And for the decades that followed, the Opry became a milestone for any singer looking to make a name for themselves in country music. For the past 100 years, the Opry honored singers from genres like folk, gospel, Americana, bluegrass, and of course, country. First airing in 1925, NBC celebrated the historic moment with the Opry 100: A Live Celebration. With dozens of country stars thrilled to celebrate at the Opry, Brad Paisley traveled back to the 90s alongside Alison Krauss with “Whiskey Lullaby.”
Although Paisley isn’t 100 years old, the singer never forgot the moment he first took the stage at the Opry back in 1999. Not even a year later, he landed his first No. 1 hit with “He Didn’t Have to Be.” It wasn’t until 2001 that Paisley gained a spot as a member at the Opry. Holding such a special moment in his career, the singer soaked in the night as he performed “Whiskey Lullaby” with Krauss.
Online, fans loved watching Paisley celebrate the massive legacy of the Opry as comments read:
Brad Paisley Reveals His Favorite American Band
While Paisley created a promising career in country music, he once opened up about his favorite American band. Going outside of country music, the singer pointed to the Eagles. “The Eagles — they’re the American band. The Stones were a big influence on me and the Beatles, obviously. But they’re all British. Here you have this band coming out of America that’s as country as anything. The Desperado album, all that ‘Doolin-Dalton’ stuff? That’s a country album, through and through. No question. Then they turn around and do Hotel California. The coolest thing. Something about cactuses and rock music is a good combination.”
As for one of his favorite country songs at the time, Paisley decided to travel outside the mainstream to Jason Isbell’s “Elephant.” Recalling what it was like to listen to the song for the first time, he admitted, “I heard the song and I couldn’t believe somebody would write about a woman with cancer. It has the F word and it’s used like you think, not as a cuss word. It’s just bizarre and really cool. It’s not at all modern commercial country. It’s interesting to hear what somebody does when they have no interest in playing by the rules.”
With Paisley continuing to perform and release new music, his last album, Love and War, hit shelves back in 2017, producing hit songs like “One Beer Can” and “Heaven South.”
