In his latest hit “Today,” Brad Paisley talks about moments that you carry with you for the rest of your life. During his career Brad has certainly had a number of those in his own life, including working with some of his heroes, many who are no longer with us, but Brad still has the memories to carry with him. He’s able to have those memories because of a lesson he learned very soon after arriving in Nashville. Brad says that “I found very quickly that in country music when you walk up to them and say ‘I am someone who really respects you and I have a record deal, do you want to do something with me?’ they say ‘yes.’” And with that mentality, Brad Paisley set out to work with his musical heroes like George Jones, Whispering Bill Anderson, Buck Owens and fellow West Virginian Little Jimmy Dickens. The lesson to be learned—if you have the opportunity, don’t keep your heroes at  arm’s length—just ask them to be a part of what you’re doing.

  Brad Paisley talks about the opportunity to work with his musical heroes. (:45)
“I have been very very lucky, to collaborate with my heroes. I didn’t keep my heroes at arm’s length. When I loved somebody in this town, I found very quickly that in country music when you walk up to them and say ‘I am someone who really respects you and I have a record deal, do you want to do something with me?’ they say ‘yes.’ It quickly became, as you’ve seen evidence on TV and things, that, like, the friendships with Jimmy Dickens, and Bill Anderson, and George Jones, and Buck Owens and the list goes on and on, and Steve Wariner, Vince Gill. I didn’t just get to meet these guys, I to create with them over the years.”