Biography of Kenny Chesney

Born in 1968 in Knoxville, TN, Kenny Chesney was raised in Luttrell, the home of Chet Atkins. However, country music never played a big part in his youth; in fact, Chesney plays in an uptempo, mainstream rock-influenced style. Country became his love when he heard Merle Haggard's "That's the Way Love Goes" on the car radio while driving home from East Tennessee State (where he received a marketing degree). He began practicing his guitar up to seven hours per day and gigged around campus. After graduation, Chesney moved to Nashville to make it in the country music business. Associating himself with the New Traditionalists, he signed a writing contract with Acuff-Rose, which got his foot in the door for a deal with Capricorn Records. His debut, My Wildest Dreams, appeared in late 1993 followed by All I Need to Know in 1995 and Me & You in 1996. Chesney's prolific tradition continued in 1997 with I Will Stand and resumed two years later with Everywhere We Go, which generated the smash "You Had Me from Hello." BMG Entertainment pulled together all of Chesney's favorites for his Greatest Hits CD in late 2000. The album was certified double platinum in early 2002, just prior to Chesney making another musical splash. His first album since 1999's Everywhere We Go, Chesney issued No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem in April 2002. He also joined fellow musicians such as Alan Jackson, Lonestar, Willie Nelson and Trace Adkins for Sharp Dressed Men: A Tribute to ZZ Top. ~ John Bush