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Brad Paisley was a newcomer the first time he played the Canfield Fair. He returns Sunday as a hall of famer.
Paisley will be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in October alongside Emmylou Harris, Jim Lauderdale, Don Cook, Steve Bogard and Tony Martin.
When the 2025 inductees were announced earlier this month, Paisley said, "What an honor this is to be included in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. It's still sinking in what that means. It's really an amazing thing to be in this group and to know that I'm accepted enough in the town that I wanted to live in so desperately, and to be a part of this industry is such an amazing honor and blessing."
Since 1999, Paisley has written or co-written 15 songs that topped the Billboard country charts and another 14 that cracked the top 10. His hits include "We Danced," "I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)," "The World," "She's Everything," "I'm Still a Guy," "Perfect Storm" and "Mud on the Tires."
His latest single, "Truck Still Works," was written as a sequel to "Mud on the Tires," the title track of his 2003 album.
"There's plenty of heavy topics (to talk about right now)," Paisley told Music Row magazine last fall. "Just watch the news. I wanted to do something here that really exists for feeling good. Turn this thing up in whatever vehicle you're driving. It should sound really good and it should take you away from some of those things. More than that, it's a return. It's nostalgia. I love things that evoke good memories, and that's what this did for me."
Sunday's concert will be Paisley's third Canfield Fair appearance. In the press release announcing this year's show, fair board President Dave Mannion said, "24 years ago in 2001, Brad Paisley, with just a two-year-old record contract, played the Canfield Fair on a portable stage in front of a blue tarp. I can guarantee you that is not the same experience our fairgoers will experience this year."
He returned to the fair four years later as a Grandstand headliner.
Paisley has played other area dates as well, including Stambaugh Auditorium in 2002 and the Covelli Centre in 2015. And he played one of his "earliest" shows in Trumbull County -- not early as in his career but early as in time of day.
When ABC's "Good Morning America" did its show in Gustavus in 2008 as part of a whistle-stop train tour, Paisley was the musical guest.
The induction ceremony isn't the only thing left on Paisley's calendar for 2025. Earlier this month it was announced that he will write music for and perform in the Hallmark movie "A Grand Ole Opry Christmas," starring Nikki DeLoach and Kristoffer Polaha. He also will record the official anthem for the network's "Countdown to Christmas" promotional campaign.
Paisley is no stranger to the acting world. He's been married since 2003 to Kimberly Williams, best known for the film "Father of the Bride." Paisley also has appeared on such television shows as "Two and a Half Men," "American Dreams" and "According to Jim" and provided voices for "South Park" and "King of the Hill."