Kenny Chesney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kenny Chesney |
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Kenny Chesney performing in 2007
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kenneth Arnold Chesney |
| Born | March 26, 1968 Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1993–present |
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Kenny Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is a famous American country singer. He has sold over 30 million albums around the world. His first album, In My Wildest Dreams, came out in 1994. Since then, he has released many more albums. Lots of his songs have become big hits.
Chesney has won many awards for his music. He has received twelve Country Music Association Awards. Four times he won the top award, Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year. He also won eleven Academy of Country Music Awards. From 2005 to 2008, he won Entertainer of the Year four times in a row! He has also been nominated for six Grammy Awards. Kenny Chesney is one of the most popular country music artists to see live in concert.
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Kenny Chesney's Early Life and Start in Music
Kenny Chesney was born on March 26, 1968. He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, in the United States. He grew up in a town called Luttrell. His family has roots in England and Ireland. His dad, David Chesney, was a teacher. His mom, Karen Chandler, was a hair stylist. Kenny also has a younger sister named Jennifer.
In 1986, Kenny graduated from Gibbs High School. He played baseball and football there. For Christmas, he got his first guitar, which he called "The Terminor." He taught himself how to play it.
Kenny went to East Tennessee State University. He studied advertising there and graduated in 1990. While in college, he was part of the ETSU Bluegrass Program. He also joined the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. In 1989, he recorded his own demo album. He sold 1,000 copies by playing in local clubs. He used the money to buy a new guitar.
After college in 1990, Kenny moved to Nashville. Nashville is a big city for country music. He performed in many local clubs, like The Bluebird Cafe. He became a regular performer at The Turf, a honky tonk bar.
Kenny Chesney's Music Career and Awards
In 1992, Kenny Chesney got a big break. A music industry friend, Clay Bradley, told Troy Tomlinson about him. Kenny sang five songs for Tomlinson. After the audition, he got a contract to write songs! A year later, he got a record deal with Capricorn Records.
His first album, In My Wildest Dreams, came out in 1994. Two songs from it, "Whatever It Takes" and "The Tin Man", became minor hits. The album sold about 10,000 copies. Later that year, Capricorn Records closed its country music part.
In 1995, Kenny signed with BNA Records. He released his second album, All I Need to Know. This album had three hit songs. "Fall in Love" and the title track both reached the Top 10. Kenny used instruments like the fiddle and pedal steel guitar in his music. He wanted to capture a traditional country sound.
His third album, Me and You, came out in 1996. The title track and "When I Close My Eyes" both reached number 2. This album was Kenny's first to sell over 500,000 copies.
In 1997, Kenny won the Academy of Country Music's New Male Vocalist of the Year award.
His fourth album, I Will Stand, was released in 1997. The first song, "She's Got It All", became Kenny's first number one hit! It stayed at number one for three weeks. The third song, "That's Why I'm Here", reached number 2 in 1998.
Everywhere We Go came out in 1999. This album had two number one hits: "How Forever Feels" and "You Had Me from Hello". The song "You Had Me from Hello" was inspired by a line from the movie Jerry Maguire. Everywhere We Go was Kenny's first album to sell over a million copies. This album showed a change in his music style. He started mixing country with pop and island sounds.
In 2000, Kenny released his Greatest Hits album. It had new songs and updated versions of old favorites.
The album No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems was released in 2002. Its first song, "Young", reached number 2. The next song, "The Good Stuff", was number 1 for seven weeks! It became the top country song of 2002. In 2003, Kenny was named Top Male Vocalist of the Year. "The Good Stuff" won Single Record of the Year.
In 2003, Kenny recorded a Christmas album, All I Want for Christmas Is a Real Good Tan. The title song was played a lot during the holidays.
In 2004, Kenny released When the Sun Goes Down. The first song, "There Goes My Life", was number one for seven weeks. The title track, which he sang with Uncle Kracker, also reached number one. Another song, "Anything But Mine", also hit number one.
When the Sun Goes Down won Album of the Year in 2004. Kenny was also named Entertainer of the Year. He also won Artist of the Year. In 2004, Kenny worked with his hero, Jimmy Buffett. They sang a remake of "Hey Good Lookin'" with other stars.
In 2005, Kenny released Be as You Are (Songs from an Old Blue Chair). This album had many slower, thoughtful songs. It became a very popular album. In May 2005, Kenny won the Triple-Crown Award. This award recognized his past wins for New Male Vocalist, Top Male Vocalist, and Entertainer of the Year.
Kenny's next album, The Road and the Radio, came out in 2005. It went straight to number one. Three songs from it, "Living in Fast Forward", "Summertime", and "Beer in Mexico", all reached number one.
In 2006, Kenny won his second Entertainer of the Year award. His first live album, Live: Live Those Songs Again, was released in 2006. It featured live versions of his popular songs.
In 2006, Kenny worked with Tim McGraw on a song called "Find Out Who Your Friends Are". This song became a number one hit. In 2007, Kenny also helped write "Take Me There" for Rascal Flatts. He also sang a duet with Reba McEntire called "Every Other Weekend".
In 2007, Kenny was named CMA Entertainer of the Year for the third time. His album Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates was released in 2007. It had a more island-like sound. The first song, "Never Wanted Nothing More", reached number one. The second song, "Don't Blink", made a record for how high it debuted on the charts. The song "Better as a Memory" became his fourteenth number one hit.
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Kenny started his Poets and Pirates Tour in 2008. During one show, he hurt his foot on stage. He kept singing even though he was in pain. X-rays later showed he had crushed bones in his foot. But he didn't cancel any shows!
In 2008, Kenny released the song "Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven", which became a number one hit. His album Lucky Old Sun came out later that year.
Kenny's 2009 tour was called the Sun City Carnival Tour. He played in different sized places to keep ticket prices low. In 2009, he released his second Greatest Hits II album. It included the number one hit "Out Last Night".
In 2010, Kenny released "The Boys of Fall". This song became a number one hit. He also made a documentary for ESPN called The Boys of Fall, based on his song.
The song "Somewhere with You" was released in 2010 and reached number one. Another song, "Live a Little", also hit number one. "You and Tequila", which featured Grace Potter, reached number 3. "Reality" also reached number 1.
Kenny also produced and narrated a film called The Color Orange. It was about his favorite football player, Condredge Holloway.
Kenny's album Welcome to the Fishbowl was released in 2012. The first song, "Feel Like a Rock Star", was a duet with Tim McGraw. It was one of the highest-debuting country songs ever. The song "Come Over" from the album went to number 1.
In 2013, Kenny released his album Life on a Rock. The first song, "Pirate Flag", was very popular. This album had a strong beach and island feel.
In 2014, Kenny released "American Kids". This song was the first from his album The Big Revival. The album had other number one hits like "Til It's Gone", "Wild Child" (with Grace Potter), and "Save It for a Rainy Day".
In 2015, Kenny announced his The Big Revival Tour. His album Cosmic Hallelujah came out in 2016. It included the songs "Noise" and "Setting the World on Fire", which featured the singer P!NK.
In 2012, Kenny Chesney named his fan club "No Shoes Nation." This name came from his hit song "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem." The symbol for No Shoes Nation is a black flag with a skull and crossbones. A live album called Live in No Shoes Nation was released in 2017 and topped the charts. Kenny also has a radio channel called No Shoes Radio.
In 2018, Kenny signed with Warner Records Nashville. He released his album Songs for the Saints that year. In 2020, his album Here and Now was released. It debuted at number one.
Kenny Chesney's Personal Life
On May 9, 2005, Kenny Chesney married actress Renée Zellweger. They had met at an event to help people after a big tsunami. After only four months, they decided to end their marriage. Kenny later said he "panicked" about being married.
Since 2012, Kenny Chesney has been dating Mary Nolan.
Kenny follows a healthy diet. He tries not to eat carbohydrates after 5 pm. In 2018, it was estimated that Kenny Chesney earned $37 million that year.
In 2017, Kenny's house on Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands was damaged by Hurricane Irma. He loved the island after filming a music video there. In 2022, he sold his large home in Franklin, Tennessee.
Kenny believes in spirituality. He has said that songs can change people, and that feels spiritual to him.
Helping Others
In September 2017, after Hurricane Irma hit, Kenny Chesney helped people. He let two teenage boys use his private jet to get back to their mom. Kenny also started a charity fund called Love for Love City. This fund helps victims of the storm. He gave all the money from his album Songs for the Saints to this fund.
Kenny Chesney's Tours
Kenny Chesney has won the Billboard Touring Award many times. He won it five years in a row from 2005 to 2009. He also won in 2011, 2012, and 2015.
- Headlining Tours
- 1998: I Will Stand Tour
- 1999: Everywhere We Go Tour
- 2000-01: Kenny Chesney on Tour
- 2002: No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems Tour
- 2003: Margaritas 'n Senoritas Tour
- 2004: Guitars, Tiki Bars and a Whole Lotta Love Tour
- 2005: Somewhere in the Sun Tour
- 2006: The Road and The Radio Tour
- 2007: Flip-Flop Summer Tour
- 2008: Poets and Pirates Tour
- 2009: Sun City Carnival Tour
- 2013: No Shoes Nation Tour
- 2015: The Big Revival Tour
- 2016: Spread the Love Tour
- 2018: Trip Around the Sun Tour
- 2019: Songs for the Saints Tour
- 2022: Here and Now Tour
- 2023: I Go Back Tour
- Co-headlining Tours
- 2011: Goin' Coastal Tour (with the Zac Brown Band)
- 2012: Brothers of the Sun Tour (with Tim McGraw)
- 2024: Sun Goes Down Tour (with Zac Brown Band)
- Opening Act
- 1998, 1999, 2000: George Strait Country Music Festival (for George Strait)
Kenny Chesney's Albums
Studio albums
- In My Wildest Dreams (1994)
- All I Need to Know (1995)
- Me and You (1996)
- I Will Stand (1997)
- Everywhere We Go (1999)
- No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems (2002)
- All I Want for Christmas Is a Real Good Tan (2003)
- When the Sun Goes Down (2004)
- Be as You Are (Songs from an Old Blue Chair) (2005)
- The Road and the Radio (2005)
- Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates (2007)
- Lucky Old Sun (2008)
- Hemingway's Whiskey (2010)
- Welcome to the Fishbowl (2012)
- Life on a Rock (2013)
- The Big Revival (2014)
- Cosmic Hallelujah (2016)
- Songs for the Saints (2018)
- Here and Now (2020)
- Born (2024)
See also
In Spanish: Kenny Chesney para niños
- List of best-selling music artists
- List of highest-grossing live music artists
