Kenny Chesney

Contemporary country star KennyChesney didn't have the immediate breakout success that many of his peers enjoyed upon signing with major labels, but gradually built up a significant following via hard work, pop-friendly ballads.Chesney was born in Knoxville, TN, in 1968 and raised in the nearby small town of Luttrell, better known as the home of Chet Atkins. He grew up listening to both country and rock & roll, but didn't get serious about music until college, when he studied marketing at East Tennessee State University. After graduation in 1991, he moved to Nashville and became the resident performer at the Turf. From there he landed a record contract with Capricorn and released his debut album, “In My Wildest Dreams,” in late 1993.

In 1995,Chesney released his second album, “All I Need to Know,” with RCA subsidiary BNA. The album gave him his first two Top Ten hits in the title track and "Fall in Love." His follow-up, 1996's “Me and You,” became his first album to go gold. 1997's, “I Will Stand” was another gold-selling effort that gaveChesney his first-ever number one hit in "She's Got It All."His big-time breakthrough, however, came with 1999's “Everywhere We Go,” which sold over two million copies and spawned two number one hits with "You Had Me from Hello" and "How Forever Feels.”

In 2000,Chesney issued his first Greatest Hits compilation. It included four new tracks, as well as re-recordings of "Fall in Love.” The album “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems” was released in 2002. A year later,Chesney recorded an album of Christmas music, titled “All I Want for Christmas Is a Real Good Tan;” the album's title track peaked at #30 on the country charts from holiday airplay. 2004 saw the release ofChesney's album “When the Sun Goes Down.” Its lead-off single, "There Goes My Life,” sat on the top of the Billboard country charts. At the Country Music Association awards that year, “When the Sun Goes Down” won an award for Album of the Year.

In January 2005,Chesney released the album “Be as You Are (Songs from an Old Blue Chair),” supporting the album with his “Somewhere in the Sun Tour” and in November 2005. In February 2006,Chesney was presented with a plaque commemorating his sales of 25 million albums. On May 23 of the same year,Chesney was honored at the Academy of Country Music Awards as Entertainer of the Year. In 2007 he was once again named Entertainer of the Year. On November 7, 2007 Cheseny was named the CMA Entertainer of the Year for the third time in four years. On September 11, 2007, Kenny released the album Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates. The album's lead-off single, "Never Wanted Nothing More,” becameChesney's twelfth number one on the Billboard country charts.

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