Brad Paisley's latest good deed could be titled "There's No I in Zoom."
The country star, who'd shared a phone number for those interested in having him crash their Zoom video conferences, got invited to Oak Grove Elementary School in Hattiesburg, Mississippi's "Teachers' Night In" by third grade educator Ashlyn Williamson. The number-sharing scenario was part of Paisley's Pub Crawl.
"On a whim, I decided to invite him to our 'Teacher Night In' and never in a million years did I think Brad Paisley would actually jump on," Williamson told the Hattiesburg American (as reported by the Tennessean).
Paisley first logged on wearing the helmet of the Mandalorian, the lead character of the Disney Plus Star Wars series that brought us Baby Yoda. Around 20 teachers screamed with excitement after learning that one of Nashville's top country music stars had crashed their Zoom party.
"We were shocked! I made him sing because I didn't believe him!" Leslie Payne, a third grade special education teacher, told the Hattiesburg American. "And he gave a sweet message to our senior children that I recorded."
Paisley's message for older students encouraged them to become the kinds of leaders our country will need if ever faced with another pandemic on the scale of COVID-19 (coronavirus).
Read More: Country Tours, Festivals and Other Events Cancelled or Postponed Due to COVID-19
"If you don't like this, then go be somebody that can fix this kind of thing someday. Go figure out what needs done and channel this," Paisley said during the Zoom call. "Become what you want to be. It's not fair, I hate it, go out there and make a difference."
Paisley bringing comfort to those impacted by school closures is the superstar's latest attempt to make a difference in trying times. The Paisley Pub Crawl and other elements of his livestream presence offer needed distractions, as does his new song "No I in Beer." Likewise, the free grocery store he co-founded with his wife Kimberly provides more hands-on and practical aid for needy families in Middle Tennessee.
