Chesney biography

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He released two new albums that year: Be As You Are (Songs From an Old Blue Chair) and The Road and The Radio. It was while with BNA that the singer went gold with All I Need to Know in 1995, platinum with Me and You in 1996 and I Will Stand in 1997 and double platinum with Everywhere We Go in 1999. Spurred by the highly popular singles "Young" and "The Good Stuff," it became one of the best-selling albums of his career.

One of his pre-show rituals has been to venture to the farthest seats and see what the audience would experience. In November of that same year, the Country Music Association presented Chesney with his fourth Entertainer of the Year award, tying him with Garth Brooks for most wins in that category. From his humble beginnings in Tennessee to his rise to fame and fortune, let's look at some of his life and career.

  1. How old is Kenny Chesney?

    Kenny Chesney is 57 years old as of 2025.

    Among our ranks are book authors and award-winning journalists. Kenny Chesney does not have any children as of now.

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Big Star

By 2003, Chesney was playing stadiums in addition to the amphitheaters and arenas he had been headlining, making him one of the few country artists who could play concerts at that scale.

That same year, he won a CMA Award for Musical Event of the Year for his work on Tracy Lawrence's "Find Out Who Your Friends Are" with Tim McGraw.

Chesney went on tour during the summer of 2008 to support Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates, which was very successful. But how did he become the star he is today?

What are the influences and challenges that shaped Kenny Chesney's musical journey?

That September, Chesney was nominated for seven CMA Awards, including Entertainer of the Year as well as Male Vocalist of the Year. He also received nominations in the Musical Event of the Year category for "Every Other Weekend" and "Shiftwork."

Lucky Old Sun and Hemingway’s Whiskey

Chesney released Lucky Old Sun in 2008.

Few other artists have maintained such a high level of consistency for as long. David was a former elementary school teacher and Karen Chandler was a hair stylist in the Knoxville area. Since then, Chesney has consistently remained one of the top touring artists in any genre.

With a high-energy show that is celebratory and gimmick-free, Chesney has combined spectacle and intimacy.

Chesney’s albums The Road and the Radio, Be as You Are: Poets & Pirates, and Lucky Old Sun were all certified platinum, and he was a reliable hitmaker whose singles rarely missed the Top Ten. All told, he racked up twenty-three #1 songs on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, including “Never Wanted Nothing More,” “Don’t Blink,” and “The Boys of Fall.”

A thriving fan community, dubbed No Shoes Nation, has fully bought in to Chesney’s work-hard, play-harder philosophy, but it was more than marketing strategy for the singer.

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chesney biography

They had two children, Kenny and his younger sister Jennifer Chandler.

  • How did he get his start in country music?

    Kenny Chesney got his start in country music by recording a self-released demo album in 1989, while he was studying advertising at East Tennessee State University.

    He moved to Nashville in 1990 and performed at several local clubs, where he was discovered by Clay Bradley, the head of writer relations at BMI, who recommended him to Troy Tomlinson, at Opryland Music Group.

    He signed his first record deal with Capricorn Records in 1992 and released his debut album, In My Wildest Dreams, in 1994.

    He then switched to BNA Records and achieved his first number one hit, “She’s Got It All”, in 1997.

  • What are his most famous songs?

    Kenny Chesney - There Goes My Life (Official Video)

    Some of Kenny Chesney’s most popular songs are:

    • There Goes My Life, a song about a father’s love for his daughter, which reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 2003.
    • The Good Stuff, a song about finding happiness in the simple things, which was the most-played country song of 2002 and also topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
    • When The Sun Goes Down, a duet with Uncle Kracker about enjoying the nightlife, which was the most-played country song of 2004 and also reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
    • You And Tequila, a song featuring Grace Potter about the addictive nature of love and alcohol, which was nominated for two Grammy Awards and peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 2011.
    • Get Along, a song about finding common ground and harmony, which was the most-played country song of 2018 and also reached number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.

  • Who is Kenny Chesney's wife and does he have kids?

    Kenny Chesney is currently not married, but he has a girlfriend named Mary Nolan, who he has been dating since 2012.

    They live in the Virgin Islands and Tennessee, and they are rarely seen in public together.

    Kenny Chesney was previously married to actress Renée Zellweger, but they annulled their marriage after four months in 2005.

    We have worked as daily newspaper reporters, major national magazine editors, and as editors-in-chief of regional media publications. Our staff also works with freelance writers, researchers, and other contributors to produce the smart, compelling profiles and articles you see on our site. “I know what it looks like from where I stand, but I want to see what it looks like from where they sit,” he told USA Today in 2012.

    As Chesney continued his run of success in the new millennium, he not only expanded his stylistic reach, but he also brought musicians outside the genre into country, including Dave Matthews, the Wailers, Pink, Grace Potter, and Joe Walsh.