Podcast Summary: Making Space with Hoda Kotb

Episode: Brad Paisley on His Grandfather, Generosity and the Gifts That Last

Release Date: December 24, 2025
Host: Hoda Kotb
Guest: Brad Paisley

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt episode, Hoda Kotb sits down with Grammy-winning country star Brad Paisley to explore the roots of resilience, the enduring influence of his grandfather, the meaning of generosity, and the quieter, lasting gifts in life. Through stories of childhood, family, and philanthropy, Brad reflects on purpose, staying true to one's values, and the impact of small, persistent acts of kindness. The conversation weaves nostalgia, humor, and wisdom and offers listeners a sense of hope and inspiration, especially during challenging times.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Shared West Virginia Roots & Early Childhood

• Connection Over West Virginia:

  • Hoda and Brad bond over both growing up in West Virginia, sharing memories of idyllic small-town life.
  • Brad describes his upbringing in a "Mayberry, RFD" style (03:47), emphasizing community, simplicity, and fishing with his grandfather.

• Importance of Small Communities:

  • Brad laments the declining population of his hometown but celebrates the beauty and simplicity that characterize West Virginia life.

    "It's sadly fewer and fewer people, which kind of is great for the esthetics of the state and the beauty of it and the simplicity of it." – Brad Paisley (03:22)

2. The Foundational Influence of Brad’s Grandfather

• Grandfather as Mentor & Music Catalyst:

  • Brad’s grandfather, a telegrapher for the B&O railroad, introduced him to the guitar, gifting him his first instrument at age 8. (06:57)
  • The relationship was formative—not just for Brad’s music, but emotionally and morally.

    "No one has had more of an impact on my life than he did." – Brad Paisley (05:10)

• Persistence and Parental Influence:

  • Initially, Brad played guitar to please his grandfather. After quitting, his grandfather gently insisted Brad try again.

    "The only reason I took it back up was because he was... he just kept bugging me, you got to learn how to do this. And so then the next time I grabbed was like, for some reason something clicked." – Brad Paisley (07:06)

  • Hoda and Brad discuss how persistent encouragement sometimes trumps backing off:

    "Obviously we're not sitting here. I promise. I don't know what I'm doing if it weren't for that persistent old guy." – Brad Paisley (08:20)

• Grandfather’s Legacy and Loss:

  • Brad’s grandfather witnessed some early success—Brad playing at the Wheeling Jamboree and opening for the Judds at age 13.
  • The loss at age 15 was profound, marking the loss of a best friend and mentor.

    "The best, probably best friend I ever had." – Brad Paisley (11:51)

  • Brad continues to sense his grandfather in his life and career milestones.

    "There's so many things where, you know, like he was like... there's things he loved about music and people that really heavily influenced him and they all became my friends." – Brad Paisley (12:32)

3. Mentorships & Career Highlights

• Connecting with Country Legends:

  • Brad credits his grandfather for inspiring his reverence for classic country artists like Buck Owens and Roy Clark. He actively reached out to these icons, often developing friendships and collaborations.

    "I wrote a letter to Buck Owens when I made my first album...I'm sending it to you before it even comes out. I think you’ll hear yourself all over it." – Brad Paisley (14:10)

• Notable Career Anecdotes:

  • Visiting Buck Owens, playing New Year’s gigs at the Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, and forming a friendship with Roy Clark, who once gifted him a guitar after Nashville’s floods.

    "I open up a case and there's this old Fender Stratocaster and Roy's like, heard you lost your guitars... here's one." – Brad Paisley (18:21)

4. Boldness, Relationships, and Family

• Moxie and Making Connections:

  • Brad describes the importance of confidence and “just asking” in both career and life—whether inviting Mick Jagger to collaborate or connecting with his future wife, Kimberly.

    "That's how you ask. That's how...I mean, it's like, you want to do something together!" – Brad Paisley (20:25)

  • Shares a humorous, touching story of his son, Huck, casually questioning Mick Jagger about Muddy Waters:

    "He turns and says, 'Mick, was Muddy nice?'... and Mick’s like, 'Oh, yeah, he’s great. He was so nice to us.'" – Brad Paisley (22:01)

• Meeting Kimberly and Songwriting Origins:

  • The story of writing "Part Two" after a painful breakup, inspired by nostalgia and closure:

    "I go home for Christmas. I buy a ticket to Father of The Bride Part 2 at theater we went to by myself...She didn’t come in. But the movie’s good, so I stay." – Brad Paisley (24:53)

  • Eventually, Brad calls Kimberly to be in the video—sparking their romance, marriage, and a close-knit family.

5. Giving Back: “The Store” and Philanthropy

• Values of Generosity:

  • Brad and Kimberly were both raised to give back—her mother was active with Meals on Wheels, and Brad’s parents made him perform music for hospice patients and those in need.

    "If you’re getting to play music, you should be doing something good with it—not just selfish with it." – Brad Paisley (29:45)

  • Brad recounts singing "You Are My Sunshine" with a nonverbal patient as a poignant giving experience. (30:30)

• The Store in Nashville:

  • Inspired by a program in Santa Barbara, they co-founded The Store in Nashville—a dignified, choice-based, free grocery for those in need:

    "So the concept is, it's called the store because what do you say when you tell your kids you're going to get groceries, throw them in the car and you're going to the store. There is so much dignity and choice getting to choose the food that you would feed your family versus handed something..." – Brad Paisley (32:36)

  • The Store is designed so that children don’t realize their parents can’t pay, preserving self-esteem and normalcy for families.

6. Hope, Action, and the Power of Doing

• On Maintaining Hope:
  • Brad believes action is the antidote to despair.

    "It's hard to not be hopeful if you are proactively doing something." – Brad Paisley (35:47)

  • Hoda agrees:

    "The antidote for despair is just action. Do something." – Hoda Kotb (36:42)

7. "Snow Globe Town" and Creativity

• New Album Inspiration:
  • Brad discusses writing the title track for his holiday album “Snow Globe Town,” contributed to a Hallmark movie about family, songwriting, and legacy. (37:02)
  • Enjoys the meta nature of writing songs for the film’s protagonist, paralleling themes of memory and generational bonds.

8. Finding Peace: Brad’s Ideal "Making Space" Day

• A Day All to Himself:
  • Describes a perfect day at the family farm: pancakes, Legos with his youngest, time in the music studio, baseball, and late-night music lessons from his oldest son—demonstrating generational exchange and savoring family time.

    "I might work on Legos as much as he does, you know, slightly more...And then at night, my oldest loves to go for a drive with me and make me listen to an album he thinks I need to understand." – Brad Paisley (38:32, 39:23) "It's a beautiful day." – Hoda Kotb (40:04)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Grandfather’s Influence:

  "No one has had more of an impact on my life than he did." – Brad Paisley [05:10]

• On the Pain of Loss:

  "The best, probably best friend I ever had." – Brad Paisley [11:51]

• On Generosity & Dignity:

  "There is so much dignity and choice getting to choose the food that you would feed your family...There's dignity in the normalcy of it." – Brad Paisley [32:36]

• On Hopefulness:

  "It's hard to not be hopeful if you are proactively doing something...but it's hard to not be hopeful when you are feeling like actively doing something." – Brad Paisley [35:47]

• On Parental Encouragement:

  "If you’re getting to play music, you should be doing something good with it—not just selfish with it." – Brad Paisley [29:45]

• On Action in the Face of Despair:

  "The antidote for despair is just action. Do something." – Hoda Kotb [36:42]

• On A Perfect Day:

  "If I’m home on a Sunday, Kim likes to make pancakes and fry bacon…me and my youngest would work on something like Legos...and then at night, my oldest loves to go for a drive…" – Brad Paisley [38:32, 39:23]

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:47 – Brad’s idyllic childhood and community in West Virginia
• 05:10 – The pivotal influence of Brad’s grandfather on his life and music
• 11:51 – The loss of his grandfather and processing grief
• 14:10 – Brad’s boldness in reaching out to musical mentors
• 18:21 – Story of Roy Clark’s gift after the Nashville flood
• 20:25 – On confidence and inviting collaborations
• 22:01 – Huck Paisley’s hilarious moment with Mick Jagger
• 24:53 – Songwriting “Part Two” and the story of closure
• 27:43 – Brad and Kimberly’s approach to giving back
• 32:36 – The Store: preserving dignity for those in need
• 35:47 – Hope, action, and the antidote to despair
• 37:02 – Writing “Snow Globe Town” for Hallmark
• 38:32 – Brad’s perfect “making space” day

Tone

Throughout, the episode is warm, nostalgic, and quietly optimistic—balancing humor and humility with wisdom about what lasts in life: love, persistence, kindness, and the rippling impact of relationships across generations.

For listeners seeking reassurance, inspiration, and a celebration of genuine kindness, this conversation is as uplifting as it is memorable.