Country fans, polish your eyeglasses! It looks as if you'll have some good reading material to hunker down with next spring. I wrote just a short while ago that Shania Twain will be releasing her autobiography in 2011--and now, Brad Paisley has just announced he's inked a deal to publish his first major book.
The Grammy-winning country star's story, titled Diary Of A Player, will relate the path he took to become the musician he is today. According to his official site, it's also "a salute to the guitar gods of country, blues, and rock 'n' roll who have shaped his life."
However many icons influenced his future, Paisley ultimately credits a much closer source as his inspiration to embark on a musical path. He describes in the liner notes to his 2008 album Play how his grandfather gave him a guitar--and therefore an identity--at the tender age of 8.
"[My grandfather] said if I learned to play, anything would be manageable, and life would be richer," Paisley says. "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, watch TV, pray, cry, sleep, and so on. I play."
Paisley will be co-writing with David Wild, who's a contributing editor to Rolling Stone as well as an Emmy-nominated television writer/producer. The book is set for release in May 2011 through Simon & Schuster imprint Howard Books.
In addition to his writing duties, Paisley's keeping pretty busy this fall--he'll be releasing his next album, the double-disc package Hits Alive, on November 2; as well as hosting the CMA Awards with Carrie Underwood on November 10.
Will you be picking up Brad's "diary" next spring? Be sure to let me know!
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