NASHVILLE, TN. (www.kennychesney.com) - It was something like the movie "Ground Hog Day" - as
Kenny Chesney was once again en route to the gym when reached with the news of his six CMA Award nominations. Along with nods in the prestigious Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year categories, the young man from Luttrell, Tennessee double dipped in Album of the Year - as both artist and co-producer of the triple platinum When The Sun Goes Down - and the Vocal Event category where his
Unkle Kracker duet (and six week No 1) "
When The Sun Goes Down" squares off against Chesney's collaboration with
Jimmy Buffett &
Friends on Hank Williams' classic "Hey Good Lookin'."
"Sometimes it's just easier not thinking about it," says the man who won both CMT's Hottest Male and Male Video of the Year at this spring's Flameworthy Awards. "You know, if you tie everything up in that stuff, you miss the most important thing of all: the music! That said, though, me and the guys work really hard out on the road, so that Entertainer of the Year nomination goes a long way... because that's not just about me, it's about everybody who helps us get it out there, make the records happen and build that bridge between the songs in my heart and the fans who've been showing up and bringing their friends back with 'em. I've got a great team, and to me, Entertainer of the Year is as much about them as it is me!"
A review in The New York Times raved, "...not an extrovert at heart - He sang about devotion, about dreams of stardom, about happily settling down while reminiscing over youthful songs and escapades. Mr. Chesney's country is suburbia, a place of prized stability and modest pleasures. His cozy songs assure listeners that they're not missing a thing." It's that common touch which creates the bridge between entertainer who's Guitars, Tiki Bars & A Whole Lot of Love Tour was the No 3 ticket-seller behind Prince and Britney Spears for the first half of 2004 and the kid on the lawn - and that's something the superstar next door takes seriously.
"Obviously being up for Male Vocalist of the Year is a rush, but really the idea that people are recognizing the whole of my music with Album of the Year is the biggest deal after Entertainer. I put a lot of my heart on that record... When we finished Margaritas 'n' Senoritas (Tour) last year, I went down to the islands and listened to everything we'd cut, trying to figure out what was missing. I went out on the line, and wrote a few songs that said the things I couldn't find that I wanted to share with those people who're coming to the shows, tail-gaiting in the parking lots and telling me their stories - 'I Go Back' and 'Keg In The Closet' and 'Being Drunk's A Lot Like Loving You' are big pieces of who I am, and a lot of other people, too.
"They bring me their lives or tell me my songs are things they see their lives in. That makes you really take this stuff seriously - so when I'm building an album, I want to know who every song is about, because if it fits someone in my life, it fits people in a lot of people's lives... And that's the idea of all of this: build bridges from one life to a whole lot of others."
As for the Vocal Event nods, Chesney laughs and says, "Matt (Unkle Kracker) is about as much fun as anyone I've ever toured with on any tour I've ever been on - and we knew when he came to last year's Neyland Stadium show in Knoxville there was something about his vibe that just made him a fit for us. We were lucky we had the perfect song, his schedule matched up with our's and then we got to spend the summer on the road... The only thing that sucks is we're gonna have to compete with the song I did with Buffett, Alan, Toby, Clint and George Strait... and that kinda splits your rooting, if you know what I mean!
Still, we should all have these kinds of problems!"
