Brad Paisley Honors Alabama at CMT Giants With Performance of “Old Alabama”

With Brad Paisley spending nearly 30 years in country music, the singer helped shape the genre with hit songs like “Remind Me”, “Whiskey Lullaby”, and “Little Moments.” Thanks to those hit songs, the country singer gained not only praise but numerous awards, including three Grammys. Before capturing fame and releasing over a dozen albums, Paisley, like many fans of country music, listened to the iconic group Alabama. Appearing to embrace country music, the legendary band continues to entertain a new generation of fans. But during CMT Giants, Alabama watched as stars like Paisley took the stage to celebrate their legacy.

While Alabama produced more than enough hits to cover the performances at CMT Giants, Paisley picked from his own discography. Going back to his 2011 album This Is Country Music, Paisley believed Alabama’s song “Mountain Music” would mix well with “Old Alabama.” Although he could sample the song, the country singer decided to reach out to Jeff Cook, Randy Owen, and Teddy Gentry to ask for their help. The finished product included easter eggs to many iconic Alabama songs like “Feels So Right”, “Why Lady Why”, and “Dixieland Delight.”

Videos by American Songwriter

With “Old Alabama” combining Paisley’s ongoing career with the rich legacy of Alabama, fans gushed over the throwback performance.

[RELATED: Brad Paisley Invites Post Malone to Make His Grand Ole Opry Debut]

Vince Gill And Brad Paisley Performed At Grand Ole Opry Alone

Besides Paisley, Vince Gill also took a moment to celebrate Alabama and their contributions to country music. Having been honored by CMT Giants in the past, Gill understood receiving such a celebration. He is also a longtime friend of Paisley. Back in 2020, the two joined forces for a special concert at the Grand Ole Opry.

Given the lockdowns at the time, Gill and Paisley took the stage without a single person in attendance. Discussing that special moment, the singer said, “It was a pretty neat show, actually, as even though you love to play in front of crowds and hear people respond to what you do, at those shows, we didn’t play in front of anybody. There were cameras around that night, but we didn’t even play to the camera that much. We were playing to an empty room, so in essence, we were playing like it was in our living room, just hanging out together and playing songs. Marty, Brad and I were just connected to the song, to the music and to that moment.”

(Photo by Catherine Powell/Getty Images for CMT)