The Kenny Chesney Newsletter Aug 08

In This Issue ( Aug 08)

1. Kenny Talks About His Music
2. Singing At The Ole Ball Game
3. Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven hits the airwaves
4. Kenny and Milsap at Nashville Fundraiser
5. No Shoes Channel is now available on XM Satellite Radio
6. “NOW That’s What I Call Country” to be released 26 Aug 08
7. Kenny to perform at Farm Aid 20th Sep 08
8. “Lucky Old Sun” is Kenny’s next Album
9. Bob Marley’s “The Wailers” to appear in Kenny’s video
10. No “Cat In The Hat” for Kenny

Hi Folks;
1. In a recent interview from his tour bus, Kenny had the following to say about his music.
“I don’t think that I’m what some of the more traditionalists would call three chords and the truth. The songs that I sing tell stories. I think that they are about real life. I think that they hopefully remind people of their first date, the first kiss, the first time they fell in love, the first time they had their heart broke. I’ve had people tell me that.”

He went on to say; “I do recognize the fact that when we put together a live show, that’s my main focus. Maybe our show isn’t as traditional as other artists of this format, but I think that’s a good thing. Our show is really edgy. I cut my music that way. I think the stories are country. I think the way I sing them is country. But I like to make music in a live show that will make people realize that they’ve been to a concert.”

2. After singing “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” recently at Chicago’s Wrigley Field during in the 7th inning, Kenny took time out of his busy schedule to fly to The White House. To run for office? No, to lend his talents to sing “The National Anthem” for the Baseball Hall of Fame T-Ball Game. Kenny compared his touring to be a lot like baseball.

“I always say me and my guys are a lot like a baseball team, 6 months on, 6 months off … because it’s a long season, and you start gearing up for it a long time before. It’s funny, too, we’ve made a lot of friends at a lot of teams over the years – because I think they can sense that about us. We’ve got lots of players who come out to our shows when they’re not on the road, some even come up and sing with us. It’s pretty amazing.”
Kenny also played an acoustic-based 20-minute set as part of the dinner.

3. Well we’ve got a taste of Kenny’s upcoming album when Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven finally hit the airwaves on the 10th Aug 08.

Kenny said, “Everything in that song is everything we all think. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want to go to heaven, but nobody wants to go today. If you could pick, you wouldn’t pick right now. You’d want to live, to do more things, to have more fun.”

That song, BTW, was passed up by George Strait. He felt it really didn’t fit his Troubadour album, so he gave Kenny a call and they got together to give it a listen. Kenny jumped at the chance to record the song.

4. Kenny will join Ronnie Milsap next Tues, 26th Aug in Nashville to play at a fundraiser in honor of Nashville’s most famous musical family, the Bradley Family. The Bradley family will receive the Dale Franklin Leadership Award for their contributions to the Nashville music scene. Owen Bradley was one of the most famous record producers in Nashville and brother Harold was a session musician and opened the first recording studio on Music Row. The Dale Franklin Award acknowledges leaders in the music industry that lead by example.

5. Kenny’s new XM Radio Channel 18 is now live, as of 26th Jul 08, and will run for a 2 month trial. Lots of hits and audio tracks you’ve likely never heard before. So if you’re crusing and you have XM, tune in and give it a listen.

6. Look for the new record “NOW That’s What I Call Country”, to be released next Tues 26th Aug 08. Here is the track listing of all the top songs that will appear on the album.

1. CARRIE UNDERWOOD”All-American Girl”
2. RASCAL FLATTS “Winner At A Losing Game”
3. GARY ALLAN “Watching Airplanes”
4. REBA McENTIRE duet with KELLY CLARKSON “Because Of You”
5. KEITH URBAN “Everybody”
6. SUGARLAND “Stay”
7. LADY ANTEBELLUM “Love Don’t Live Here”
8. TAYLOR SWIFT”Picture To Burn”
9. DIERKS BENTLEY “Trying To Stop Your Leaving”
10. LUKE BRYAN “All My Friends Say”
11. BRAD PAISLEY”Letter To Me”
12. GEORGE STRAIT “I Saw God Today”
13. JULIANNE HOUGH “That Song In My Head”
14. SARA EVANS “As If”
15. KENNY CHESNEY “Don’t Blink”
16. TRACE ADKINS”You’re Gonna Miss This”
17. CHRIS CAGLE “What Kinda Gone”
18. KELLIE PICKLER “Things That Never Cross A Man’s Mind”
19. JOSH TURNER featuring TRISHA YEARWOOD”Another Try”
20. JASON MICHAEL CARROLL “Alyssa Lies”

Some great tunes on this one.

7. Well if you’re anywhere near Mansfield Mass on the 20th Sept, maybe you should consider a plan to attend Farm Aid. This event is held annually through the great efforts of Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews and Neil Young. Kenny played Farm Aid once before back in 2005. He says:

“American family farmers are what this country’s built on. They’ve fed us and kept us strong and healthy for how many generations? Growing up in a small town outside Knoxville, it was a big part of who we were, and it’s something we shouldn’t lose. If I can help be part of that – whether it’s raising money, or awareness, or just letting those family farmers know someone knows and cares – well, that’s why I’m coming to Boston. It’s a small thing, but a big deal.”

8 . We know the name of Kenny’s next album will be entitled “Lucky Old Sun”, and will be the first and only album so far on Kenny’s own record label entitled “Blue Chair”. Not sure just yet when the next album will be released, but they’re working on it. Did you know that Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland is dating Kenny’s player Clayton Mitchell? Well, ya do now!

9. When the video for “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven” comes out, look for Bob Marley’s “The Wailers” to be in the video. “They were so generous with us in terms of their time and the stories they’d tell us,” Kenny said. “We sat up one night on the beach, and they shared the whole history of the band, the struggles they had. I got to interview them for something we may do later. Those guys are a huge part of history, whether people realize it or not. The music they had a hand in creating is so universal. It doesn’t matter where you go, you can hear the Wailers drifting out of some club or shop or car or boat, and they are so humble for everything they’ve been a part of.”

10. Not sure if you knew this but Kenny is a reader. And he credits Ernest Hemingway for his love of books. He says he loved “The Old Man and The Sea” because it reminds him of his relationship with his grandfather. That one little book about a battle between an old fisherman and a big marlin is the book that hooked Kenny.