Brad Paisley performs at the 2014 CMA Festival
photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images Entertainment
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Today's spotlight falls on an artist who has hosted award shows, mentored on talent contest programs, won 3 Grammys, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards, 14 Country Music Association awards and two American Music Awards.

And isn't named Blake Shelton.

Brad Paisley was born and raised in Glen Dale, West Virginia. He received his first guitar from his grandfather, Warren Jarvis who taught him how to play at age 8. His first public performance came at age 10, performing at his church. He began taking lessons from a local player named Hank Goddard, and by the time Paisley turned 13, the pair had formed Paisley's first band, Brad Paisley and The C-Notes. Paisley had begun writing songs about the same time, and when his junior high school principal heard him performing a song he had written, "Born on Christmas Day", Brad was invited to play for the local Rotary Club.

Brad Paisley performs onstage during the 2015 iHeartRadio Country Festival
photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images Entertainment
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The program director of a local radio station happened to be in attendance for that Rotary Club performance, and he invited Brad to appear as a guest on Jamboree USA. After Paisley's first appearance, he was asked to become a regular on the show. Paisley would go on to perform on the show for the next 8 years, opening for acts like the Judds and George Jones. Brad was inducted into the Jamboree USA Hall of Fame, becoming the youngest performer to ever receive that honor.

After graduating from High School, Paisley went on to study for 2 years at West Liberty State College, then transferring to Belmont University in Nashville, where he received a full scholarship from ASCAP. Within a week after graduating from BU in 1995 with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Paisley signed a publishing contract with EMI Music Publishing, where he would write songs recorded by David Kersh and David Ball.

Brad Paisley performs at Covelli Centre - Youngstown, Ohio
photo by Duane Prokop/Getty Images Entertainment
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Paisley signed a recording deal with Arista Nashville in 1998. His first album, 1999's Who Needs Pictures, contained the number 1 hits "He Didn't Have To Be" and "We Danced" along with the top-20's "Me Neither" and the title track. Paisley has produced 10 studio albums with Artista, all of which have given rise to 39 singles, all of which have broken the top-20; 32 top-10 singles, with 20 of those climbing to #1.

From Paisley's most recent album, Moonshine In The Trunk, comes today's featured song. Brad Paisley and the fourth single from the album, "Country Nation" are today's Catch of the Day, music you haven't heard, but you'll want to hear it again.

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