Brad Paisley 'Touched' by Outpouring of Support After Death of Kimberly Williams-Paisley's Mother
Linda Payne Williams died on Wednesday following a long battle with dementia.
— -- Even as Brad Paisley’s family copes with the passing of wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley’s mother, he honored his commitment to appear at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Thursday night.
Williams-Paisley and sons Huck and Jasper were there to cheer on the country singer as he spoke at the opening of his "Diary of a Player" exhibit, and even during what must be a difficult time, his well-known sense of humor remained intact.
“I was like, 'Who's this Brad Paisley guy? When did he die?'” he joked, as the audience roared with laughter. “That was what it felt like looking at the exhibit the first time. It's like, 'Well, we're gonna miss him!'”
As Paisley stood in the Hall’s rotunda, surrounded by bronze plaques that pay tribute to his heroes, he was also thinking about his own legacy.
“The friendships with Jimmy Dickens and Bill Anderson and George Jones and Buck Owens -- and the list goes on and on. You know, Steve Wariner, Vince Gill. I didn't just get to meet these guys, I got to create with them over the years," he said. "What I hope is that some kid walks through this display and thinks to themselves, 'I can do that.' And not only that but, 'Someday, I'm gonna take that guy and I'm gonna dress him in like, funny clothes and make him do a bit on the CMA Awards!'”
Paisley's exhibit officially opens to the public on Friday and runs through May of next year.
His wife's mother, Linda Payne Williams, passed away Wednesday at the age of 73, after a long battle with dementia.
"We are so touched by the outpouring of sympathy for Kim's mom. Thank you all. After her long battle with this terrible disease, she is free," Paisley tweeted.
Williams-Paisley retweeted the sentiment, and added, "Amen."