Moses Lake woman makes walking stick for Brad Paisley

MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake country music fan Bonnie Webb is going to this year's Watershed Music Festival with an agenda.

She has to find artist Brad Paisley and give him the elaborate walking stick she's spent the last three years making for him, she said.

The four-foot stick, which weighs about 12 pounds, is decorated with all things Brad Paisley.

"He's into bass fishing so the top of the stick is a bass head and the bottom is the tail," she said.

The fish's 'body' is covered with various pictures, replicas of Paisley's guitars, tiny fishing poles, fish, and other figurines.

"Everything ties back to him or his music," Webb said. She also carved the names of Paisley's wife and kids, along with their birthdays, into the wood.

Webb also used a special paint to make the stick glow in the dark, she said. The stick also comes with a leather case, which she made with the help of her husband Jerry Webb, she said.

"Lots of fans give gifts, but how many spend three years making something like this," she said.

Webb said when musicians are on tour, they put in a lot of hard work to make sure they put on an amazing show for their fans night after night. And Paisley is no exception, she said.

"I don't care if you're a natural or not, it's a lot of work," Webb said.

She said she didn't mind making the customized walking stick for Paisley because it's her way of letting him know much she appreciates what he does for his fans.

"I spent 90 percent of my time out here working on it," she said. "I re-did some parts about six to eight times because I wanted to be perfect."

This is the second walking stick Webb has made for a celebrity, she said. In 2010, Webb gave country artist Toby Keith his hand-crafted stick during a concert at the White River Amphitheater.

Webb was close to the front of the stage and was able to get his attention.

"It was awesome, he took the stick right out of my hand," she said. "He held it upside down but that doesn't even matter."

Webb said she spent two years working on the red, white and blue walking stick for Keith.

"I never really dreamed I'd actually get to give it to him, so that was really cool," she said.

Webb began working with wood a few years ago, after a hand injury prevented her from continuing to sew and crochet.

"I found I could hang on to tools, so I started crafting with wood," she said. After a few coat racks and other projects, Webb got the idea to make walking sticks.

She was visiting a restaurant when she saw something similar to a walking stick propping open the doors, she said.

"It was plain and I thought I could do something like that and maybe improve it," Webb said. "So it just kind of started going from there."

Webb said she has also made a few decorative walking sticks for friends over the years. She said her next project is a walking stick for Blake Shelton.

But that stick won't be done for a while so she doesn't have to figure out how to get it to him just yet, she said.

"But I'm still not sure how I'm going to get this one to Brad (Paisley)," she said. "I've been writing to people, asking how I can give this to him, but nobody really gets back to you."

Webb said her best bet might be to position herself close to the stage and try to get Paisley's attention during the concert.

"It worked with Toby (Keith)," she said. Webb said she and her daughter will figure out a plan once they set up their campsite at The Gorge Aug. 1.

"He plays Aug. 4 so I have some time to figure something out," Webb said.