"\"He Didn't Have to Be\" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Brad Paisley. It was released in August 1999 as the second single from his debut album, Who Needs Pictures. It became his first number one single in December 1999, holding the top spot for one week."@en . . . "282.0"^^ . . "1999-08-30Z"^^ . . . . . . "\"I've Been Better\"" . . . . "He Didn't Have to Be"@en .