Brad Paisley’s first band consisted of “senior citizens”: “My friends called them The Seniles”

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Brad Paisley may be a big country star these days, but like a lot of his peers in the music business, he got his start as a young kid playing in bars before he was even old enough to drink.

Brad was 13, but his bandmates were on the opposite end of the age spectrum, he said during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show this week. “I was this little guy that had a band of senior citizens,” he said.

“We were named the C-Notes, because that was our fee, $100,” Brad explains. “And my friends called them The Seniles. They were all Korean War veterans that were playing with me. It was an amazing experience.”

While the music was incredible, Brad admits that the onstage fashion left a lot to be desired. “They dressed me, too, which was kind of the problem. I sort of dressed like them,” he said.

Brad is one of several country stars making one final visit to the Ellen stage before the show ends at the conclusion of this season. For Brad, it’s a sentimental visit: He’s been going on the talk show ever since its first season.

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