The Diary of a Player: How My Musical Heroes Made a Guitar Man Out of Me

This book is the very personal story of how Brad Paisley came of age as a musician and a man. Focusing on what it means to play the guitar and how he found his voice through a series of guitars, the book will also share what he has learned about life along the way. Beginning with his own very personal love letter to the guitar and what the instrument has meant in his life as a way to find his voice in the world, the book then moves into a musical, but personal, diary. Brad tells the story of his own musical passion, while writing loving salutes and sharing memorable tales about all the great players in country, blues, and rock & roll who have inspired him over the years.

As he wrote in liner notes of his instrumental guitar album, Play, his first guitar was a gift from his grandpa when Brad was only eight. Brad quickly learned that no matter how he changed and evolved, the guitar was his only real constant. When life gets intense, he says, “there are some people who drink, who seek counseling, eat, or watch TV, cry, sleep, and so on. I play.” 

Included in the book will be sidebars from a wide array of musical stars who know and love Brad. In these sidebars, this host of guitar and musical gods will share their take on Brad or stories of their favorite memories about him.

At age twelve,?Brad Paisley?wrote his first song, “Born on Christmas Day,” and today he boasts sixteen #1 hits. Brad’s latest album,?American Saturday Night, was proclaimed by?Newsweek?as The Album of the Year. He has multiple Grammys, CMA, and ACM awards. Brad is married to actress Kimberly Williams Paisley?and is the father of Huck and Jasper. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

As a graduate of Cornell University,?David Wild?is a contributing editor for?Rolling Stone.?He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on?America: A Tribute to Heroes,?a televised telethon held in the wake of 9/11.