PLATINUM PROFILE: KENNY CHESNEY

Kenneth Arnold (Kenny) Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is an American country music artist. Since 1993, Chesney has recorded 13 albums, 11 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, 17 of which reached Number One. In addition, Chesney has received six ACM (including four consecutive Entertainer of the Year Awards),[1] as well as six CMA awards. Chesney is also one of the most popular touring acts in country music, regularly selling out the venues at which he performs;[2][3] his 2007 Flip-Flop Summer Tour was the highest-grossing country road trip of 2007.[4] He was awarded his 4th consecutive ACM Entertainer of the Year award on May 18, 2008.
Chesney was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, at St. Mary's Hospital on March 26, 1968. His mother Karen, was, and still is, a hair stylist in the Knoxville area. His father, David Chesney, is a former elementary school teacher. Chesney has one sibling, a younger sister named Jennifer Chandler. He was raised in Luttrell, Tennessee, and attended Gibbs High School, where he was a receiver on the football team, and graduated in 1986. The following year, Kenny received his first guitar for Christmas, which he began teaching himself to play. He had previously attempted guitar playing at age 5 but quit because "it hurt his fingers."[5]
Chesney studied in East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee, where he joined Lambda Chi Alpha International Fraternity and was member of the ETSU Bluegrass Program. Chesney played tunes at local places around Johnson City like Chucky's Trading Post (a small Mexican restaurant), Quarterbacks BBQ, and Rafters. He recorded his first album in 1989 at Classic Recording Studio in Bristol, Virginia. One thousand copies were produced and Chesney sold them at his busking gigs, using the money from album sales to help buy a new guitar.[6]
In 1990, Chesney graduated from East Tennessee State University with a degree in advertising.[6] After graduation, he headed to Nashville, where he performed at several local clubs. After making the rounds of the music publishers in Nashville, Chesney signed to contract in 1992 with BMI and Opryland Music Group.
In My Wildest Dreams
Chesney's first album, In My Wildest Dreams, was released on the independent Capricorn Records label in 1994. The album's lead-off singles, "The Tin Man" and "Whatever It Takes", both reached the lower regions of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. The album sold approximately 10,000 copies before Capricorn Records closed its country music division that year.[7]
All I Need to Know
After Capricorn's closure, Chesney signed to BNA Records, which released his album All I Need to Know in 1995. The album produced three hit singles: "Fall in Love" and the title track (both of which reached Top Ten), and "Grandpa Told Me So", which peaked at #23.[7] "The Tin Man" was also included on this album, although it was not re-released as a single at the time.
Me and You
Released in 1996, Chesney's second major-label album was Me and You.[7] Although its lead-off single peaked just outside the Top 40 on the country charts, the album's title track (which was reprised from All I Need to Know) and the single "When I Close My Eyes" (which was previously recorded by Larry Stewart on his 1993 debut album Down the Road) both peaked at #2 on the Billboard country charts. Me and You was also Chesney's first gold-certified album.[7] A cover of Mac McAnally's 1990 single "Back Where I Come From" was also included on this album; although Chesney's version was never released as a single, it has become a staple of his concerts.
I Will Stand
I Will Stand, Chesney's third album for BNA, was released in 1997. "She's Got It All", which served as the album's lead-off single, became Chesney's first Billboard Number One single, spending three weeks at the top of the country charts.[7] The album's second single, "A Chance", peaked just shy of Top Ten, while its follow-up, "That's Why I'm Here", went to #2 on Billboard in 1998. ("That's Why I'm Here" reached Number One on Radio & Records, giving Chesney his third Number One overall.) Also in 1998, Chesney recorded a limited-edition single titled "Touchdown Tennessee". The single was a tribute to John Ward, a former broadcaster for the University of Tennessee Volunteers' football team; St. Jude's Children's Hospital and the John Ward Scholarship Fund received a portion of the single's sales.
Everywhere We Go
1999's Everywhere We Go, Chesney's fourth album for BNA, produced two consecutive Number One singles in "How Forever Feels" and "You Had Me from Hello" (the latter inspired by a line in the movie Jerry Maguire).[7] The album also produced two more hits: "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" and "What I Need to Do",[7] which peaked at #11 and #8 on the country charts, respectively. Everywhere We Go was also Chesney's first platinum-selling album.[7]
Greatest Hits
By 2000, Chesney released his Greatest Hits compilation.[7] It included four new tracks, as well as re-recordings of "Fall in Love", "The Tin Man" and "Back Where I Come From". The new version of "The Tin Man" was one of the disc's three singles, with two of the new tracks, "I Lost It" and "Don't Happen Twice", also serving as singles.[7]
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems


This article contains embedded lists that may be poorly defined, unverified or indiscriminate. Please help to clean it up to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. (January 2008)
Wins
1997 ACM New Male Vocalist of the Year
2002 CMT Male Video of the Year: Young
2002 CMT Video of the Year: Young
2003 ACM Single Record of the Year: The Good Stuff
2003 ACM Top Male Vocalist of the Year
2004 AMA Artist of the Year
2004 CMA Entertainer of the Year
2004 CMA Album of the Year: When The Sun Goes Down
2004 CMT Hottest Video of the Year: No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems
2004 CMT Male Video of the Year: There Goes My Life
2005 ACM Entertainer of the Year
2005 ACM Triple Crown Winner
2005 CMT Male Video of the Year: I Go Back
2006 CMA Entertainer of the Year
2006 ACM Entertainer of the Year
2006 CMT Male Video of the Year: Who You Be Today
2006 BMA Best Male Country Artist
2006 BMA Best Country Artist
2007 CMT Male Video of the Year: You Save Me
2007 PCA Favorite Male Singer
2007 ACM Entertainer of the Year
2007 CMA Musical Event of the Year: Find Out Who Your Friends Are
2007 CMA Entertainer of the Year
2008 ACM Entertainer of the Year
2008 ACM Vocal Event of the Year: Find Out Who Your Friends Are
2008 FACM Best Duo of the Year: Every Other Weekend
2008 CMA Entertainer of the Year
Nominations
1999 CMA Music Video of the Year: How Forever Feels
1999 CMA Horizon Award
2000 ACM Top Male Vocalist
2001 ACM Top Male Vocalist
2002 ACM Top Male Vocalist
2002 CMA Album of the Year: No Shows, No Shirt, No Problems
2002 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year
2003 CMT Hottest Video of the Year: The Good Stuff
2003 CMT Male Video of the Year: The Good Stuff
2003 CMT Video of the Year: The Good Stuff
2003 ACM Song of the Year: A lot of Things Different
2003 ACM Album of the Year: No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems
2003 ACM Entertainer of the Year
2003 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year
2003 CMA Entertainer of the Year
2004 CMT Video of the Year: There Goes My Life
2004 ACM Song of the Year: There Goes My Life
2004 ACM Top Male Vocalist
2004 ACM Entertainer of the Year
2004 CMA Musical Event of the Year: Hey Good Lookin
2004 CMA Musical Event of the Year: When the Sun Goes Down
2004 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year
2004 AMA Best Male Country Artist
2005 CMT Video of the Year: I Go Back
2005 CMT Hottest Video of the Year: Old Blue Chair
2005 CMT Collabortive Video of the Year: Hey Good Lookin
2005 ACM Vocal Event of the Year: When the Sun Goes Down
2005 ACM Album of the Year: When the Sun Goes Down
2005 ACM Top Male Vocalist
2005 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year
2005 CMA Entertainer of the Year
2005 AMA Best Male Country Artist
2006 CMT Video of the Year: Who You Be Today
2006 ACM Top Male Vocalist
2006 CMA Single of the Year: Summertime
2006 CMA Album of the Year: The Road and the Radio
2006 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year
2006 AMA Best Male Country Artist
2006 BMA Best Country Album: The Road and the Radio
2006 BMA Best Country Song: Summertime
2007 CMT Video of the Year: You Save Me
2007 ACM Top Male Vocalist
2007 CMA Music Video of the Year: You Save Me
2007 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year
2008 PCA Favorite Country Song: Never Wanted Nothing More
2008 CMT Tearjerker Video of the Year: Don't Blink
2008 CMT Male Video of the Year: Don't Blink
2008 CMT Video of the Year: Don't Blink
2008 ACM Video of the Year: Don't Blink
2008 ACM Vocal Event of the Year: Shiftwork
2008 ACM Single Record of the Year: Don't Blink
2008 ACM Song of the Year: Don't Blink
2008 ACM Album of the Year: Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates
2008 ACM Top Male Vocalist
2008 CMA Music Video of the Year "Don't Blink"
2008 CMA Musical Event of the Year "Every Other Weekend"
2008 CMA Musical Event of the Year "Shiftwork"
2008 CMA Single of the Year "Don't Blink"
2008 CMA Album of the Year "Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates"
2008 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year
2008 AMA Favorite Male Country Singer
2009 PCA Favorite Male Singer
2009 Grammy Best Collabarations w/ Vocals: Shiftwork
2009 ACM Vocal Event of the Year: Down the Road
2009 ACM Top Male Vocalist
2009 ACM Entertainer of the Year
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