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Country Artists, Belmont Alums, Proud of Alma Mater

Brad Paisley Austin City Limits

Today, Belmont University opened its doors for the second 2008 Presidential Debate. Known for spawning big-name Country artists like Brad Paisley, Julie Roberts, Jost Turner and Trisha Yearwood, Belmont is switching gears for the day and focusing on politics. “I watched Belmont go from a college to a university, and now I’ve watched it be a real player for this debate,” said Yearwood, a three-time Grammy winner, two-time CMA winner and two-time ACM winner.Sunday, the Belmont alums performed a private show at the Ryman Auditorium for  visiting VIPs.  Julie Roberts said after being asked to perform at the pre-debate show, “I can’t not be there because it’s just so much fun. I am proud to be from Belmont.”  As Sunday evening wore on, the singers began discussing their memories of their time at Belmont University. Yearwood said, "When I was attending Belmont, I was just one of many; I was very quiet about what I did and some people didn't know I was a singer. A lot of people I went to school with later said, 'I didn't know you sing. I can't believe you have a record deal.' I never would have dreamed that now they say, 'Trisha Yearwood went to Belmont.' I never thought anybody would care."  While Paisley reminisced about his time in college, he realized that maybe Belmont added surveillance to their studios because of him. "I thought about the times when we broke into the studio, when we stayed all night when we weren't allowed," Paisley said. "We would be loading our equipment back into the storage closet at school. [Belmont's] Bob Malloy came in one morning and we were in the process of putting speakers away, and we turned right around and started unloading everything and pretending like we were setting up for a 7 a.m session when we had actually been there all night."But how was Paisley as a student? "I got a D in guitar one semester, can you believe that? Mostly because I skipped too many lessons. I had to go barter with the guy. I got it changed to a C in exchange for really working hard and making up the stuff that I missed."  Josh Turner thanks Belmont University not only for helping him get his career on the map, but also for introducing him to his wife, Jennifer. "I met a girl there who eventually took me to my first publisher, and that's where I signed my first publishing deal, and he took me to MCA, and I signed a deal there. So it was like the old cliché, it's all about connections and who you know and being in the right place at the right time," said Turner. He is scheduled to perform on CBS’s The Early Show  at Belmont University on Wednesday.