Kenny Chesney has truly had the career of a lifetime. With four entertainer of the year awards under his belt, more than 30 No. 1 hits to his name, and a residency at the Las Vegas Sphere, Chesney has earned himself a reputation as one of the greatest entertainers in country music to date.
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Therefore, when the country singer revealed that the stage is the place where he feels most at home, it came as no surprise. While promoting his book, Heart Life Music, Chesney shared, "I love what I do. I love making music. And I love being on that stage more than any place in the world."
The Knoxville, Tennessee native described his love for performing simply. "I know this sounds crazy, but to be in front of 60,000 people on stage — that is where I feel the most comfortable in my life. For two hours, nobody can mess with me or the band."
Chesney Reveals That Authenticity Changed Everything for Him
With hits like "Get Along" and "American Kids" spearheading his catalog, Chesney says that "feel-good music" is his favorite. Looking at his discography, it makes total sense. "Music is medicine, and that's how I've always approached it," He told People,"...not to say that we don't record real deep songs or deal with difficult subject matters because we have, but when you're putting a show together and you're playing a stadium concert, you want people to feel good."
When Chesney released "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems" in 2002, he already had a discography to his name. It's when he started showing up as his most authentic self, he revealed, that the true success came about. "I had an 18-song Greatest Hits album, and nobody knew who I was," the singer told Sunday Morning. "They knew the songs, but I wasn't comfortable in my skin yet. I didn't know who I was supposed to be as an artist yet." Chesney recalled, "When I started being my true, authentic self, that's when everything changed."
Now, at 57, it seems that the authenticity has paid off in ways a younger Chesney couldn't have ever imagined. After that major hit, in 2004, he won his first Entertainer of the Year award, which he's been consistently nominated for ever since. It seems like when you're meant for something, it chases you once you start accepting yourself. It's like the country star said, "I don't regret giving my whole adult life to creating because... what a way to live. That's what I've always done."
Photo by: Danny Clinch
