Stars to Donate Proceeds to Country Hall

By JOHN GEROME, Associated Press Writer Tue Jul 12, 5:51 PM ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Kenny Chesney, Vince Gill, Gretchen Wilson and Big & Rich are among the many musicians who are donating proceeds from one of their concerts to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

"I revere this place more than any other," said Gill of the museum. "It's a mecca of so much, of all our histories."

Gill is leading the artist portion of the "All for the Hall" fundraising effort announced Tuesday. The goal of the fundraiser is to create a financial safety net, though no dollar amount or timetable has been set.

Following the announcement, Gill performed Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" and "Ring of Fire" on one of the late singer's guitars, a 1968 Martin recently acquired by the Hall of Fame.

"The biggest disservice you can do to an instrument is to lock it away," said Gill, who is president of the museum's board of officers and trustees. "Collectors will buy these instruments and put them in glass cases. They never get played and they lose their soul."

The Hall of Fame opened a new $37 million museum in 2001. The museum traces the development of country music with video clips and recorded music, exhibits, live performances and public programs. More than a million people have visited the new facility.

"For most of our near 40-year history, we have earned in excess of 90 or 95 percent of our income," said director Kyle Young. "But now the job is just too big for us to handle alone."

Other artists who have agreed to participate so far include Alison Krauss and Union Station, Cowboy Troy, the Del McCoury Band, Suzy Bogguss, Nanci Griffith and several others, Gill said.

"I invited every living soul who plays this music," he said. "The premise is to give away one night of your life to the Hall of Fame."

___

On the Net:

www.countrymusichalloffame.com/



http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050712/ap_en_mu/music_country_fund\raiser_1

Chesney 2005 Butts-In-Seats Champ So Far

Kenny Chesney is No. 1 seat-filling ticket seller of 2005.

By Neil Haislop


NASHVILLE, TN Tuesday Jul.12.2005 /netmusiccountdown.com/ -- So far this year, Kenny Chesney has played to 610,000, making him the overall Number One seat filling ticket seller of the year.

That means he's drawn more fans to his shows than U2 (499,109) and Celine Dion (321,169).

Note: U2 and Dion are the #1 and #2 gross dollars champs so far this year because their per ticket price is much higher than Chesney's average $60 dollars per ticket price.

"The thing I hate about these rankings is that no one ever looks at what the facts mean -- and you can make all kinds of claims based on any number of things," says Kenny. "To me, I'd like to think the biggest tour isn't measured by ticket prices, but about the number of people coming to see you play and for me, even though this is big production, a lot of trucks, a major crew, I wanna do it -- ultimately -- for the fans. I want to play for all those kids, all those people who come to have a big party with us, and I really try to make sure that everybody who wants to come can."

http://www.netmusiccountdown.com/inc/news_article.php?id=8455

KENNY CHESNEY RETIRING? NOT A CHANCE

JULY 8, 2005

KENNY CHESNEY RETIRING? NOT A CHANCE

Last year he made more money than any entertainer in any genre, with the exception of Prince. This year, he's already sold more tickets than any other act - 610,00 from January through June. But has Kenny Chesney ever contemplated
parking the bus and quitting? "I'm still having a blast," Kenny told X Radio Networks, "because we have a very passionate fan base and a very driven fan base. I'm still having fun making records and doing what I'm doing. [But] I'm not gonna lie. There were some moments last year where I was like, 'I am mentally exhausted -I've been doing this 10-12 years and I have been so focused - I am tired,' 'cause I don't do anything halfway. I mean we go full blast - I
can't just mail it in, no matter what I'm doing."

Published on: 07/08/2005

http://www.countryweekly.com/stories/scene/63088

Chesney's New One A November Release

By Neil Haislop


NASHVILLE, TN Friday Jul.8.2005 /netmusiccountdown.com/ -- Kenny Chesney has set the release of his next studio album, The Road & The Radio, for November 8, a week before the 39th Annual CMA Awards in New York City.

With final tracking just completed, Chesney and co-producer Buddy Cannon are preparing for the release.

"We've been keeping plenty busy," Chesney says with a laugh. "But I think by now everybody knows, not a day goes by that I'm not thinking about the music. And it seemed like we started looking for songs almost as soon as Sun (When the Sun Goes Down, his triple platinum CMA Album winner) dropped, and we got to hear some pretty great stuff, too."

The title track -- about seeking truth behind the wheel with the radio being the truest companion, -- was written by Chesney.

"You know, when I looked at what my life was and how it is, there are a few things that have remained constant. You can find your answers out on the road --or listening to the radio, and it's certainly the way I've always lived my life.
Touring around and listening to the story people tell me about the songs I've cut, I realize a lot of other people live their life between the white lines and the grooves in the road, too."

http://www.netmusiccountdown.com/inc/news_article.php?id=8438

Chesney's New Album Arrives Nov. 8

Kenny Chesney's new album, The Road & the Radio, will be released Nov. 8. Chesney wrote the title track -- a song about traveling the highways with radio as a constant companion. His most recent album, Be As You Are: Songs From an Old Blue Chair, was released in January as an introspective project that was not designed for airplay on mainstream country radio stations. The Road & the Radio is being touted as the official follow-up to 2004's quadruple-platinum When the Sun Goes Down. Describing the title track, Chesney said, "You can find your answers out on the road -- or listening to the radio -- and it's certainly the way I've always lived my life. Touring around and listening to the [stories] people tell me about the songs I've cut, I realize a lot of other people live their life between the white lines and the grooves in the road, too."

http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1505309/07062005/chesney_kenny.jhtml

(CMT Hot Dish is a weekly feature written by veteran columnist Hazel Smith. Author of the cookbook, Hazel's Hot Dish: Cookin' With Country Stars, she also shares her recipes at CMT.com.)

Kenny's Happiness

Since Kenny Chesney has said the marital vows, I find myself repeating, "I hope Kenny is happy," over and over. "I hope Kenny is happy." It's just that he was out there and free for oh so forever, and at 37, he said those two words that changed not only his life, but it changed country music history. Here we were coasting along with all the unmarried country cuties, hotties as hot as nature allows -- besides Kenny, there's Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Dwight Yoakam, Keith Anderson and any one of 'em special enough to make even an old heart like mine skip a beat. What each one gives us musically is as good as it gets. Nobody fills venues like Kenny, nobody plays a guitar hotter or better than Keith Urban, nobody, but nobody is as cute as Dierks Bentley with his head full of curly hair -- don't blame the girls -- why even his dog Jake worships him! Long-legged Dwight Yoakam in those skinny jeans twisting around before breakfast on Imus in the Morning this week awakening all parts of any American female who tuned in. And newcomer Keith Anderson has got babes at People mag breathing heavy over his photo this week. Shoot, if those guys didn't sing, they'd still be the cutest guys in town. Their singing is like adding whipped cream to a banana split. Yummy.

After all these years, tears and songs George and Norma Strait, Alan and Denise Jackson, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Martina and John McBride, Clint and Lisa Hartman-Black, Brad and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Travis and Theresa Tritt managed to keep it in the road. Vince Gill and Amy Grant finally have the happiness they deserve. It appears Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood have found the fountain of forever.

Lordy, who is gonna write them cheating songs when nobody lives 'em anymore?? Maybe we got some misbehaving songwriters. Wait a minute -- there's always the best album of the year -- the one by Lee Ann Womack full of cheating and truth.

http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1505097/20050701/chesney_kenny.jhtml?headlines=\true

Kenny Chesney Weds Actress Renee Zellweger

http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1501552/20050510/index.jhtml?headlines=true

Kenny Chesney TV, Morning and Night

Chesney on Good Morning America and Conan O'Brien Feb. 16

By Neil Haislop


NEW YORK, NY Wednesday Feb.9.2005 /netmusiccountdown.com/ -- On February 16, Kenny Chesney will begin the day on "Good Morning America" and finish the day heading over to "The Late Show with Conan O'Brien." Besides the island inspiration for his "Be as you Are, Songs From an Old Blue Chair," Chesney says he loves the island of Manhattan, and the inspirational Times Square.

"There's nothing like Times Square in the morning," says Chesney. "When you get up and you head in there, you can feel the energy coming on in maybe the biggest city in the world...and it's a rush, I can tell you. 'GMA' has their studio smack dab in the middle of it -- so you're truly in the heart of New York City as it's clicking on."

Chesney's new album is still clicking on in the sales department, and while he can, Chesney says he's diggin' singing them live.

"...These songs are so much fun to perform live. I wanted to share them with the fans before we get back to what they expect from us. So, I'm really glad the people at 'GMA' could get us on along with the people at 'Conan.' This'll probably be the last time I get to sing any of these songs on TV, so I wanna make the most of it."

http://netmusiccountdown.com/inc/news_article.php?id=7434

Kenny Wakes Up & Says "Good Morning America" Feb. 16

For Immediate Release
7 February 2005
For More Information
Holly Gleason for Joe's Garage
Wes Vause for BNA Nashville
(615)-301-4444


Kenny Wakes Up & Says "Good Morning America" Feb. 16 Matches His "Late Show" with a Bright & Early Morning


Nashville: With Be As You Are: Songs From An Old Blue Chair poised at the top of Billboard's Top 200 and rehearsals underway for his Somewhere In the Sun tour - which kicks off with two sold-out-in-two-hours-shows in Green Bay March 10-11, Kenny Chesney intends to make the most of his day in New York. In addition to appearing on "The Late Show with Conan O'Brien" on February 16, the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year will wake up with "Good Morning America."

"There's nothing like Times Square in the morning," says the singer/songwriter. "When you get up and you head in there, you can feel the energy coming on in maybe the biggest city in the world, and it's a rush, I can tell you. 'GMA' has their studio smack dab in the middle of it -- so you're truly in the heart of New York City as it's
clicking on."

With "Anything But Mine" from the triple platinum Country Music Association Album of the Year When The Sun Goes Down climbing the charts and his deeply personal Be As You Are landing with 311,655 copies the first week with no single and no tour, Kenny Chesney is in high gear. And before he hits the road for the follow-up to his 1.2
million tickets sold Guitars, Tiki Bars & A Whole Lot of Love Tour, he's doing one last round of television.

"Be As You Are was a record that wasn't supposed to be a record," says the fan-voted American Music Awards Favorite Artist of the Year. "It was a collection of songs that I wrote on my boat about the people and places and things I figured out down there. But it really seemed like a collection of songs that wanted to be heard -- and
something I thought the fans might want.

"And these songs are so much fun to perform live," he continues, "I wanted to share them with the fans before we get back to what they expect from us. So, I'm really glad the people at 'GMA' could get us on along with the people at 'Conan.' This'll probably be the last time I get to sing any of these songs on TV, so I wanna make
the most of it."

Currently on the cover of Country Weekly, Chesney kicked off the introspective singer/ songwriter package with a live hour-long "Be As You Are" special on CMT. In addition, he's appeared on the cover of Billboard and in features or major reviews in People, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, American Country and CNN.

"Hey, I get to wake up with Diane Sawyer and hang out late with Conan O'Brien," kids Chesney. "If you're gonna do a whirlwind day of media in New York, that's a pretty cool way to spend it."

##############
http://joesgarage615.com/CHESNEYwhirlwind.htm

Be As You Are: Quite Simply Billboard's #1 Album In The U.S.

For Immediate Release
1 February 2005
For More Information
Holly Gleason for Joe's Garage
Wes Vause for BNA Nashville
(615)-301-4444


Be As You Are: Quite Simply Billboard's #1 Album In The U.S.
Kenny Chesney's Songs From An Old Blue Chairs Tops All-Genre Top 200


Nashville: There was no single. There was no tour. Only a collection of introspective songs written mostly on the CMA Entertainer of the Year's boat over the last four or five years that go straight from his soul into the hearts and lives of his fans. And with that, those fans turned out in droves to make Be As You Are: Songs From An Old Blue Chair the #1 album in the country.

"It's humbling," says the soft-spoken singer/songwriter. "This is a collection of songs that were Polaroids of different moments in my life, the people I met; and I never wrote them for anything more than to remember where I was. That these songs grew up and turned into a record was a big enough thrill; the idea that so many people wanted to share that aspect of my life with me is humbling."

Aside from CMT's live "Be As You Are" and features in People, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe and the current cover of Country Weekly, this has been a low-impact release for the fans. Though unconventional in its approach, Be As You Are was a direct line from Chesney's life beyond the footlights to the fans who love his music.

With first week sales of 310,665, Chesney dethroned rap sensation The Game to take the top of the sales chart. It marks the fan-voted American Music Awards Favorite Artist of the Year - over Usher, Outkast, Evanesce and Norah Jones -- third time to bow at #1 on Billboard's Top 200 chart. Both his quadruple platinum No Shoes, No
Shirt, No Problems and his triple platinum-and-still-selling CMA Album of the Year When The Sun Goes Down entered the sales charts with nearly a quartet of a million sales on the former and almost 600,000 on the latter.

Obviously taking his music to the people works for the man from Luttrell, Tennessee. His Margaritas 'n' Senoritas tour -- which included a highly emotional homecoming show to over 67,000 at the University of Tennessee's Neyland Stadium -- played to over one million fans, while last year's Guitars, Tiki Bars & A Whole Lot of
Love Tour with it's 1.2 million tickets sold was outdrawn only by Prince's Musicology Tour.

"This may be the most gratifying thing I've done in my career," says Chesney earnestly. "I wrote these songs for me, for my friends, for nothing more than the moment. But this is, every bit of it, my life and the realization about where I am and how I got here. There's a lot of truth in these songs about the changes in my life, the way my view of the world shifted -- and the peace I was able to find that let me dig in and shift even harder. And to think, it really, truly did start in an old blue chair"

Chesney heads back out for the final weekend of his stripped-down, college barn-storming Keg In The Closet Tour, then head back to Nashville for rehearsals for his Somewhere In The Sun Tour. The full-on Chesney tour has already sold out its first two nights in Green Bay on March 10-11 in two hours, as well as that weekend's show in St. Paul. More shows to go on sale shortly.


##############
http://joesgarage615.com/CHESNEYbeasuare1.htm

Hits & Misses: Kenny Chesney

Brad Hilgers
Web Posted: 2/11/2005 10:23:57 AM


Kenny Chesney CD Be As You Are (2 out of 5)

Kenny Chesney started out as a hard working country singer, but as the years have gone by he's become more of a good times Caribbean influenced artist, similar to his pal Jimmy Buffett. In fact, Chesney appeared of Buffett's last album License To Chill. It's a natural fit since the Knoxville, Tennessee singer now calls the U.S. Virgin
Islands home. With the release of Be As You Are (Songs From An Old Blue Chair) Chesney writes about his life in the sun.

Don't expect to mix up a batch of margaritas and party to this CD, the only up-tempo fun song is the steel drum based guitars And Tiki Bars. After that, it's an album filled with philosophical stories about the easy life, including Old Blue Chair, Be As You Are, Island Boy, Somewhere In The Sun, Key Lime Pie, and the list goes on.

A reflective album that Chesney wrote or co-wrote all the tracks for.Although Chesney has emerged as a great songwriter and storyteller, this album contains some faults. At times the songs are just too similar to Buffett's and because it's a very reflective album, the slow tempo gets you down.

And finally, Chesney has written some great songs but not enough variety, the second half of the album sounds exactly the same as the first. Kenny Chesney is living the dream, we can tell he's content but he's got to be having a bit of fun, you just don't hear about it on Be As You Are.

http://www.tbsource.com/InTheBay/index.asp?cid=73100

GRAMMY AWARDS TO BE GIVEN OUT SUNDAY

The 47th Annual Grammy Awards will be given out Sunday. The country nominees are:

Loretta Lynn has five nominations, two of them in Best Country Song for "Miss Being Mrs." and "Portland Oregon." She also vies for Best Country Album (Van Lear Rose) along with Tim McGraw (Live Like You Were Dying), Tift Merritt (Tambourine), Keith Urban (Be Here), and Gretchen Wilson (Here For The Party).

Nods for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals go to Jimmy Buffett, Clint Black, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith & George Strait for "Hey Good Lookin"; Norah Jones & Dolly Parton for "Creepin' In"; Loretta Lynn & Jack White for "Portland Oregon"; Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard & Toby Keith for "Pancho & Lefty"; and Shania Twain with Alison Krauss & Union Station for "Coat Of Many Colors."

http://www.countrystars.com/news/haislop/n-update.html

More troops for CMT awards

-- Alan Jackson and Reba McEntire join the previously announced Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson, as performers on the 2005 CMT Music Awards.

Hosted by yukster Jeff Foxworthy, the show is this year's only country awards televised from Nashville (Ouch! CMA Dig!).

Watch the telecast on CMT, Monday, April 11.

http://countrynation.com/

Chart Watch

-- Kenny Chesney's "Be As You Are: Songs from an Old Blue Chair," drops from first to fourth on this week's Nielsen SoundScan all genre sales chart. However, the disc tops the Country Albums chart for a second week.

Shania Twain's "Greatest Hits" remains at No. 2 on the Country Albums chart, with Rascal Flatts' "Feels Like Today," in third place.

Rounding out the Top Five, LeAnn Rimes' "This Woman" and Gretchen Wilson's "Here For The Party."


http://countrynation.com/

A New Day's Dawning

By PETER COOPER
Staff Writer

After a year in which he posted hit songs, filled arenas and captured coveted awards, Kenny Chesney returns from his island getaway with a calm spirit and a new album of quiet, contemplative songs

Kenny Chesney began 2004 by releasing When the Sun Goes Down, a set of songs that became the best-selling country album of the year and spawned a tour that would find Chesney drawing more ticket-buyers than anyone in popular music other than Prince.

Chesney begins 2005 by releasing Be As You Are, a quiet, contemplative album that finds him veering far from his  typical ''arena-rock-goes-country'' mode. It is, as he puts it, ''more James Taylor than Van Halen,'' and it hits stores even as Chesney's current single — Anything But Mine from the When the Sun Goes Down album — is at No. 25 and climbing on Billboard's country singles chart. There are no plans to release a single to radio, yet Be As You Are is a contender to become the No. 1 selling album on Billboard's all-genre Top 200 chart.

Just back from his winter home in the British Virgin Islands, Chesney lunched at Calypso Cafe in Cool Springs last week and talked about the new, island-inspired album.

The Tennessean: You've got more momentum right now than anyone in country music, yet you're doing an album that's different than anything you've done before, and doing an album with no plan to release a single. Have you thought to yourself, ''Am I screwing up here?''

Chesney: Oh, no doubt about it, I've thought a lot about this. It's a real tricky thing, to have an album out there, be promoting singles off that album and release another album in the middle of it. It's really odd, and some people would think you're committing career suicide. I'll be honest with you: This is something I've been looking
forward to coming out, but you do sit there and go, ''God, I've won entertainer of the year and people are used to seeing me in a certain way.

I don't think I'm screwing up, but it's a legitimate question. Usually, when somebody's got as much momentum as me, they're scared to death of doing anything to stop it. But I'm at a point where I feel like I can be a little left of center if I want to be and do something just for the fans.

People ask me all the time, ''What do you do when you're off the road?'' Well, I live on my boat. And usually when the tour is over, I'm so burned out that I don't want to think about listening to music or picking up a guitar. But it never fails that when I get there on the boat, I do pick up the guitar and it's my most creative time.

Just about every song on this album was either started or written or finished on that boat. There's only one song that wasn't, and it was one that I wrote with my bus driver and my two merchandise guys in a snowstorm in Austin, Texas. I love the fact that people can listen to this and see a bunch of different postcards from where I've been: the people I've met, the characters I've talked to and the stories they've told me.

Do you think people can relate to that? For most people, the islands are at best a vacation, not a residence or a lifestyle.  It's a little bit of a concern that people might not be able to connect with that. A lot of songs I've recorded in the past, I'm very conscious of people hearing those and saying, ''Aw, I've stood in his shoes. I've done that. I know exactly what he's talking about.''

I never intended to make this record. I was writing some songs and didn't know what I was going to do with them. I just ended up writing a bunch of songs about a lot of people there that I've grown to love. I hope I've painted some pictures for people of things that they haven't seen before.

Did you feel you needed to assert yourself as a songwriter? I'm not sure people think of you as a singer-songwriter.

I started as a songwriter, not as an artist. Technically, yes, I'm a singer-songwriter. When people hear this record, maybe that'll move me more in that direction. I do consider myself an entertainer first, but an entertainer that can write a pretty good song every now and then.

Is it important that the songwriters you admire — people such as Dean Dillon — hear these songs and think, ''That was good.''

Definitely. You always want to have your peers respect what you do. I think ultimately, years from now, hopefully they'll look back and go, ''Kenny was a pretty good songwriter. He could wear 'em out onstage and do what he does best, but he could hold his own as a writer.'' I'd love that.

Do you want this stuff on the radio?

It's up to them.

So it's the Ross Perot of records: If it's the people's will, it'll be heard?

If they want to play it, it'd be great. I just believe this is going to be the kind of record that comes out and has a life of its own. Maybe it will spread like my career has, through word of mouth and over time. It's going to be interesting to see, because it's a unique thing.

When we got the record done, we were listening to it. I was over with the label and they said, ''Wow, we've never really had a record that we're not going to promote.'' We have no expectations, no idea what's going to happen.

Are you worried about the image-killing aspects of it? You've got one song here about walking around ''with a cooler and a bong.'' George Strait is certainly not going to record a song that has the word ''bong'' in it.

Well, you're right about that. But everything in this thing is pretty real. Even the waves crashing on Somewhere in the Sun.

I was at a campground in the British Virgin Islands one night, and I was staying at a cabin on the beach. The waves were coming in pretty hard and it woke me up. I got this nice video camera with a big microphone, turned it on and recorded the waves crashing. That's what you hear right before Somewhere in the Sun.

Are people going to get island-ed out on you? You're not trying to be the country Jimmy Buffett, are you?

No, not at all. I just happen to allow the way that I live into my songwriting and ultimately into my records and my live shows. And if we keep going out on the road and rockin' 'em like we're doing every night, they'll allow some of these songs in.

Now, because you've written these songs, millions of people will hear about these little bars and these islands. Will your privacy down there be compromised?

It's already changed. I used to go down there and do things in those places that I would never do on Demonbreun Street, but I can't do that anymore down there. It's gotten tougher to do that, and it's my own fault: I've been selling this lifestyle in my music and shows and people want to go down there and see what I saw.

Does this album represent the kind of artist you thought you'd end up being, back when you were at Acuff-Rose?

I was so young back then. Green. Had all these stars in my eyes. I didn't know what I wanted. I had no idea. Even after I got a record deal, I had no idea what I wanted.

If you've seen my first video, it was horrible. Now I know exactly what I want, but that comes with time and a lot of trial and error. It's the same as being a songwriter: I had to learn how to be confident enough to put more of myself out there.

A lot of times I'd get close and never do it. I'd get close to being truthful, or showing what I really felt or what I really wanted to say about how I'm really feeling.

There for a while, I didn't know how to write it down on paper. I love George Strait with all my heart, but when I quit trying to be him and started just being myself, that's when my whole world changed.

When did you get that right?

I'm still working on it. But there are personal songs on this record. I think when people hear this, they'll hear more than me rocking across a stage. This is me sitting on the bow of a boat, watching the sun move across the sky and being creative over a period of about 5½ years.

My life on the road is about time and form and schedule and expectations, but people down there have showed me it doesn't have to be that way all the time. They show me a little different way to walk through the world.

It saved my career, in a lot of ways. If I didn't have that outlet, I'd be so burnt out on the music business. If I didn't have a way to recharge my batteries, I would have been done three or four years ago, even before all this ''big stuff'' happened to me.

What have you learned in the islands beyond ''chill out''?

When I went down there, I was in a very soul-searching period of my life. I was running from a relationship that didn't work out, and chasing something that I didn't recognize. I met a lot of people down there that I had a lot in common with, because of that.

I met so many girls down there that visited on a spring break in college and just never went home. They call it ''getting stuck.'' I think . . . is that what a ''kinship'' is?

I saw a lot of people that were running from something, and you could tell. I don't know if it's anything they taught me directly, but indirectly it's something where you have to ultimately make yourself happy.

Tuning in

Kenny Chesney: Be As You Are premieres at 8-9 tonight on CMT. The live special will include an advance performance of many of the songs from Be As You Are (Songs From an Old Blue Chair), which will be released Tuesday.

http://tennessean.com/entertainment/music/archives/05/01/64472240.shtml?Element_ID=64472240

Kenny Fans Wash Up On "Sand Bar" Somewhere In The Sun!

For Immediate Release
21 January 2005
For More Information
Holly Gleason for Joe's Garage
Wes Vause for BNA Nashville
(615)-301-4300


Kenny Fans Wash Up On "Sand Bar" Somewhere In The Sun!
Special Fan Treat Program Will Be A Bonus On The Year's Tour
-- Plus the First Keg Is OFFICIALLY Tapped


Nashville, TN: Always looking for new and fun ways to bring the fans closer for his full-tilt live shows, CMA Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney is instituting "the Sand Bars," special standing room only pits adjacent to the stage to make his fans' concert-going experience potentially even more up close and personal. And with the
exception of 30 "Sand Bar" Passes being set aside for Radio Friends & Family, the rest of the in-his-face general admission tickets are going to be passed out to random fans on the day of each show.

"I figure they're on their feet anyway," says Chesney with a laugh. "We might as well tuck 'em almost up under our heels, and really bring 'em into the show. I've been to rock shows where bands do it -- and it just makes the performance that much more intense; and anyone who's ever seen one of our shows knows we thrive on just
how intense that connection can be."

With a double-header full production kick-off in Green Bay on March 10-11 -- following a March 9th appearance at the Houston Rodeo & Livestock Show where he shattered George Strait's attendance record last year -- Chesney's Somewhere In The Sun Tour is looking to be a worthy follow-up to last year's Guitars, Tiki Bars & A Whole Lot of Love Tour, which -- with its 1.2 million fans played to -- was outdrawn only by Prince's Musicology Tour.

"It's not that I think about those things," Chesney admits, "because you can't really get your head around what that means, beyond the idea that a lot of really cool people came out and partied with us. And they got the idea of what we're all about out here -- cause every day, you'd go out to the parking lot around 4, 5 o'clock and see people tailgating, which is what my music is hopefully about: kicking back with friends, having a good time,
sharing a moment. Still when you think about all those people who showed up, and you think about how good they gave, you wanna come back stronger, bigger, better than ever. So, the idea of bringing them right up to the stage is pretty cool."

Chesney's Be As You Are: Songs From An Old Blue Chair drops Tuesday (Jan. 25) -- as his triple platinum CMA Album of the Year When The Sun Goes Down's "Anything But Mine" climbs the Country Singles Chart. The man The Los Angeles Times' calls the second highest earning musician last year kicks off his intimate, anything
but traditionally marketed CD with a live CMT telecast Jan 22 at 9 pm EST -- rebroadcast multiple times in the coming weeks -- as well as appearing in People, Entertainment Weekly, Redbook, USA Today, Caribbean Travel & Leisure, Rolling Stone and the cover of Feb 5's Country Weekly, plus performing the title track on "The Tonight Show" Feb. 1.

And his 1st Keg in the Closet date -- Jan 27 at Starr Hill in Charlottesville, VA -- sold out in 25 minutes. "It would've been faster," says venue manager Bryan Allenby, "but our website was slowed down by all the people. Now the angry calls begin." The University of Virginia is the 1st school on the tour; with 4 more lucky colleges to be announced over the next two weeks.


###############

http://joesgarage615.com/CHESNEYsandbar.htm

The First Keg is Officially Tapped

-- Word that Kenny Chesney's first "Keg in the Closet" date, January 27 at Starr Hill in Charlottesville, VA, sold out in 25 minutes flat.

"It would've been faster," says venue manager Bryan Allenby, "but our website was slowed down by all the people. Now the angry calls begin."

The University of Virginia is the first school on the tour -- with 4 more colleges to be announced over the next couple of weeks.

http://www.countrynation.com/

CHESNEY PICKED SPECIAL SONG FOR TSUNAMI SPECIAL

When they asked Kenny Chesney to participate in Tsunami Aid: A Concert for Hope, the normally light-hearted singer/songwriter thought long and hard about what to perform. Recognizing the solemnity of the event, he
wanted to find a song --- even if it wasn't a radio hit - that reflected the emotional tone of the evening. He chose "I Can't Go There," a track from his quadruple platinum No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems. Written with Skip Ewing, it reflects a fairly personal moment for Kenny.

"There really aren't songs for tragedies that defy your ability to understand," says the soft spoken man who played to over 1.2 million fans last year. "So I figured I should perform something that looked at how loss kind of stays on your soul… You can't get over losing someone, just look back and not feel that twinge.

"Those people's lives will never be the same, but more importantly, they will never get over the people they lost. That's kind of what 'I Can't Go There' is about: all the things that are so much a part of the person who's gone that they'll never be the same.

"I don't know if it helped, but it just felt like the song to perform. Maybe, hopefully, it was something that could bring everyone together in their sense of hurt and loss -- and create healing and the comfort that comes from a community of people trying to deal."

http://www.countrystars.com/news/haislop/n-update.html

Kenny Gets Naked... With the Truth

Award-Winning Producer Rob Barnett Goes Deep on "The Naked Truth"

New York City: Though Kenny Chesney's known for his high energy shows and capturing moments that're common all lives in his songs, his grass roots Be As You Are: Songs From All Old Blue Chair, which hits the streets Jan. 25, is a decidedly more introspective, deeply personal album that offers an intimate look at the people, places and moments that define his life away from the spotlight -- cradled in the string of jewels that make up the islands of the Caribbean.

While Be As You Are is not being presented through the traditional marketing means and channels of exposure, there are a few select opportunities to see, hear and read about the reigning CMA Entertainer and Album of the Year winner on a more revealing level. With People magazine on the new standards with a feature, along with a Country Weekly cover story and Entertainment Weekly and USA Today readying profiles of the man from Luttrell, Tennessee who found peace in the St. Somewheres, ground-breaking producer Rob Barnett sits with the man who's known for his ability to strike universal chords with the songs he sings for an hour-long radio special called "The Naked Truth," which will air in 18 markets the weekend of 1/22-23.

"It's a strange thing opening yourself up like that to someone you really don't know," says the man who sold 1.2 million concert tickets last year, second only to Prince's Musicology Tour. "But there was something about the way he asked his questions, the way he came at this music that got me talking from a whole other perspective. It was crazy, kind of."

Barnett refered to Chesney's latest work as "Genre-Busting," and he ought to know. Part of the team who created VH-1's "Behind The Music," Barnett has also produced the tv series "Staffers" and a feature film now in post-production of the 2004 Presidential campaign, was intimately involved in PBS' award-winning "Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues" and created Johnny Rotten's "Rotten Television" for VH-1 amidst a storied career at MTV, VH-1 and various major radio gigs as a Program Director, Music Director and Disc Jockey.

With a slot of NBC's "Tsunami Aid: A Concert for Hope" -- broadcast live on Jan.15th -- along with an upcoming "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" -- where he'll perform 'Old Blue Chair" -- on Feb. 1, the American Music Awards fan-voted Text-In Favorite Artist of the Year is getting back to work. His Somewhere in the Sun Tour kicks off March 9 at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, followed by the full-tilt complete production debut March 11 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

"It's gonna be a big year," says the man whose When The Sun Goes Down is approaching quadruple platinum, just like his matching 4 million sellers No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems and Greatest Hits. "To start it with a record that's such a personal project is pretty cool -- and the places we've been able to talk about it, like 'The Naked Truth,' are pretty great."

"The Naked Truth" will air on:

Air times will vary from market-to-market. Please check with your station for specific times.

WQKY Tampa
WDSY Pittsburgh
WYCD Detroit
WUBE Cincinnati
WSOC Charlotte
WYRK Buffalo
WIRK West Palm Beach
WYUU Tampa
KFKF Kansas City
KILT Houston
WUSN Chicago
KBEQ Kansas City
KFRG Riverside
KSKS Fresno
KUPL Portland
KNCI Sacramento
KMPS Seattle
KMLE Phoenix

# # #

posted: 1/12/2005

http://www.kennychesney.com/news-01122005.php

Chesney Looks to the Sun

-- After a long winter, Kenny Chesney is looking forward to rolling out his "Somewhere In The Sun" tour, with the first stop being Green Bay, Wisconsin on March 11.

"For as much as I always say I'm not gonna work during December, we were finalizing set designs, talking about video screens, looking at the footage, Chesney explains.

"I can't wait to get to Green Bay to put it all together and see how it works!," he says. Adding, "We've had some great acts out with us, and I think with Gretchen (Wilson) and Matt (Uncle Kracker), we're gonna take the energy up another notch."

Chesney will be performing on "Tsunami Aid: A Concert for Hope", carried live on the entire family of NBC network and cable channels, Jan 15.

http://www.countrynation.com/

CHESNEY APPEARS IN PEOPLE TODAY

You can pick up the January 10th People issue TODAY and catch up with Kenny Chesney in his tropical element, the Virgin Islands. Chesney gets philosophical about the islands' impact on his life, music and current success. Confessing to falling asleep in an old blue wicker chair on New Year's Eve four years ago, Chesney tells People, "The next morning the sun came up over the hill, and that's when I realized I was going to have to make myself happy. I came back with a whole new outlook. Now I feel much more control."

People's feature hits on the brink of Chesney's completely self-penned Be As You Are: Songs From An Old Blue Chair, due to hit streets Jan. 25. PLUS, you can catch a Kenny appearance scheduled for NBC's "Tsunami Aid: A Concert for Hope," broadcast live on January 15, and a performance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" Feb. 1.

http://www.countrystars.com/news/haislop/n-update.html

Chesney Announces Tour Dates for Early 2005

Tour Launches March 11 in Green Bay, Wis.

By: Craig Shelburne


As the weather warms up, Kenny Chesney will go back to work.

Chesney has announced the dates for his Somewhere in the Sun tour. He'll launch the first leg of his tour in Green Bay, Wis., on March 11, with concert stops in 24 cities, winding up May 14 in Dallas. Opening acts on this tour include Gretchen Wilson and Uncle Kracker.

"We rock so hard out here, you get to where you think you really need that break," he says. "And then once the feeling of the rolling down the road fades away when you're sitting in a chair and the cheering stops ringing in your ears, you start itching to get back out here."

He adds, "For as much as I always say I'm not gonna work during December, we were finalizing set designs, talking about video screens, looking at the footage. ... And you know, I really love being out there with the fans and rocking the people. It is where I feel most alive, so to tell the truth, I can't wait to get back out there."

Chesney will release the album Be As You Are: Songs From an Old Blue Chair on Jan. 25, which exclusively features material he wrote or co- wrote. He'll also take part in an all-star concert for tsunami victims on Jan. 15 on NBC. His concert special, Kenny Chesney: Be As You Are, debuts on CMT on Jan. 22.

Here are the Somewhere in the Sun tour dates that have been announced:

March 11: Green Bay, Wis.
March 12: Ames, Iowa
March 13: Fargo, N.D.
March 17: Tupelo, Miss.
March 18: Lafayette, La.
March 19: San Antonio
March 31: Grand Rapids, Mich.

April 1: Moline, Ill.
April 2: Columbia, Mo.
April 7: Madison, Wis.
April 8: Champaign, Ill.
April 9: Lexington, Ky.
April 21: Sioux City, Iowa
April 22: St. Paul, Minn.
April 23: Omaha, Neb.
April 28: Biloxi, Miss.
April 29: Jacksonville, Fla.
April 30: Columbia, S.C.

May 5: Tallahassee, Fla.
May 6: Tampa, Fla.
May 7: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
May 12: Little Rock, Ark.
May 13: Oklahoma City
May 14: Dallas

http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1495440/20050107/chesney_kenny.jhtml?headlines=true

CHESNEY DRAWS BIGGEST YEARLY INCOME CHECK IN COUNTRY

When all their sources of music related income were tallied, Kenny Chesney emerged as the 2nd highest earner overall (second only to Usher), but is the top bucks generator among country acts.

According to Pollstar figures, the L.A. Times earnings of Country Stars in 2004:

KENNY CHESNEY had total earnings of $96.8-million, 50.8-million from concerts and 46-million from record sales.

TOBY KEITH comes in second among country stars (#4 overall), with 95.2-million total earnings, 43.7-million from concerts and 51.5-million from record sales.

TIM McGRAW (7th overall) ranks 3rd country with 81.7-million total, 40.1-million from concerts and 41.6-million from record sales.

SHANIA TWAIN is fourth country and ranks 10th among all artists with 70.7-million total earnings, 34.5-million from concerts and 36.2-million from record sales.

http://www.countrystars.com/news/haislop/n-update.html

CHESNEY TO NBC CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

KENNY CHESNEY is one of the stars aligned for NBC's "7th annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center" as NBC continues a glowing holiday tradition with its live national telecast of the 72nd lighting of the world's most famous Christmas tree. The celebrity adorned one-hour special will air live on NBC Tuesday, November 30 from 8-9pm ET and is hosted by Al Roker ("Today") and Nancy O'Dell ("Access Hollywood").

OTHER STARS include Hilary Duff, Clay Aiken, Jessica Simpson, Nick Lachey, Chris Isaak, Michael Buble, Vanessa Williams, and The Radio City Rockettes. Selection of songs and additional talent will be announced in the coming days.

http://www.countrystars.com/news/haislop/n-update.html

KENNY DREAM A REALITY

Kenny Chesney's award-winning week is the stuff dreams are made of, but fortunately for him, it's all real. "This has been one amazing week," he says. "There's a part of me that wonders if I'm gonna wake up...cause it's almost too much to be believed. To win your first CMA Awards and have 'em be Album and Entertainer of the Year - or to win your first AMA and have it be both fan-voted and across all the genres, well, it just kinda takes your breath away. And like I've been telling people for two years now: when I take that stage and hear those fans, that's like being named Entertainer of the Year every single night."

Published on: November 16, 2004

http://www.countryweekly.com/stories/scene.cfm?instanceid=62786

KENNY CHESNEY TO BIG APPLE AND MORE

Kenny Chesney heads to New York for a whirlwind 2 days. Kicking off NBC's "Today Show" Thanksgiving Week Concert Series on Monday, Nov. 22 and then checking into Manhattan's trendy Cro-Bar Nov. 23 for an
Oxygen Network Custom Concert special with Ashanti -- which debuts on Nov. 28th at 10 p.m. -- "the man from Tennessee" is fixing to kick it into high gear before kicking back for the holidays.

MEANWHILE, CHESNEY MARVELS AT ONE GREAT WEEK OF SUCCESS
"This has been one amazing week," Chesney allows. "There's a part of me that wonders if I'm gonna wake up… cause it's almost too much to be believed. To win your first CMA Awards and have 'em be Album and Entertainer of the Year -- or to win your first AMA and have it be both fan-voted and across all the genres, well, it just kinda takes your breath away. And like I've been telling people for two years now: when I take that stage and hear those fans, THAT'S like being named Entertainer of the Year every single night."

http://www.countrystars.com/news/haislop/n-update.html

AMERICA CHOSE "COUNTRY" AT AMA AWARDS IN TWO SPECIAL CATEGORIES

KENNY CHESNEY won T Mobile Text-In fan voted award and GRETCHEN WILSON picked up the Favorite New Breakthrough Artist, both competing with all genres.

During the AMA awards, fans voted as the show was going on for the T-Mobile Text-in award and the one they voted for was Kenny Chesney. Kenny said he found it encouraging that fans opted for country over other genres for him and Gretchen, and sees that as a sign of its growing popularity.

http://www.countrystars.com/news/haislop/n-update.html

Kenny Joins Ashanti For Oxygen's "Custom Concert"

Give 'Em Some Air -- Kenny Joins Ashanti For Oxygen's "Custom Concert" Special Tapes In NYC 11/23, Debuts on Oprah's Womens Network 11/28

New York: They met when they performed on the "Christmas In Washington" special -- and became friends in spite of Kenny Chesney's No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems bumping Ashanti's self-titled debut off the top of Billboard's all-genre Top 200 Albums chart. He was the country singer with the penchant for the sun and the water; she was the precious urban baby diva, but in spite of the differences, they really dug each other.

Though it seemed like polemics, Kenny Chesney and Ashanti became friends singing songs like "Golden Ring" and laughing about the experiences they had in common. Neither ever thought anything would come of their friendship musically, until the folks at Oxygen Network approached the unlikely pair about joining forces for a "Custom
Concert" that would show the overlap or at least complimentary nature of what the two multi-platinum recording artists do.

"Ashanti is just a good ole girl," says the 17-million-selling singer/songwriter from Luttrell, Tennessee. "She is about as sweet as pie, loves to sing and is seriously good people. We were laughing about the chart thing when we met in Washington a year ago for the Christmas special, but I don't think either one of us ever thought we'd be making music together -- given what we do -- on our own special."

Chesney is, of course, the just-crowned Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year -- an award given to reflect the winner's broadening of country music's audience. With a 7 week #1 duet with Uncle Kracker on "When The Sun Goes Down," anchoring hard rocker Sammy Hagar's birthday weekend or paddling around with Jimmy Buffett in the studio, ignoring genre labels has never been something that's been a problem for the man who cites Keith Whitley and Conway Twitty as influences.

"Music is music... and I like music made from the heart, music that comes from people's souls," says the man who's sold close to 1.2 million concert tickets this year alone, putting him behind only Prince for total fans played to. "To me, it doesn't matter who someone is or what you call it, just that they mean it."

Slated to tape Tuesday, November 23 at New York's too hot Cro-Bar, the "Custom Concert" will debut on Sunday, November 28 at 10 p.m. on The Oxygen Network. It will then re-air at 10 p.m. on Monday December
20th -- and again at 11 p.m. on Thursday December 30th. Each star will do a few of their own hits, then the pair will join forces for something a little bit special and unique.

Laughing, the man who also won the CMA's Album of the Year award for his approaching quadruple platinum When The Sun Goes Down admits narrowing down the choices to the 4 potential duets on Oxygen.com,
the network's website, was harder than it would seem. "In some ways our influences are so different, but we both like music... So between the two of us, we were everywhere from old country to Motown to Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty to the Rolling Stones! You had two people who really liked music, who couldn't really make up there mind!"

Chesney's a big make-up-your-mind factor these days, as he's the only country artist nominated for the fan voted Artist of the Year at this Sunday's "American Music Awards" -- competing with Evanescence, Outkast, Usher & Norah Jones for the cell-phone and web-site-driven polling award -- in addition to Top Country Male and Top Country Album. With a concert on NBC's "Today Show" on Monday 11/22 and a performance on the ABC's "AMAs," there's plenty of chance to see the man who's done touring for 2004 before this banner year winds down.

posted: 11/12/2004

http://www.kennychesney.com/news-full.php?newsItem=11122004&

Kenny Chesney Wins His First CMA Awards

Keith Urban Claims Surprise Victory as Male Vocalist of the Year

By: Calvin Gilbert

After more than a decade as a recording artist, Kenny Chesney finally became a winner at the CMA Awards.

Despite a series of multi-platinum albums, chart-topping radio hits and sold-out tours, Chesney had never won a CMA award until Tuesday night (Nov. 9) when he won the album of the year honor for When the Sun Goes Down. By the time the show ended, Chesney had picked up the entertainer of the year prize in a category that included Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith and Tim McGraw.

"I've been making records and been on the road for 12 years now," Chesney said in accepting the album of the year honor. "This is my first CMA award, and I'm very proud of it."

Unfortunately, his acceptance speech for the biggest award of the night -- the coveted entertainer of the year prize -- was cut short by the television show's producer and director in an effort to end the three-hour CBS telecast promptly at 11 p.m. ET, as scheduled.

"I'm so proud to be in country music," he said. "I love country music with all my heart. I take pride in doing what we're doing. I stay up at night on the road thinking of ways to make my show better. A lot of guys taught me how to do that. Conway Twitty taught me how to do that. George Strait taught me how to do that, and Tim [McGraw] taught me how to do that. A lot of people did."

At that point, music began playing in the background as a signal for Chesney to wrap up his acceptance speech.

"You can turn that off," Chesney said. "I'm going to stay up here. I waited 12 years. You ain't gonna run me off in two minutes. You can turn it off the TV, but we're gonna be here awhile." With that, though, the telecast was over. Later at a backstage press conference, Chesney did not appear to be upset over the incident.

Considering Chesney's track record, his wins weren't completely unexpected, especially in light of the tenacity and hard work that have been hallmarks of his career.

Jackson, who received seven nominations this year, failed to win in any category Tuesday night, but the biggest surprise was Keith Urban being named male vocalist of the year. In a category that also included Chesney, Jackson, Keith and Strait, Urban had little reason to believe he would win the male vocalist honor. It was only his
second CMA nomination, having won the Horizon award in 2001.

"Oh, my Lord," the Australian-born singer-songwriter-guitarist said. "I thought I was just rounding out the category. I'm so dumbfounded, I don't know what to say. Thank you to God for music. I'm so glad my mom and dad are here tonight." He added, "I feel very blessed every day. The fans are amazing. I just thank Nashville for
letting me come and make music. It's all I've ever wanted to do."

Although most people in the music industry expected newcomer Gretchen Wilson to win this year's Horizon award, she was humbled by the progress she's made in just 12 months.

"I came here last year and sat way back there in the very back and dreamed of standing up here someday," Wilson said. "I just had no idea that it was going to happen so fast for me." After thanking the fans and those directly involved in her career, she said, "I'll close with this, in just saying that I feel a little bit guilty taking home such a wonderful present on my daughter's birthday. Happy birthday, Gracie, if you're watching."

It's likely that the awards show allowed Wilson to make an even stronger impression on mainstream America. For those who might have considered her to be a novelty act on the basis of her first two singles, "Redneck Woman" and "Here for the Party," Wilson offered a better representation of her deeper talent with a soulful delivery of
the current single, "When I Think About Cheatin'."

Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss were multiple winners, sharing musical event and video of the year honors for their collaboration, "Whiskey Lullaby." During the onstage presentation of the musical event trophy, Paisley credited country radio with the song's success.

"It says a lot about the great people in our format out there that are playing our music when they'll take a chance on a double-suicide, drinkin' song," Paisley said.

Earlier in the evening during a presentation that was not televised, Paisley and Krauss accepted the video award on behalf of Rick Schroder, the actor who directed and appeared in the clip.

"First of all, Rick Schroder could not be here," Paisley said. "I think he did a great job on this video. It's like a movie. Thanks to the fans who, I'm told, made this the most-requested video on CMT for the last couple of months. ... [Alison] said she thought Ricky did a great job of having the shakes when he was drunk in the video."

The 38th annual awards show also marked the induction of two new Country Music Hall of Fame members -- singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson and music executive Jim Foglesong. Kristofferson's Hall of Fame induction included brief performances of several of his most famous songs -- "For the Good Times" by Willie Nelson, "Help Me Make It Through the Night" by Faith Hill and "Sunday Morning Coming Down" by Randy Travis. Kristofferson joined the three singers to perform "Me and Bobby McGee."

During the induction, Kristofferson paid special thanks to three of his earliest supporters in Nashville -- song publishers Marijohn Wilkin and Bob Beckham and record producer Fred Foster. Referring to "the day when the music was what mattered and was all that mattered," he added, "I want to thank John and June [Cash] for
endorsing me back when nobody knew me and for defending me when everybody did and for just standing up for truth and justice and human rights."

Kristofferson also called attention to the late Waylon Jennings, Roger Miller, Harlan Howard, Janis Joplin, Mickey Newbury, Shel Silverstein "and all the other beautiful souls that are drawn to this way of life. Somehow it always seems to bring out the best in us. Anyway, from the heart, thank you."

Brooks & Dunn scored their 12th win as vocal duo of the year, but they broke new ground at the awards show. Since being announced as hosts, the duo always acknowledged that they were merely filling in for the guy who declined the duty after serving as host for 12 years.

"Each and every one of these fine people is excited, nervous and wondering the exact same thing we are," Kix Brooks told the crowd. "And, ya'll, we have no idea where Vince Gill is. I'm figuring he's probably at an all-night lighted golf course or maybe celebrating at that all-you-can-eat low carb buffet down the street."  He added, "Trust us, Vince just wanted to take a break tonight which makes us the only nominees for the 'not as good as Vince Gill' award tonight."



Complete List of Winners at the 38th annual CMA Awards Show

Entertainer of the Year: Kenny Chesney

Female Vocalist: Martina McBride

Male Vocalist: Keith Urban

Vocal Duo: Brooks & Dunn

Vocal Group: Rascal Flatts

Horizon Award: Gretchen Wilson

Album: When the Sun Goes Down, Kenny Chesney (artist), Buddy Cannon
and Chesney (producers)

Single: "Live Like You Were Dying," Tim McGraw

Song: "Live Like You Were Dying," Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman
(songwriters), Tim McGraw (artist)

Music Video: "Whiskey Lullaby," Rick Schroder (director), Brad
Paisley and Alison Krauss (artists)

Musical Event: "Whiskey Lullaby," Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss

Musician: Dann Huff (guitar)

CMA International Achievement Award: Dolly Parton

Country Music Hall of Fame inductees: Kris Kristofferson and Jim
Foglesong

http://www.cmt.com/asm/events/cma/2004/articles/1493594/11102004/chesney_kenny.jhtml

Chesney Invites Wilson, Kracker, Green on 2005 Tour

Mon. November 01.2004 2:50 PM EST

Kenny Chesney has chosen Gretchen Wilson, Uncle Kracker and Pat Green as opening acts for his Somewhere in the Sun tour in 2005. Wilson will hold the middle slot throughout the tour, while Kracker will open the first half of the shows, and Green will open the second half. No tour dates have been announced. Chesney's next album, Be As You Are: Songs From an Old Blue Chair will be released on Jan. 25, 2005.


http://www.cmt.com/news/news_in_brief/

CHESNEY REFUSES TO MAKE POLITICAL STANCE

Country singer KENNY CHESNEY refuses to reveal who he'll be voting for in the US Presidential elections next month (02NOV04) because he dislikes celebrities who try to sway voters' opinions.

The WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN star is determined to keep his political beliefs a mystery because he fears too many musicians have already aired their political views.

Chesney says, "I haven't made a conscious decision to be one way or the other. It's not that I'm not sensitive to what's going on, or that I don't have my own view.

"It's just that I think, by watching CNN, we're all informed to the point of bombardment about events in the world.

"Some people want to stand up and sing about them, too, and there are some good songs. But personally I don't see the need to add to the number."

25/10/2004 09:21


http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/0/DEE60D8CADBE8AAA80256F38
002DE51F!opendocument

Be As You Are: Songs From An Old Blue Chair

For Immediate Release
22 October 2004
For More Information
Holly Gleason for Joe's Garage
Wes Vause for BNA Nashville
(615)-301-4300


Be As You Are: Songs From An Old Blue Chair
Kenny Chesney Opens His Heart, His Life, His Notebook Jan. 25
Intimate Collection Offers A Look at the Other Side of Superstar's
World

Somewhere in the Caribbean: When Kenny Chesney went to the islands, he was looking to get away; what he found was a lot like coming home. He may not have realized what an imprint the various islands in that turquoise water were making on his soul -- but over the years, the tides have pulled him back, set him at ease and have cast a pretty strong undertow to his personal brand of power-country, whether it's the kickin' back ease of "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems," the yearning "The Coast of Somewhere Beautiful" or the calyptic Uncle Kracker duet "When The Sun Goes Down."

For the man who's sold almost 17 million records -- including 3 million copies of When The Sun Goes Down, 4 million No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems and 3 million Greatest Hits -- the islands was a place to go and get away from being an emerging bold-faced name. As he exhales on the title track, "You can be a tourist, a beach bum or
a star…" -- and it's that ability to just live life on its own terms that appealed to the soon-to-be-superstar.

To that end, there's Be As You Are: Songs From An Old Blue Chair, which will arrive in stores on January 25. An intimate singer/songwriter record, it's a 12-song rumination on the people, places, feelings and sensations that've made up the last 6 years of the man who's sold close to 1.2 million concert tickets this year alone's life.

"I don't know what I was looking for when I went down there -- or what I was hoping to find," says Chesney about the pull of the islands. "But I don't think I could have ever expected the feeling of peace, of easiness, of belonging that I did find. It was an amazing place at a very difficult time -- and I think I built a life down there, just being.

"And I've certainly shared pieces of that with the fans over the last couple records, but I don't think people really understand how the islands have affected me. This record is kind of about that; what it means, who these people are. It's not just a party place, or drinks with umbrellas and coconut milk. That's part of it,
absolutely, but it's just a different rhythm a different way of looking at the world - and it has a lot to do with me being able to do what I do out there on the road."

Opening with "Old Blue Chair," which closes his Country Music Association Album of the Year and American Music Awards Top Country Album When The Sun Goes Down, this much quieter, more hushed Kenny
Chesney project moves through story songs -- "Island Boy," "She Came From Boston," "Sherrie's Living In Paradise" -- to frolicsome moments - "Guitars, Tiki Bars," "Key Lime Pie" and the old school cocktail-esque "Magic"-- to the in-the-moment real life tales -- "Be As You Are," "Something Sexy About The Rain."

With "Somewhere In The Sun," written quite literally in the shadow of a snow cancelled show on his Margaritas'& Senoritas Tour, that opens with the truthful "Stuck here in a Holiday Inn in Austin, Texas," Chesney juxtaposes the empty hours of the road with the soul-filling quietness of the water. Then in another Polaroid snatched from his daily being "French Kissing Life" -- "I don't really know what day it is/ I've been rockin' 9 days in a row/I know I could use a shave and I need some rest/ And people are worried about me" -- captures his re-entry to life after the cheering crowds and the exhilaration of just the feel of breathing.

"It's so easy to make the islands all about fun or some kind of escape, but it runs much deeper for me," admits the Luttrell, Tennessean. "This is my heart, and it's a record that came out of that. I didn't set out to 'WRITE THE ISLAND RECORD' . I wrote songs about people I met, moments that stood out over the last few years,
things I realized. When I went back and looked at my notebook, I saw this collection emerge. Given how much this place and this time in my life has meant to me, I wanted to share it with the fans; and it's not what people think of when they think of a 'Kenny Chesney Record.' This isn't that; it's like looking over my shoulder, seeing me when
I'm being quiet -- and I'm just glad there are people I can share this part of me with."

When The Sun Goes Down continues its march across the charts. Sitting at #7 with a bullet on this week's Billboard chart, plans are for singles from his full-tilt studio record to continue well into 2005.


##############


http://joesgarage615.com/CHESNEYoldblue.htm

Chesney's Island-Themed Album Due in January

Fri. October 22.2004 6:05 PM EDT

Kenny Chesney will release a new studio album, written about his love for the islands, on Jan. 25. Be As You Are: Songs From an Old Blue Chair includes 12 songs he wrote or co-wrote, with titles such as "Island Boy," "Sherri's Living in Paradise," "Key Lime Pie" and "French Kissing Life." The set opens with "Old Blue Chair," a track from his current album, When the Sun Goes Down. Chesney says Be As You Are is "not what people think of when they think of a 'Kenny Chesney record.' This isn't that. ... It's like looking over my shoulder, seeing me when I'm being quiet -- and I'm just glad there are people I can share this part of me with."

http://www.cmt.com/news/news_in_brief/