''The Story of a Life with Strings Attached''Brad
Paisley is one of country music's leading men--admired
as a recording artist, a performer, a songwriter, and a
guitar slinger. This was not always so. In ''Diary of a
Player,'' Paisley for the first time fully retraces his
entire musical and personal journey to date. And it all
began with a loving grandfather who gave eight-year-old
Brad Douglas Paisley a Sears Danelectro guitar--the
Christmas gift that would alter Brad's life forever. In
Brad's own words, we read his emotional tribute to his
late great ''Papaw,'' Warren Jarvis, who sparked his
dream come true: ''When I was eight I got a gift from my
grandpa. No coincidence that around that time I also got
an identity. See, no matter how I have changed, learned,
and evolved as a person, the guitar has been a major
part of it, and really the only constant. A crutch, a
shrink, a friend, love interest, parachute, flying
machine, soapbox, canvas, liability, investment,
jackpot, tease, a sage, a gateway, an addiction, a
recovery, a temptress, a church, a voice, veil, armor,
and lifeline. My grandpa knew it could be many of these
things for me, but mostly he just wanted me to never be
alone. He said if I learned to play, anything would be
manageable, and life would be richer. You can get
through some real tough moments with that guitar on your
knee. When life gets intense, there are people who
drink, who seek counseling, eat, or watch TV, pray, cry,
sleep, and so on. I play.'' |
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