Kenny Chesney knows how to do a live show - there's no question about that. However, even the eight-time Entertainer of the Year admits that he struggles to keep his cool when onstage.
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In an appearance on Howard Stern's show, Chesney got real about a moment when he almost lost it. The moment resulted in a fan almost getting hurt, and Chesney being scared for his career. However, if you know Chesney, you know he doesn't typically resort to violence, so there had to be a reason for him taking action in the way he did.
Apparently, the reason was that his personal space was invaded. We've seen this before, with stars like Morgan Wallen and Luke Bryan getting aggravated with fans at shows. Especially the ones who take their excitement a little too far. In this story, Chesney decided to fight back because one fan's behavior was all too much for the Hall of Famer.
Kenny Chesney Describes the Moment He Punched a Fan
Chesney set the scene. "We were in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I was playing the Steelers football stadium, and I thought it was cool to come up in the middle of the stadium, and almost like a boxer in a way, like walk through the crowd to the stage—that kind of thing."
Then he described the moment everything flipped. "And all of a sudden, I'm by myself on my way to the stage, and I see this guy coming. I can just see him [out of] the peripheral and walking to the stage." Apparently, the eager fan grabbed Chesney by the knees, and his response in the moment was to throw a punch.
Immediately after, the country singer felt regret. "The whole time I'm up there on stage, I'm thinking, 'this is gonna cost me every penny I make tonight." But lucky for Chesney, the man didn't sue that night, and he was able to move on from the incident.
Currently, Kenny Chesney is promoting the release of his new book, "Heart, Life, Music," which details lessons he's learned in his time as a performer and growing up in East Tennessee. He said of the book on CBS News, "For anybody with a dream they don't quite know how to make happen, this is for you... I am proof that the journey is worth it."
Fans can listen to and pick up the book at all major book retailers now, in-store and online.
Photo by: John Salangsang/Shutterstock
