It’s been another great year in country music…and as we get ready for 2009, we’re looking back at some of the highlights of 2008.
IN APRIL…
• Brad Paisley celebrated three big milestones — 10 years of making records, 10 million records sold, and 10 number-one hits — as he was honored as a party in Nashville. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Kellie Pickler won big at the 2008 CMT Music Awards. She picked up Breakthrough Video of the Year and Tearjerker Video of the Year awards for “I Wonder”…and her performance of the song on the CMA Awards the previous fall was named Performance of the Year.
• Brad Paisley picked up a 2008 CMT Music Award, as “Online” was named Comedy Video of the Year. “Online” was directed by and stars Seinfeld actor Jason Alexander, along with William Shatner, Maureen McCormick and Estelle Harris (who played Jason’s mom on Seinfeld). (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Kenny Chesney kicked off his Poets & Pirates tour…and he kicked a little too hard, because he “walked” away from the second show on the tour with a broken foot! He was injured at the start of his show at the University of South Carolina when he got caught in the elevator that brings him up to the stage. Kenny went on to play a full-length set for more than 44-thousand people with a virtually “crushed” ankle that was stabilized, in large part, thanks to the fact that Kenny was wearing boots.
• Martina McBride released her first live CD/DVD, Martina McBride: Live in Concert. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
008 HIGHLIGHTS: April" width="16" height="14" /> Brad Paisley reflects on 10 years, 10 number-one hits, and 10 million albums sold. (:47)
“I’m not sure if I’ve grown in every way. I’ve ‘aged’ –- and that’s maybe a little more realistic. ‘Grown’ –- I have certainly grown in some ways. You’ve just got so much going through your head in the beginning when you get the record deal. And you’re thinking about everything…and you’re tryin’ to make sure everything’s right…and you only get one chance at those first impressions…and then you become a little more comfortable with who you are. And it gets to the point, I think, after 10 years, the way you grow as an artist –- if you’re lucky enough to be around at that point –- I find that who I am now is intertwined with who I am on stage, and that has become…whereas I was trying to bring who I was to that, now that has become just a part of who I am. And that kind of comfort factor just makes everything more fun.”
008 HIGHLIGHTS: April" width="16" height="14" /> Brad Paisley talks about the video for his number-one song, “Online.” (:22)
“It’s almost like a sitcom, you know? You got Jason Alexander, who I adore, who just acted really well in this and then directed everybody, including himself. And came up with a vision for this and brought great performances out of William Shatner and Estelle Harris and Maureen McCormick, and a lot of these people. And you got Taylor and Kellie, who are a great addition to this, too, and neat to have.”
008 HIGHLIGHTS: April" width="16" height="14" /> Martina McBride talks about her first live CD and DVD. (:21)
“It’s a thrill to have this DVD out there and the CD because there are a lot of people that don’t get to make it out to shows, or we don’t come to their town, unfortunately. Or even those people who have been to the show — it’s just a great way to relive those memories. I love watching live DVDs, so it’s exciting for me to think that my fans now have it so they can watch it whenever they want.”