Kenny Chesney biography

Synopsis

Early Career

Country singer. Born March 26, 1968, in Knoxville, Tennessee. While attending East Tennessee State, Chesney hooked up with a college band and started writing his own songs and playing at local bars. The hard-working musician eventually recorded an album to sell at his shows. After graduating with a degree in marketing in 1991, he headed to Nashville to pursue a career in music.

After a slow start and modest sales on recordings Chesney completed with Opryland Music Group and Capricorn Records, Chesney caught the attention of RCA's affiliate, BNA Records. It was while with BNA that the singer went gold with Me and You in 1996, platinum with I Will Stand in 1997 and double platinum with Everywhere We Go in 1999. By 2000, Chesney was a bona fide star who was adored by legions of country music fans.

Mid-Career

In 2001, Chesney released his first Greatest Hits album, followed by 2002's rock-influenced No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem. The following year, he completed a successful tour. In 2004, Chesney was named Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association.

The following year, he released two new albums: Be As You Are: Songs From an Old Blue Chair (2005) and The Road and The Radio (2005). Both recordings were smash hits, reaching the top of the country charts with such singles as "Who You'd Be Today" and "Guitars and Tiki Bars." While he was experiencing success in his career, his personal life went through a series of ups and downs around this time. Chesney married actress Renee Zellweger in May 2005, but the union was annulled seven months later.

Chesney released a concert album, Live: Live Those Songs Again (2006), which topped the country album charts and made an impressive showing on the pop album charts as well. He also was honored at the Academy of Country Music Awards as Entertainer of the Year for two straight years - 2006 and 2007.

Recent Success

For his next release, Chesney helped produce Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates (2007), which featured a slew of hits. The introspective "Don't Blink" topped the country charts as did "Never Wanted Nothing More" and "Better As a Memory." The recording also had two popular duets -- "Every Other Weekend" with Reba McEntire and "Shiftwork" with George Strait. That same year, he won a CMA Award for Musical Event of the Year for his work on Tracy Lawrence's "Find Out Who Your Friends Are" with Tim McGraw.