NEW YORK (POWERHOUSE BOOKS PR) - When
Kenny Chesney romped on the beach in South Hampton for a People photo shoot for its Sexiest Men issue, he had no idea it would lead to the company of Johnny Depp, Susan Sarandon, Harrison Ford,
Dustin Hoffman, Meg Ryan, Mickey Rourke and Tony Bennett.
But when the woman behind the lens called Chesney to inquire about being shot for Precious, a project close to her heart - as it benefited the Starlight Foundation, an international organization dedicated to improving the lives of seriously ill children and their families.
"I'd had such a great time on the People shoot, and it seemed so important to her, I could only say 'yes'," says the man who has sold over 1.2 million concert tickets this year alone. "To give her an hour for something that was both an extension of her artistic vision - and that would aid a cause that was important to her, something that helps sick kids and their families - it took a while to find the time, but we did."
The notion of Precious, which is available in November, is to raise awareness of the human body - and what is most precious to the various subjects. Billy Crystal picked his mouth, saying it "launched a thousand quips," while actress Chloe Sevigny chose her back, offering "My back is precious to me because it is crooked, but it still holds me up" and skateboard icon Tony Hawk cited his shins, saying "They are not just scars - they are my stories..."
Chesney chose his stomache - citing a parallel between the work necessary in the music business and changing your body, offering the metaphor in physical form. And given that one must see that which is photographed, fans will have a glimpse of an extremely well-toned, very lean physique.
"I couldn't decide really," Chesney admits with a laugh. "You don't ever really think about what part of your body is worth the most to you… and in talking to Melanie, I realized how important my inner core and the strength that comes from there is to me, to what I do, even to how I feel. She got me to look at myself in a whole new way, which was exciting to realize how different someone else's perspective can be."
Precious is being published by powerHouse Books in November. The various portraits - ranging from serious to whimsical, conceptual to challenging - celebrate the human body, spirit and mind through the collaborative images created by these two award-winning photographers and their subjects. Both photographers' work has appeared in myriad publications, ranging from Vanity Fair to Esquire, Newsweek to The Sunday Times of London -- and, of course, People.
Indeed, the Precious session for Chesney led to another collaboration for Dunnea and the man from Luttrell, Tennessee: the cover session for his triple-platinum-plus When The Sun Goes Down. Sun's triple joins No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems quadruple platinum sales in helping Chesney sell 17 million records - and earn Country Music Association nominations for Entertainer, Male, Album and a pair of Vocal Events, along with three American Music Awards nominations for Top Country Male, Top Country Album and the genre-crossing Text-In Favorite Artist Award.
Look for Chesney Oct. 22 on "Genius: A Night for Ray Charles" on CBS, in addition to Nov. 9 on CBS for the CMA Awards, Nov. 14 on ABC for the AMA Awards, then on Nov. 22 on NBC for "The Today Show."
He'll also grace the cover of Country Weekly, hitting the stands Nov. 9th, with a self-penned story about the real life memories that gave the world "I Go Back."
