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Chuck Wicks and Brad Paisley Discuss Life, Career & Opry During Final Installment of ‘Into the Circle’
NASHVILLE, Tenn- (October 21, 2008) -Over the summer Chuck Wicks has lit up the stage as an opening act on Brad Paisley’s 2008 Paisley Party tour and shared many memorable moments with the headliner along the way. On Oct. 25 (10 pm ET), during the final episode of Great American Country’s fall series Into the Circle, viewers witness a special day between the two when Paisley takes time to provide guidance to the young singer discussing life, career and what it means to play the Grand Ole Opry.
Wicks admits that while he tried to play it cool both on stage and around other performers during his first visit to the Opry, he was literally shaking in his boots. “I played two shows that day and I can’t remember a thing about the first,” recalls Wicks. “I went backstage and I was like ‘Oh my God I can’t believe I was that nervous coming out here.’ So I made a promise to myself to focus, enjoy it, and soak it in the second time. And the second time it was just amazing.”
Paisley shares that during his first performance he also tried to act nonchalant but a backstage encounter with Johnny Russell helped him put things in perspective.
“Johnny Russell came into my dressing room and said, ‘Are you scared?’ And I said, ‘Well, yeah, may… yeah.’ I was trying to act like I wasn’t. And he said, ‘You should be. If you’re not scared go home because it doesn’t mean anything to you.’”
The Opry “means a lot” to Wicks. So much so that since his first appearance he has made the effort to go back and play as much as possible when he isn’t on the road. He recounts one of his main highlights of playing the Opry is to see a picture of Paisley hung in the backstage area because of the singer’s willingness to take him on as a mentee. For Paisley, that is a great segue into the real fun for the day, which allows him to take a “Mr. Miyagi-inspired” teaching style to teach Wicks the keys to a successful music career.
After changing into a pair of clothes more suitable for a day at the farm, Paisley instructs Wicks on how to build a strong foundation, groom a career, plant seeds that can grow into fruition, and pick the right things. Wicks learns these lessons through a series of chores including building a rock wall, spreading seeds around Paisley’s 30-acre farm, grooming Leo, the family horse, and picking blueberries from the farm’s grove.
Taking a moment in the shade to relax after the day’s activities, Paisley asks his mentee whether he’s learned anything. All in good sport, Wicks cracks, “I’ve learned it’s great to be Brad Paisley and it sucks to be Chuck Wicks.” Wisely, Paisley responds, “Well, today that’s true. Tomorrow anything can happen.”
For Wicks his previous tomorrows underscore the statement, considering the up-and-comer didn’t pick up a guitar or consider a career in music until he went to college.
“The first song that I ever wrote was really a poem, he says. “It was when my grandmother passed away... I just started writing down my feelings because it the first time I experienced someone close to me passing away and I was really, really close to my grandmother- I lived with her when I was in college. From that point on I just started writing because it was an outlet for me. It was a way to express what I was going through at the time or what I believed in and being a country music fan and being a singer but now writing things and putting melody to them, picking up the guitar, ya know this is like a whole new thing.”
A music career was certainly a new venture from the chores he did during his rearing on the family potato farm in Delaware, which he talks about in other interviews throughout the show.
He also returns to the local Nashville restaurant where he earned money as valet to support his dream of becoming a singer and songwriter. Donning his former nametag and uniform, he explains “Valet 101,” demonstrates his ability to master understanding of the first rule, “rain or shine,” by enduring the pouring rain to park the patrons’ cars. When it was all over, he admits, “I’m glad I don’t have to do this anymore.”
Viewers get a sneak peek at what he does now when he’s out on the road or performing at the Grand Ole Opry when Wicks performs his debut single “Stealing Cinderella, current single “All I Ever Wanted” and “She’s Gonna Hurt Somebody.” Visit the Opry Live YouTube channel to see a bonus performance of Chuck singing "What if You Stay" from this weekend's episode!
For more information on GAC's Into the Circle, visit gactv.com.
About Great American Country
Great American Country is the leader in country music entertainment. GAC delivers to viewers the widest variety of country music, its artists and the lifestyles they influence. GAC broadcasts original country music programming, country music performance specials, live concerts, music videos, and is the exclusive television home of the Grand Ole Opry. GAC is available in more than 54 million households and online at GACTV.com.
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