Remember When Brad Paisley Released His ‘Mud on the Tires’ Album?

On this day in 2003, three-time GRAMMY-award winning country artist Brad Paisley released his third studio album, Mud on the Tires, via Arista Nashville.

The album was a massive success, producing a whopping four hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts, including the chart-topping title track and Top Five hits “Celebrity”, “Little Moments” and “Whiskey Lullaby.”

The project, produced by Paisley’s longtime collaborator Frank Rogers, included 16 tracks, plus the hidden track “Kung Pao” with Bill Anderson, George Jones and Little Jimmy Dickens. 

“Whiskey Lullaby,” a duet with Alison Krauss, acted as a turning point for Paisley’s career. 

“It’s an angelic, ghostly bluegrass ballad, really a tragedy, and I think when I get to heaven, if the angels don’t sound like Alison Krauss, we have been cheated,” Paisley once shared. “What’s interesting is it was never expected to be a single. And it’s a good example of how I was slowly able to expand by comfort zone, like getting away with ‘I’m Gonna Miss Her’ and ‘Celebrity’ – songs that were just not what you would have expected from the guy that did ‘Who Needs Pictures.’”

“Whiskey Lullaby” was named Song of the Year at the 2005 CMA Awards. 

Brad Paisley’s Mud on the Tires album has been certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA.