Book tour bonus with Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley

I can honestly say they're doing everything they possibly can to make the world a better place, so please help me. Welcome too of your hometown heroes Nashville, Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams Paisley or I was, so I'll just do with your you know what. He's going there, Katie, he is, I'm going there. So I just have some things. Are you tired, Brad? No, No, I just this is I haven't been in therapy a long time. Let me see

if I can help you out here. You guys, I was so so excited and honored that you agree to to be here tonight, So thank you both so much. And Kim talked you into it. I did. I listened to your book. It's fantastic. Everyone get the book, So thank you said, Well, we were talking about I listened to it um, which was a really really great way to experience it because of all the clips like we've been playing tonight, but it was just a really cool way to hear it. Yeah, it was fun to do.

Although that was exhausting. But I couldn't imagine writing a book and having someone else read it. I thought that would be so weird. So it took about eight days and you're just reading all day long. Well, Kim, you did you record your book as well? Did? Yeah? It was exhausting, right, exhausting. I didn't realize how much I had to act it. Yeah, Like I started just kind of reading and I listened to it back and I thought this is really boring, so I had to go

back and put something into it. Really. Well, we're going to talk about your book and a lot of other stuff, but you know, you are are doing so much for the city of Nashville, and but first I want to I want you to take us back because everybody loves the how did You Meet story? So how did you two meet. It was I understand Brad, it was you were responsible for getting Kim to be in a music video, right,

he stalked me, that's what happened. Well, yeah, basically, I I as an excuse to reach out to where I said, I called a manager of hers and said, you know, I've written some songs about the other the Bride movie. I went on a first date to that, and wouldn't it be great if if she was in a music video?

But I was just doing that the stalker. And but your manager at the time, who one of the best management moves in my opinion, that she ever did, maybe the worst in your opinion, was she called you and said, oh yeah, yeah, he wants you in a video, but you're going to date him. Really, she's not my manager anymore, but that's why. But you know, she ruined your life and made more. So did what did you know like when you did that video? Did the sparks fly Kim?

You can be honest, not for her, I mean for me, they did, but they did. I'm speaking for her right now, but I mean we're married. It all worked out. Yeah, they weren't flying yet. But you guys are from two different worlds. You grew up in Glendale, West Virginia, and um and and Kim, what the heck it's people, they're they're all here. And Kim, you're for Rhyane New York and New Yorker. Yeah so no New Yorker's okay, okay, good. So so how did you guys click because your life

experience just we're pretty different. What what made it work? I think opposites attracts maybe, I mean I was, I was in from the moment I've met her, but it took me about six weeks to convince her. But I don't know, I'm not sure what her story is. I mean, you're you're just so he's so funny. It was the charming funny. He's a really good guy, and I think

it was the humor. And then he wrote a song for me, and that really, I mean that actually did Early on I had written a song H called Little Moments that ended up being a hit, and it was funny because I sang it to her over the phone. She was in California and at the time, after we already dating, and I could tell she flipped out and it was about somebody else would have been that work. I would say writing a song for someone. No, I mean I just I heard that and I thought, oh,

he gets me. Yeah, it was really that was a powerful moment. Well you, I want to talk about your your talents because you're both so talented too. And and I love asking people when they realized they had certain gifts. And I remember interviewing Barbara Streisan and asking her, like, when did you realize she could sing like that? And what was that like? That must have been so exciting.

She talked about being in her grandmother's apartment in Brooklyn, and she remembers like the bronze uh staircase and and all that, and she said she sang and there was it was very good acoustics. And she thought, wow, that sounds really good. And I'm curious, Brad, how did you realize you had this musical talent because you started playing at a very young age, right your grandfather, Yeah, I don't know that. Your grandfather, by the way, here's a

little Brad. He wanted me to learn to play so bad, and so I did for him. And at first, it's no fun when you first start playing the guitar and hurts. It's you don't know what you're doing nothing sounds like what you wanted to um, and I don't know that I ever. I was never instantly I was. I was not some like, oh man, you're amazing at all. I mean it took along to a lot of work, you know.

I mean, I think if you'd my dad used to say something when I was young it was really smart, which was I was doing these local shows as a teenager. I was book solid the Lions Club luncheons. I mean they would give me a hundred dollars to go do like fifteen twenty minutes with an acoustic guitar and it thirteen years old. That's I mean, you know, you can

buy a lot of Lego sets with that. And um My dad would say, you're cute now when you're twenty and if you're this good at twenty, that's not gonna work. You better get good by twenty, you know. And a lot of dad don't do that. It was really it was really good advice, even though he has musical ability whatsoever. But sorry, he has no ability and doesn't. But you just worked at it and practiced and practiced and practice I did. I did, And I think when was the

realization for you that you couldn't sing. I still think maybe I can. I realized it early on. We're dating, well, you compliment each other because you can't act. You're right right? That was good. That's good. Okay, So Brad, let's talk about your front three Grammy. Oh no, no no, I want to talk about the colonoscopy. Let's talk about that. I think we've seen enough of my colin tonight. Here's what I really want to do. I want to do. I to pick the right song, but I want to use

that as a music video for a song. Really, just Katie Kirk's colonoscopy, and people will be so confused. It might encourage them to get screamed and then they can play while they're under sort of. Maybe maybe we'll redo a new music video for Mud on the Tires the politostar. Gu that's okay. Let's talk about your awards. You've won three Grammys, two American Music Awards, fourteen c m A S you fifteen Academy of Country Music Awards. You've written twenty one No, Brad has written twenty one of his

twenty four number one hits. So I mean, I'm fascinated by songwriting. How where do you get your inspiration. Just are you driving down the street and you see something and something just pops into your head? How does it happen? I think, well sometimes, I mean it's like just like when you sat down to write this book. I'm fascinated by that. Like I have a book that I co wrote with a good friend and we kind of shared the duties about being a guitar player. But what Kim did?

What what you did? Where it's you sit down in that solitary thought, it's the same thing. You just start going and then you write something. And the best things are really when you realize, okay, I have to get rid of that. And I think that that as a songwriter, you find inspiration in daily life. But the best songs are rewritten. You know, you rewrite to make it what

it could be. Yeah, And when you're rewriting it, do you just sort of change the lyrics or do you figure out like the it can be either, I mean, you know, the melody's gotta fit. I've always said in country music, the best country songs are the way you'd say them. And anytime that you that you're trying to rhyme something and it's not a word you would say in the sentence it it feels off in country music, so and also melodically like you should sing the way

you'd say it. And you know, like when you put the emphasis on a part of the word you would ever emphasized just to rhyme it or whatever. There's little tricks to make something feel right. And then other than that, it's just magic. And I don't have any idea. Well, whatever you're doing, keep doing it, because I mean, you're you're just incredibly successful. And then Kim for your acting, sort of the same question. What was there a moment that you said, I love doing this, you know, this

is this is what what I was born to do. Yeah, I think I was about five years old, and I used to I used to put on plays with my my friends or my brother and sister in my parents living room, and I charged their guests when their guests would come over, I charged them like twenty five cents to see our show, which I'm pretty confident was awful, you know, and I and I take the many so I saw it as a business opportunity for really on um, but it was all I ever really wanted to do that,

and right I just loved I loved acting. And when you were at Northwestern, that is when you were discovered to be Annie and and father at the bride, right and and wait, so there you are. One of my favorite scenes when you're playing basketball was stuck Martin. And how did you get how did you get discovered? How

did that happen? Um? Well, I was a sophomore in Northwestern and I auditioned in Chicago, and I was just trying to figure out how to take the L train, because I mean I didn't really want I was a college student and didn't want to audition for anything. But I had this thing come up. A friend of mine was interning in a casting office in Chicago, and I thought, well, I've never taken the L, so let me see if I can navigate that and forget whatever. This audition blah

blah blah a bride. You know, it was like the furthest thing from my mind. And then I think it was because I was so relaxed that it just went really well. But actually they flew me out to California a couple of times, told me I didn't get it, like fired me before they hired me a couple of times. And then I guess couldn't find anyone else and so well, I can't imagine anyone else being in that role than

you because that's such a great movie. And and you know, you continued your acting career and now you're acting with your sister, which is so fun. You've got to Hallmark movies and you and your sister are starring at Brad. I know you wrote a song. You just heard it's a real family affair because your sister's husband as the executive producer. So tell us about that. Those are there's your sister. That's so great and there's so much. She just came. She was here today. She just flew out.

Unfortunately she couldn't make it, but we had an event last night together. But yeah, we've got this. These two movies for Hallmark coming out December five and December twelve. It was Ashley's idea to do them. Um and I started one, she starts in the other, and then we kind of visit each other's movies and there's there's fun scenes that start in one point in my movie and end in a different point in hers, so they overlap, so they kind of fit together like a puzzle. It's cool.

Why are those Hallmark movies so addictive. I was getting a blow dry at dry Bar and they played them and I'd already seen the one because I've had to get my hair blown out in every city. So I just called dry bar and I'm like, I can't stop watching THEO what what? What is it about those because they make you feel like everything's okay. Yeah, I think you're right. Drink hot chocolate and there's they have Christmas trees and fall in love and they live happily ever

after and all that stuff. More from the Comforting Kem and Brad. Right after this, let's talk a little bit about about your philanthropic work, because that's really one of the main reasons I was so excited to have you all here during the pandemic this Uh. You started a place called The Store, which is a nonprofit grocery store

here in Nashville, and it's amazing. And before before we talk about it, I I think when when I met when I saw you guys, I sat next to him at a Michael J. Fox Foundation event in New York and it was so fun because I sat next to her and your sweet dad and Brad was performing, and you told me that you got the idea and when your boys, you and your boys were in Santa Barbara and you wanted to start teaching them about the importance

of giving back. So what happened? Yeah, well, I mean I grew up going delivering meals on wheels with my mom. She'd throw us in the backseat and she would deliver and we used to go to soup kitchens and we dole out food and stuff, and so it was something that I was brought up with. And then we really wanted to teach our kids the same. So, um, I asked around and Santa Barbara, there's this place called the Unity Shop, and we took the kids there and it

was incredible. Um, they learned how to stack the shelves, they learned how to pack beans, they looked, learned how to check people out at the grocery at the check encounter. And Brad said, we've got to do this in Nashville. And that was about five years ago. Yeah. Well, I think also that like all the good things the kids get in their life, from that standpoint or from her, I mean, I'm I don't know what kind of kids

they'd be if it was just me. Like she's the one that thinks of oh, they should learn about charity, and like that's a good idea we should do. And so we went there and Unity Shop is its own place. It's got its own sort of philosophy and its own uh other little cool things they do in that community.

But immediately it was like, Nashville is the type of giving place that we'll just eat this up, you know, And here we are and you want to say, no pun intendedive to eat this up, um, But what's amazing about what we do and what unity What we learned from Unity Shop is instead of people getting a hand out, they're coming into a grocery store and they're able to choose what they want for their family, and their kids

are seeing their parents in a position of power. So we just love that concept, not winding up with a lot of food that they don't want or don't know how to use. And it's also it gives people dignity, dignity, dignity and agency, right right yeah, as well hold on will wait? Oh it um? You know it's like it's it's like, also you feel like you are not helpless in a pandemic when you have something like that, Because well, I was going to say Brad, because you all worked

very hard for five years kind of just figuring this out. Um, and then the pandemic hit, and tornadoes hits, the tornadoes and then the pandemics you all have to pivot pretty quickly to Immediately. It was so weird because immediately it was like, Okay, this whole idea of a grocery store, now, how's it look? What do you how do you do this for folks to where they're not getting sick by coming in here? And we uh, my producer, a guy named Luke Wotten, came up with the idea of deliveries

for the elderly. So the next thing you know, we were getting grocery orders and delivering to the towers nearby where a lot of a lot of folks, and they would the second time they delivered them food, they showed up and they had gotten dressed in their Sunday best, these these older folks and all came out as the as the food was placed at their doors and gave a standing ovation to the delivery folks. And um, So you know, when I look back at this pandemic, I'm

sure you feel the same way. It's there's things that you look back and go. I learned a lot from that and there's things I wouldn't change, brought out the good in people and and um, now that it's open, how first of all, I wanted to ask you where do you get all the food and how does that work? We buy a lot of it from Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. They're great. And then we have

we have fantastic farmers that donate to us. We have three different partners and they donate produce, which is great. So people can come in and they can take as much produce as they want. There's a lot of things that we have, some things that we have to limit and you know, certain amount per household so everybody can be served, but produce doesn't count toward any of that. So we really want to encourage people to get fresh fruits and vegetables. And so we're so lucky to have

farmers that are willing to donate produce for us. And when you see, Brad, when you see some of the people come into the store, and you know they have the freedom to pick things and put it in their their cart, and you know, um, and by the way, Kim, that's so important because so many of these people probably live in food desserts where they don't have enough enough fresh produce, and that contributes to obesity and diabetes and all kinds of things. But it must be so gratifying

to see them shop. Yeah, on my birthday this year, she went and volunteered for the day, and difficult fashion, I stopped by and for a little while, but going on your birthday and seeing you know, it was one of the first times I've been in there since the pandemic, since we're fully operational like we wanted. And you know, mother of two. They were all dressed in Halloween matching Halloween o. These two little toddlers and her newborn and a stroller, some elderly folks. A guy left there and

you pointed it out. He walked out. There's a bus stop right by it. He walked out with his groceries, got on the bus and sat down and the bus pulled away and he come to you're seeing. You're seeing the faces of the people we wondered who they'd be. And the great thing is we partnered with Belmont University and they have a Yes, Belmont, they have health Ministry center right next door. So we've got all these wraparound services,

so it's not just about addressing food and security. But they also have a music therapy program, they have financial literacy program, they have legal services, so they're really helping to address all of the issues that are needed to

get someone back on their feet to self sufficiency. Well, and I know that you all are involved in because you went to Belmont and there's a scholarship that you all established at the university and they named the ballroom after you all recently, which was cool, right, I moved in where I'm going to be living there for a little while. A great place to roller skate. I mean, there's some kids. I talked to them before the show and tried to give them some career advice. I hope

it was helpful. But the Belmont kids get But what would you tell them, I'll take advantage of you all being I would tell them that a two point three grade point average is all you need. You get anywhere you want with that. And because they have never at the back door here, they have never asked what I what I got many of the classes, so learned a lot while you're there. But Brad, Brad got a D in guitar. Really, yes, I got it change to see later it was because I didn't go to class. But

let's not go into go to class. Kids coming up a special serenade from Brad Paisley himself. Swoon. Not only have you all done the store, but I just want to point out that Keim, you've done so much for Alzheimer's disease. You lost your mom in two thousand sixteen, and I know that must have been heartbreaking and very difficult. Um, can you tell us a little bit about your mom, Linda? Yes, my mom was an amazing fundraiser for the Michael J.

Fox Foundation. Um. She started their development pro him there. She was an expert at asking people from millions of dollars and getting it. It was, which is like a really as and now we're fundraisers, you know, that's a really hard thing to do. Um. Um. But she was vibrant and amazing, funny, smart, you know, and um we saw her deteriorate over eleven years. But just last night,

well actually it's five years since she passed tomorrow. Um, But just last night we had an incredible event in Nashville. We had our eighties dance party. Were you guys there. Look, here's some pictures from the eighties dance party looks so much fun. Yeah, so, I mean I've I've found so much healing from writing about it. I wrote in my memoir where the Light Gets In and then having these fundraisers, and Katie, I have to say, you are such an

inspiration in this department because you have raised seven million dollars. Yeah, what you've done with your cancer stand up? Stand up to cancer? What's the what's the tally right now? What's the total figure? Right now? You can brag? What have you? What's the total figure? What have you raised? I think we've raised uh, seven million dollars as Yeah, that is so fantastic And has it? How has that been heeling for you to be able to take this tragic experience

and really create incredible good from it? Well, you know, I learned so much when both Jay and my sister Emily were sick. And one thing I learned is that these scientists operate sometimes since silos. There's so many brilliant scientists. They're my personal heroes, who are you know, getting very little attention or credit and they're just toiling day and night these research labs. And when I when Jay was sick I spent so much time calling these medical centers

and pharmaceutical companies. I would after the Today's show, I'd go on my office and I'd call like Israel tell Leviv and ask them like about monoclonal antibodies and all these clinical trials. And I just thought if they collaborated instead of competed, then we could move science forward faster.

So Stand Up to Cancer is all about having these dream teams of scientists that that work together and share their resources, their ideas, their creativity, brain power, tissue samples so they can come up with better treatments in a much you know, a much more efficient and faster way. And you know, at first they were really like, we don't want to work together, and now they love it. It's re energize them and some of them take family

vacations together. And our our scientists have contributed to nine new FDA approved drugs since we started in two thousand eights. So yeah, and you know, listen, we're so blessed. And I feel like and and and we're so lucky that we have a platform um that we can we can share our information with people. We can change people's lives and give them back their dignity as you all are doing, and I feel like it's almost criminal not to take

advantage of that. But you know, I talked to a lot of people who lose people they love to cancer and other diseases, and I always say, even if if you can do something, if you can, you know, organize a walkathon in your community or bake sale or do something you feel so powerless. I'm sure you did when your mom was sick, Kim, And it just I think it's so cathartic and healing to say what can I do for the greater good? I couldn't say this person,

but maybe I can help somebody else. So I think that's what is really motivating for me, and I'm sure you two as well. And we found such a community in the Alzheimer's Association, and we never reached out to them when my mom was sick because she was embarrassed by her illness. There's a huge stigma around Alzheimer's and so to be able to push past that, to scream about it now, you know, and share our message of you know, encourage people to ask for help and you

know that you don't have to do it alone. It has been really healing for our family. Yeah, and I think it's so you know the numbers when you think about aging baby boomers, that Alzheimer's is going to be such an epidemic in the next ten or twenty years that the push to science and trying to come up with preventative strategies and hopefully new therapies is going to be more important than ever, isn't it. Chump, Yeah, well,

I think it's wonderful. What I mean, honestly, what you guys do for for not only Alzheimer's patients, but as I said, for for people in need in Nashville is extraordinary. And I wanted to ask you about sort of another entrepreneurial endeavor you you guys are I don't know if you're doing this, cam or this is Brad's idea, but you're in the bourbon business. Now she's not in that. She's not in that. I sip on it, I don't sell it now. We we had this idea. So the

thing about bourbon, Uh, I don't know. John loves bourbon. Yeah, yeah he was. He was hammered back there, but now it's Uh, bourbon age is in a really unique way. You know, it's it's the American spirit, but most of the time it spends its life in a in a rick house in Kentucky or somewhere, and there's way more Kentucky and West Virginia represented the New York City. But

we had this idea. You know, they used to age Koonak at sea, and they used and a friend of mine started a bourbon that's uh called Ocean is Great. It's aged at c on a boat. And we thought, what if we take bourbon on tour and loaded we we had and we figured it out. We we loaded up a truck full of ninety barrels of bourbon, really really good bourbon from Kentucky and UH and sent it on tour in thankfully, because there was a tour in

twenty nineteen. We didn't hadn't canceled everything yet and it went to almost all forty eight contiguous states and I think there's fifty now, but then you go to the other two. We went all around America. It aged, it went, It hit all of the climates. It was at every city. We have pictures of the truck in front of signs and you know, city limits signs and stuff. And then got it back and the aging on the road. Think

about it. First of all, if you've ever ridden with any of my drivers, you know that's what you want a bourbon to do. It's really it's shake is shaking around. There's a lot of heartbreaking. It's impossible to sleep. But the bourbon turned out amazing. We we named it American Highway. Uh and it's available now, that's awesome. I think you brought a bottle, didn't perfect. Yeah, we're going to try the bourbon and did John drink it all? Thank you?

Look how much has gone? And um, while Kim and I sit on a little bit of American Highway reserve. You're going to play us a song? Yeah, sure, that is so great. Better to say up first, cheers, cheers. Actually that's really well. Yeah, sorry us, thank you, cheers everyone. I hate to be sorry. I'm sorry sorry that everybody say Hi. Dave. Dave's famous gotta get a little on turn like colin Oscopy song, the coling Oscopy song. If I could ride a letter to me, hand it back

in time to myself, it's seventeen. First, I prove it's me by saying, look under Ben, there's a skull can and play for and no one else and you know you're hit. And I say, I know it's tough when you break up, bout to sit in months. Yeah, I know me like you just don't see eve it but all I can see pain like that. It's fast. It's a rat. Got so much going for cleen, right, but I know it's seventeen. It's hard to see past friding. She wasn't a right for you, but still feels like

days and night. Stick it out your back and you want and year survived and you'll make it through. See you're still write write this letter me. You got so much hard head, your man, new friends, and you should see your kids. And I'm saying, movies are no best years. You remember high school? I remember what adults would say. I'll enjoy this, son, these are the best days of your life, which is not something you should say to the high school kids. I have a living proof high

school is not the best years of your life. Now, college, I guess I'll see you in there. You're wrong, man, t school, hugging everything every chance. You can't got so much going for you, right, but out it's seventeen. It's hard to see past Friday night. I would you study Spanish. I wish you take a t class now. I wish you would out where let it be. Yeah, I see have the little faith in me. You'll see if I could run to me. It's so great. That was so great.

You've got some talent, Young Kevin, Brad Paisley, everybody Hurt, Hurt a big country. Thank you to Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams Paisley. You can find more about their incredible nonprofit grocery store at the store dot org. And I believe there's still time to catch Kim's Hallmark movies. They're called Sister Swap a Hometown Holiday and Sister Swap Christmas in the City. Next Question with Katie Kurik is a production of My Heart Media and Katie Couric Media. The

executive producers Army, Katie Couric, and Courtney Litz. The supervising producer is Lauren Hansen. Associate producers Derek Clements and Adriana Fasio. The show is edited and mixed by Derrek Clements. For more information about today's episode, or to sign up for my morning newsletter wake Up Call, go to Katie correct dot com. You can also find me at Katie curic

on Instagram and all my social media channels. For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.