Chris Young has had 14 No. 1 hits, but nothing will be as special as his first one. In 2009, Young celebrated his first chart-topping single, with "Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)." Young found out that the song, from his sophomore The Man I Want To Be album, landed at No. 1 by one of his biggest musical heroes: Kenny Chesney.
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"I was flying from Idaho, or somewhere Midwest, and I was flying back home that night," Young recalls on Taste of Country Nights. "It was a Sunday. I knew that we would know that night at midnight if we got the No. 1. I landed, and my VP immediately calls me. I'm walking through the airport to baggage claim, and he goes, 'Hey, somebody wants to talk to you.'"
That somebody happened to be Chesney, who was by now quite used to having No. 1 singles at radio.
"He hands the phone over, and it's this guy," Young recalls. "He goes, 'Yeah, man, this is Kenny. I just wanna say congrats on your first No. 1. I remember mine like it's yesterday, that's a big deal!'"
Young admits he wasn't sure if it was Chesney, or someone playing a prank on him. Fortunately, it really was Chesney. The future Country Music Hall of Fame member later bought Young a beer at a local Nashville bar to celebrate.
Chris Young's "'Til The Last One Dies"
Young will likely soon have another No. 1 hit on his hands. The Tennessee native just released "'Til The Last One Dies," the first one on his new label, on Black River Entertainment. The song was the most-added at country radio when it was released.
"I have loved 'Til The Last One Dies' from the first time I heard it, and I'm blown away by this response," Young says. "Not only most added with 94 combined stations on, but also the BIGGEST week one add day of my CAREER with 93 stations coming in on day one! Thank you Country Radio and thank you Black River Entertainment!!!! Let's hope everyone plays this song... Til The Last One Dies!"
Young planned on looking at other labels besides Black River Entertainment. But after their first meeting, he never looked anywhere else.
"I was just gonna take a whole bunch of meetings," Young reveals. "My very first meeting was with Black River Entertainment. Sat with them for three hours. Played the new music -- they loved all the songs. They gave me everything I asked for and more."
