Full Name: Kenneth Arnold Chesney
Birthdate: March 26, 1968
Birthplace: St. Mary's hospital in Knoxville, TN
Hometown: Luttrell, Tn
Residence: Franklin, TN and St John, the Virgin Islands
Hair: Dark brown
Eyes: Blue
Nickname: Bubba, Weezer
Parents: David Chesney, a retired school teacher, and Karen Chandler, who co-owns a hair salon, seperated before he was born.
Sibling: Younger sister, Jennifer
Marital Status: Currently single. He married Renee Zellweger in St. John, Virgin Islands May 9, 2005. They received an annulment later that year on December 20th.
High School: Gibbs High School
College: graduated from East TN State University with a marketing degree in 1990
Hobbies:golf, movies, two-stepping and reading
Favorite Sports: football, baseball, and Nascar. As a kid, Kenny played starting end on the Gibbs H.S. football team.
Favorite Teams: University of Tennesee Volunteers, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, LA Dodgers, Colts
First Guitar: a Christmas present when he was 19
First guitar Lessons: In the fifth grade, but he quit because it hurt his fingers!
Favorite Movie: Forrest Gump and Almost Famous
Favorite TV Show: Friends, ESPN
Favorite Actress: Renee Zellweger
Favorite Book: The Firm
Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite Foods: macaroni and tomatoes, peanut butter (according to his mom), fried potatoes, ice cream and his mom's vegetable soup and corn bread.
Favorite Candy: peanut M&M's.
Biggest Musical Influence: Conway Twitty, because of the songs he sang
Favorite Songs: "Don't Close Your Eyes" by Keith Whitley, "Nobody In His Right Mind" by George Strait, "He Stopped Loving Her Today" by George Jones and "Natural High" by Merle Haggard
Musical Influences: Keith Whitley, George Strait, George Jones, Trisha Yearwood, Shelby Lynne, Alan Jackson and Phil Collins
Moved To Nashville: January 13, 1991
First Nashville Gig: Kenny played the Turf, a now defunct bar that, according to Kenny, "once the tourist season was over, it was frequented by drunks and prostitutes."
Other Early Jobs: valet parking, telemarketing, mailroom sorter
Favorite Song He's Written: "Tin Man" and "I Can't Go There"
Label: BNA. Signed his first record deal Feb. 28, 1993
Kenny Chesney Online Fan Club: It cost $25 to join. Members have a chance to order pre-sale tixs to his shows, see exclusive photos, read Kenny's road journal & more!
Kenny Chesney fan club address is: c/o Cheryl Bevis P.O. box 128558 Nashville, TN 37212
Albums: To date he has 12. "In My Wildest Dreams" (OOP) recorded on Capricorn records (re-released in 2004), "All I Need To Know", "Me and You", "I Will Stand", "Everywhere We Go", Greatest hits", "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems", "All I Want For Christmas Is A Real Good Tan", "When The Sun Goes Down", "Be As You Are", "The Road and The Radio", and "Live Those Songs Again".
Quotes~
On growing up in Luttrell: "It was a really great place to grow up. You couldn't help but be consumed by country music. It's everywhere... but I never dreamed of being a singer as a kid."
On female fans: "I try to keep it in perspective because there was a time in my life when girls didn't care if I showed up or not, you know. Just because I have some hit records ....It's nice."
On happiness: "I don't have to be a millionaire to be happy ... I don't wake up every morning and say 'I have to make some more money,' I get up thinking 'I have to win over another fan.' "
Professional goals: "I just want to keep building on what we have already done. Hopefully, one day, I'm going to look back when I'm old, with a big ole pot belly going out to the Opry and playing, and I can look back and say, 'Yeah, man. I did this and I did it right and still got a lot of fans out there.' I would love to be able to do that."
On Performing: "You can't imagine what it would be like being up onstage. You see, I used to be the guy in the audience there, singing the songs back to them. I remember seeing Keith Whitley in Knoxville, Tenn., when 'Don't Close My Eyes' first came out and he played a listener-appreciation show, and I went to see it, and I love that song, and I was singing that song back to him. And now I see all kinds of kids and people singing my songs back to me. It's pretty special to me. When we were on the [George] Strait tour it was pretty powerful to hear 70,000 people sing 'How Forever Feels' and 'She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy.' It's really loud. It's a very special thing to hear, and I wouldn't imagine it would be any different with me and Tim out there this summer."
His Success: We've been out there starting our eighth year on the road. We have experienced a lot of things in those eight years. And we have been able to grow. My label has been real patient with me. You know, we haven't always been as successful as an artist as we are right now. And I haven't had it always together as we have it right now. And so they have been patient, been able to weather a lot of storms. We have been able to be very lucky. The Lord has been very good to me. We have been able to weather the kind of storms that some of the people weren't able to . . . It's amazing that I am still making records after eight years. I just wanted to hear my song on the radio one day. And now, after eight years, we are still making records and growing every year. I hope I am still growing 10 years from now.
That's Why He's Here
You know, maybe [my female fans] see me as somebody that they can relate to -- somebody they may have a chance to be with. You know, if I'm married and . . . if I'm not available, maybe they won't see me like that . . . I don't know if it's helped us a lot, but I don't think it's hurt us, either. I think that being single and being famous -- it's not all it's cracked up to be, because there's definitely some negatives to that. But the positive is . . . it hadn't hurt our crowd any, you know, it hadn't hurt it at all.l-- Kenny Chesney
She Thinks My Torso's Sexy
I made a decision about a year ago that I was just gonna try to feel and look the best I possibly could. Does it help me sing any better? No. Does it help me pick any better songs? No . . . What it does do, you know -- our live show is very intense right now, and it's gonna stay that way, I hope. And, for me to put on a show that I wanna put on -- with the intensity in our show that I want to keep up -- I've got to be in shape. I've got to be, or I won't be able to do it. -- Kenny Chesney
Rock This Country!
So far this year, we've had Sara Evans, Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Phil Vassar out . . . and we're pickin' up Montgomery Gentry [and] Jamie O'Neal, and Phil's gonna stay out with us. And I just felt like, for the outdoor stuff, I wanted more of [an] edgier sound, and Montgomery Gentry's gonna bring that to us and to the crowd . . . It's goin' so good out there on the road right now. It's goin' unbelievable, and I think that Montgomery Gentry is gonna help us just turn the volume up a little bit and raise the level of excitement up just a little bit. Not to say that the other people hadn't done their job. They've done great. But I still feel like, for an outdoor show, people wanna rock a little more. And that's what we're doin'. -- Kenny Chesney
Elite Forces
I'm excited about [the ACM nomination], because to be considered . . . one of the top five guys out there doin' it is very satisfying. I mean, we've worked very hard and we tried to record the best songs we could. Tried to make the best album that we could. We've [gone] out there on the road for eight years and built our fan base . . . and I've tried to represent country music the way I think that it needs to be represented. And the fact that somebody noticed [and] cares is very satisfying. And to be in there with Tim [McGraw] -- he and I grew up in this business together . . . And Toby, too. I mean, Toby's been in this a long time. And if there's anybody that's proud of Toby Keith, it's me. -- Kenny Chesney
Security for Two
I think no matter who you are or what you do -- and it's even harder being in the public eye and being gone a lot . . . if you love somebody and you want to be with them, you've got to make them feel as secure as you possibly can, no matter how in the world you do it. No matter how hard it is to do it. Because especially being who I am and doing what I do -- I mean, it's gonna be tough for somebody, no matter how secure they are with their life and [themselves], to really 100 percent know that I'm a trustworthy person. And I've learned . . . if you are trustworthy, you've got to go out of your way to make 'em know it. -- Kenny Chesney
Good Ride-ance
I'm trying to take time to enjoy the ride. I've had the luxury of taking slow rides. I've been doing this for eight years now . . . I got to tell ya, my life is more hectic at this moment than it ever has been. And I'm trying to . . . enjoy it, you know. And I am enjoying it. But I remember a couple of years ago, I'm goin', 'Man, I wish more stuff was happening . . . When is it all gonna happen?' And then now I've got my heels in a little bit, goin', 'Whoa, hang on a minute.' But . . . I'm not complaining at all. -- Kenny Chesney
Want to know what Chesney's listening to, what cracks him up, and who his favorite Hank is? Here's what he had to say: July 2004
What energizes you?
"My boat in the Caribbean."
What non-country music are you playing on the tour bus?
"I listen to a little bit of everything. I'm really into Jack Johnson right now, I listen to Dave Matthews, I listen to 3 Doors Down."
What was the last thing that made you laugh?
"Kracker. I can look at him and laugh."
What's your favorite song to perform live?
"There's a song called 'Back Where I Come From' that is very autobiographical. It's become an anthem for us out on the road."
Which Hank's music do you listen to the most - Hank Williams Sr., Hank Williams Jr. or Hank Williams III?
"Hank Williams Jr. He made great records. They sound good. I love listening to them."
