Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley
28, 1972, in Glen Dale, WV; given his first guitar at age eight, he
delivered his first public performance at church two years later.
Dierks Bentley
Growing up in a nonmusical family in Phoenix, AZ, country singer Dierks
Bentley got his country music education on his own, listening to
recordings. A love of the music inspired him to move to Nashville at
the age of 19, but he quickly grew discouraged by lack of public and
professional interest coming his way. It all changed when he walked
into the Station Inn, a bar where the bluegrass faithful hang out. An
all-night jam session recharged his batteries and he restarted pursuing
gigs. He landed a job at the TNN television doing research on classic
country music and by night he worked on his demos. Capitol Records
heard the artist, signed him, and released his self-titled debut in
2003. Bringing his love of Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings to the
forefront, Modern Day Drifter followed two years later and became a Top
Ten hit. In 2006, he returned with Long Trip Alone, a more polished
effort that was commercial but not crass.