HE'S JUST A GOOD OL' BOY CAREER A SLICE OF HEAVEN, HE'S HUMBLE AS PIE.

Byline: Valerie Kuklenski Staff Writer

For most rising country music stars, hopping a customized bus with a major headliner and hitting the road is probably the quickest route to commercial success.

Brad Paisley, a 27-year-old singer and guitar picker, has taken plenty of those gigs, opening for Alan Jackson, Vince Gill, Buck Owens and others; in fact, he arrived in Los Angeles this week fresh from a United Kingdom tour with Reba McEntire, Ricky Skaggs and Jo Dee Messina.

But on any weekend he finds himself at home in Nashville, Paisley is likely to be playing the Grand Ole Opry, the beloved old homestead of country music. In fact, since his debut there last May, he has done more than 25 shows, which could be some kind of record for a newcomer, if the Opry kept track of such things. And that's a much smaller paycheck than the tours bring in.

It's that strong sense of tradition that has endeared Paisley to his colleagues as much as his handiwork on his Telecaster and Larrivee guitars, and his gift for telling good stories with his lyrics.

He has reaped the rewards with four nominations for tonight's Academy of Country Music Awards, including the rare combination of best new artist and songwriter of the year for his touching ballad ``He Didn't Have to Be.'' He plans to perform it as an acoustic solo during the ceremonies.

``I think beyond the audience, who always enjoy his sincerity, his great songwriting and guitar ability, our membership has really taken a liking to him,'' said Pete Fisher, the Opry's general manager. ``They really appreciate his genuineness and his supporting something that's bigger than his own career.''

Paisley, a native of West Virginia, maintains an ``aw shucks'' attitude about his fame and all the critical accolades, especially the flattering words from his own idols. A year after hitting celebrity status, he admitted he's still overwhelmed by it all.

``You have no idea,'' Paisley said during a phone interview from the road. ``It's a good kind of feeling, but it's also a whirlwind to some extent, but it's fun. It beats working, that's for sure.''

All this success at such a tender age (he's young enough to pass for a Backstreet Boy, after all) begs the question: Is he concerned that his career might peak too early?

As he does in many of his songs, he found humor in the suggestion. ``Thanks a lot. I'm going to hang up and have nightmares.''

Then he mulled it over and gave the straight answer. ``I believe everything happens for a reason. I've had so many things in my life go unexplainably the right way,'' he said. ``We need to be in charge and take control and try to do things the right way, but I believe there's a higher power guiding a lot of things that have happened to me, and there's just too many weird things to mention. So I don't worry about it.

``If anything, as busy as this has made me and as much stress as it can put on you and demands on your time, peaking too early may not be a bad thing, looking at the free time you'd get once it was over.'' There was that tongue back in the cheek again.

Here's a good indication of the impact Paisley has had already: He used a passport for the first time ever on his recent Britain tour, and while he was there he accepted the International Rising Star award at the annual HMV British Country Music Awards.

His debut album, ``Who Needs Pictures,'' recently went gold about nine months after its release. Arista Records released the title cut and two other tracks as singles, and more will come from that CD, even as he is in the studio on his next record.

Paisley is a whiz on the guitar, and a largely self-taught one at that. His instrumental ``The Nervous Breakdown'' lives up to its title for its frenzied tempo. But a big part of his appeal is his knack for capturing the essence of common experiences in his lyrics.

There is the hit-and-miss maneuverings of a single man in a bar (``Me Neither''), the Sunday service that just won't end (``Long Sermon''), the chance meeting that blossoms into romance (``We Danced'') and a few variations on the ever-popular lost-love theme (which Paisley says are based on his own experiences as a jiltee).

``He Didn't Have to Be'' is the one that seems to have had the greatest impact. The ballad is a thank you from a stepson to the man who married his mother (``I hope I'm at least half the dad/He didn't have to be''). It was co-written with Paisley's best friend, Kelley Lovelace, himself a stepfather, as a gift for Lovelace's wife.

``We just kind of wanted to make her cry - that was our big goal,'' Paisley said. ``It worked, and then we made a lot of other folks cry, too, which has been great.

``I think that something I learned was being truthful and looking around your life at the things that are going on and putting yourself into a song in one way or another is the way to do this, especially country music.

``It's not about commerce. It should be about art, coming from the heart and being honest. Real life, you know?''

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Nominees for the Academy of Country Music Awards:

ENTERTAINER: Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Sawyer Brown, Shania Twain.

MALE VOCALIST: Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Collin Raye, George Strait.

FEMALE VOCALIST: Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Jo Dee Messina, Shania Twain, Chely Wright.

DUET OR GROUP: Asleep at the Wheel, Brooks & Dunn, Dixie Chicks, Lonestar, Sawyer Brown.

NEW MALE VOCALIST: Gary Allan, Chad Brock, Brad Paisley.

NEW FEMALE VOCALIST: Jessica Andrews, Julie Reeves, Chalee Tennison.

NEW GROUP OR DUET: Montgomery Gentry, SHeDaisy, Yankee Grey.

ALBUM: ``A Place in the Sun,'' Tim McGraw; ``Breathe,'' Faith Hill; ``Cold Hard Truth,'' George Jones; ``Fly,'' Dixie Chicks; ``Ride With Bob,'' Asleep at the Wheel.

SONG: ``Amazed,'' Lonestar; ``Breathe,'' Faith Hill; ``Choices,'' George Jones; ``He Didn't Have to Be,'' Brad Paisley; ``Please Remember Me,'' Tim McGraw.

SINGLE RECORD: ``Amazed,'' Lonestar; ``He Didn't Have to Be,'' Brad Paisley; ``Please Remember Me,'' Tim McGraw; ``Ready to Run,'' Dixie Chicks; ``Write This Down,'' George Strait.

VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR: ``A Country Boy Can Survive,'' Chad Brock with Hank Williams Jr. and George Jones; ``After the Gold Rush,'' Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt; ``God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You,'' Alabama and 'N Sync; ``My Kind of Woman/My Kind of Man,'' Vince Gill and Patty Loveless; ``When I Said I Do,'' Clint Black with Lisa Hartman Black.

VIDEO: ``Breathe,'' Faith Hill; ``He Didn't Have to Be,'' Brad Paisley; ``How Do You Like Me Now,'' Toby Keith; ``Ready to Run,'' Dixie Chicks; ``Single White Female,'' Chely Wright.

- Associated Press

CAPTION(S):

4 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Host Dolly Parton

(2 -- cover -- color) New female vocalist nominee Jessica Andrews

(3 -- cover -- color) New male vocalist nominee Brad Paisley

(4) ``I believe everything happens for a reason. I've had so many things in my life go unexplainably the right way,'' says country singer-guitarist Brad Paisley, 27.

Box: McGraw, Hill, Chicks top list (See text)