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Post by yoohoo on Mar 4, 2008 12:04:41 GMT -5
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Who's Blogging» Links to this article By Pat Harris Reuters Tuesday, March 4, 2008; 9:23 AM
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - Kenny Chesney easily snagged 12 nominations on Tuesday to lead contenders for the annual Academy of Country Music awards, and Rodney Atkins, who has had four straight number one singles, was second with six.
Atkins, 39, whose "If You're Going Through Hell" was the most played country single of 2006, was Top Male Vocalist in last year's academy competition.
Chesney led in total nominations, including one for Entertainer of the Year, which he had already won three times. If he wins that again he would tie Garth Brooks for academy honors in that category.
The nominations were announced in Nashville along with the announcement that, for the first time, fans will choose the winner of the "Entertainer of the Year" award. Voting will start on May 5 and the awards will be presented on May 18 in Las Vegas in a program aired on CBS Television.
Coming in third on the nominations list was Brad Paisley with four individual nominations, while the duos Big & Rich and Sugarland each won four nominations.
Miranda Lambert and 18-year-old Taylor Swift both received three nominations.
In addition to the top entertainer award, Chesney's nominations included Top Male Vocalist, Album of the Year for "Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates," Single Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Video of the Year for "Don't Blink."
Atkins was nominated for Top Male Vocalist, Song of the Year and Video of the Year for "Watching You" and Album of the Year for "If You're Going Through Hell."
Brad Paisley was nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Top Male Vocalist, Album of the Year for "5th Gear" and Video of the Year for "Online."
Big & Rich snared nominations for Top Vocal Duo and, for the song "Lost in this Moment," Single Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Video of the Year. John Rich was nominated for a producer and writer award, and Big Kenny for two producing awards.
Sugarland's four nominations were for Top Vocal Duo, and for the song "Stay," Single Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Video of the Year. Jennifer Nettles also received two nominations for writing and producing, and Kristian Bush received one for producing.
Besides Chesney and Paisley, other nominees for Entertainer of the Year were the duo Rascal Flatts, George Strait and Keith Urban. The nominees for female Vocalist were Lambert, Swift, Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes, and Carrie Underwood. Top Male Vocalist nominations went to Atkins, Chesney, Paisley, Strait and Urban.
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Post by yoohoo on Mar 7, 2008 11:44:53 GMT -5
Chesney’s Still Got It, Country Fans 4-Mar-2008 Written by: Sam Belkin
Kenny Chesney picked up eleven noms for the ACM Awards, blowing out the competition.
Country singer Kenny Chesney has recorded a total of thirteen albums. Eleven of those have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced thirty-one Top Ten singles on the U.S. Billboard “Hot Country Songs” charts. Thirteen of those have been Number One.
Most non-country fans know him as the ex-hubbie of Renee Zellweger.
But the real story today is how he is STILL leading country music, scoring eleven nominations for the 43rd Academy of Country Music Awards. Rodney Atkins came in second with only six noms. Chesney is recognized in every major category for which he is eligible.
The ACM announced nominations at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and, as always, favored more mainstream country recordings. Other country records that garnered little radio airplay were basically ignored, such as Robert Plant’s collaboration with Alison Krauss, which was lauded critically.
Awards will be announced May 18 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
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Post by yoohoo on Mar 14, 2008 11:00:07 GMT -5
Chesney concert a free for all Monday, March 10, 2008 By John McDonald PANAMA CITY BEACH
Country music superstar Kenny Chesney is scheduled to make an appearance Wednesday at Spinnaker Beach Club.
Details of Chesney’s visit still were being arranged at press time, but the singer’s Web site has Panama City Beach listed as a March 12 tour stop.
Spinnaker spokeswoman Beth Davis said Wednesday’s show begins at 4 p.m. and there is no admission fee. Because of contractual obligations, Davis could not confirm Chesney was the featured act, but she did not deny the rumor.
Chesney, 39, is the reigning Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year. His album sales routinely rake in platinum-selling figures, and in summers past, Chesney has performed before stadium-sized concert crowds.
A native of Tennessee, Chesney rose to stardom with a care free appeal and songs such as “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy,” “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems” and “The Good Stuff.”
In 2005, Chesney’s personal life made headlines when he wed actress Renee Zellweger. The marriage was annulled after four months.
This summer, Chesney will embark on another high profile tour titled “Poets & Pirates,” which includes stops in non-traditional country music markets such as San Francisco, Detroit and Portland, Ore.
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Post by yoohoo on Mar 18, 2008 10:42:12 GMT -5
Kenny's "Keg" Club Tour Resumes Source: gactv.com Posted on: March 10, 2008 03:52 PDT
Kenny Chesney kicked off his annual Keg In The Closet club tour last week with a show at The Dame in Lexington, Ky., where a mere 350 people packed the tiny nightspot. The small concerts at clubs near southeastern colleges have become a traditional tour warm-up for Kenny, and the folks at Kentucky needed a little warmth, given the snowstorm that hit them that evening. Appearing in a Cleveland Indians baseball cap, Kenny provided plenty of non-seasonal fare, according to Kentucky.com, including "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem" and "Summertime."
Saturday, Kenny returned to the Jupiter Bar & Grille in Tuscaloosa, Ala., a location that nearly lost its show when someone hacked into the club's website.
"We came so close to pulling this show," Kenny says. "Those students there are unbelievable, but we have to make sure it doesn't get overrun, because there are fire codes, capacity rules and just basic safety to consider. If it gets to be too much, it's not fun for anyone, and that's the whole reason we do this: to have a great time."
The official tour of arenas, amphitheaters and stadiums begins April 18 in Uncasville, Conn.
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Post by yoohoo on Mar 31, 2008 11:02:36 GMT -5
CMT News NASHVILLE SKYLINE: Can Kenny Chesney Find the Next Kenny Chesney? Country Superstar Begins a New Talent Search By: Chet Flippo
Nashville Skyline(NASHVILLE SKYLINE is a column by CMT/CMT.com Editorial Director Chet Flippo.)
Can talent shows truly produce the next generation of country artists -- now that popular taste is no longer controlled by radio or by critics or exclusively by many record labels? Can Kenny Chesney find the next Kenny Chesney? Can John Rich locate the next John Rich? I don't know, but I'd say they have a better-than-average chance than run-of-the-mill shows of finding real music talent.
Whatever else they accomplish, I applaud Chesney and Rich for using their own efforts and personal funding in launching their own attempts at nurturing new talent.
Chesney's ambitious Big Star program will parallel his even more ambitious stadium tour this year. Local acts used to routinely get the chance to open for national touring acts when they came to town. That has not been the custom for years, after packaged tours took over the venue circuit in this country. Now Chesney wants to find local talent to open for him in each city. For the finale, he'll have a grand prize winner -- in a loaned tour bus -- open for the closing cities of his tour. In reviving the battle of the bands, Chesney is bringing back a grand tradition that began in the early days of rock 'n' roll.
Rich's contest is centered in Nashville. His Get Rich Talent Search will have cash prizes for three aspiring singers or groups at a competition every week at the Nashville club 12th & Porter. Rich has said it's not been that many years since he was a kid scuffling in Nashville's bars, and he wants today's kids to have a chance at a break.
Talent shows, contests and competitions are re-emerging as the primary path of advancement for fledgling country singers. Talent shows flourished in the early years of popular music, and fiddle contests, especially, have long been a staple of country music. State and county fairs have held country music competitions for years. Patsy Cline rose to national stardom on the early television show, Talent Scouts. The Original Amateur Hour began on radio in 1934 and moved to TV in 1948. Star Search gave a start to such country artists as Sawyer Brown. Other talent shows continue, such as those sponsored by Capitol Records Nashville, True Value and Colgate.
The plight of struggling young artists has been worsened by many factors. The disappearance of clubs and honky-tonks as proving grounds has been drastic. The decline of amusement parks as music venues for emerging artists has helped dry up the avenues of advancement for struggling young music wannabes. Opryland was the biggest garden for young country wannabes to be given a chance to show their talent. Its closure cut off Nashville's main talent pipeline to the industry.
And given the enormous and rapid changes in the retail music scene, record labels can no longer afford to sign and try to break large numbers of new and beginning artists. Unlike the big pop labels, country music's record labels can still find and break new acts. But not to the extent they could in the past. Country radio does not have the power that it once did. The alternatives these days to depending on the major record labels and radio include YouTube and MySpace and other social networking sites. Satellite radio remains a valuable point for niche music audiences, and the pending XM-Sirius merge raises more questions than it answers. And TV has become a valid alternative to radio.
American Idol remains more about the drama than about the music. I'm glad it's done its job to some extent in discovering such genuine talents as Carrie Underwood. But I can't watch it because of the humiliation and cheap, contrived drama involved. Nashville Star has been a country version of "Idol Lite" and has tried to be about both music and entertainment. We'll see how it does in its new incarnation this year. Regardless of how new acts get their foot in the door, whether it's from social networking, their own Internet initiative, an often-brief chance on a national record label or from a competition or a TV contest, a big question remains. Where do they go next? How can they sustain their success?
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Post by yoohoo on Apr 4, 2008 11:07:02 GMT -5
Kenny Chesney Launching Fashion Line?
Country singer Kenny Chesney is in talks to launch his own line of denim jeans, CMT.com reports. Thursday, April 3, 2008 Check out hot pics, videos and more from Kenny Chesney!
Daily Entertainment Photos - "Get all the fashion, glamour and scandal here in pictures!"
Although reps for Chesney have yet to confirm the endeavor, according to CMT.com, the country singer is in talks with Henderson, Kentucky-based company Sights Denim Systems and that a potential fashion line is in the conceptual stage of development.
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Post by yoohoo on Apr 10, 2008 11:00:08 GMT -5
Country star Kenny Chesney pays $7.4M for a house in Malibu, CA Country singer Kenny Chesney has paid $7,400,000 for a 3,723-square-foot house in Malibu, Calif.
We can’t exactly call this an exclusive, but it’s certainly a purchase that has flown far below the radar screen, particularly for real-estate gossips like us. Some weeks back, Life & Style magazine had published a tiny, tiny blurb on the purchase (which we had missed), which incorrectly noted that Chesney (shown here with model Marisa Miller) had paid “$8 million” for a “mansion” in Malibu.
In truth, records show that Chesney paid $7,400,000 on February 5 for the house, which is at 22355 Carbon Mesa Road in Malibu. The deal was recorded on February 27. Chesney purchased the house through his Nashville-based Grigsby Farms Trust, which isn’t much of a surprise, given that his mother’s maiden name is Grigsby.
Built in 1992, Chesney’s house has two bedrooms, three baths and a pool, according to public records. The house has a large farmhouse kitchen, large living areas and outdoor verandas, according to listing information. Outdoor features on the 0.53-acre lot include lush gardens and lawns, an infinity pool, whitewater views and an outdoor Italian oven and barbecue, according to public records and listing information.
The house had been on the market for $7,500,000. Check out online listing sheets for the house – complete with photos – here and here.
Chesney continues to own a 7,242-square-foot house on a 48.77-acre estate Franklin, Tenn., which he purchased through his Grigsby Farms Trust in September 2003 for $2,500,000, according to public records.
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Post by chesneynut on Apr 14, 2008 5:34:44 GMT -5
DAM good think I don't live in Malibu , cos I can neither confirm or deny If I would be stalking him all day every day. Although sources close to me would probably say YES, she is the crazy stalker. LMAO
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Post by yoohoo on Apr 14, 2008 11:13:16 GMT -5
Kenny Makes Surprise Opry Appearance Kenny Chesney surprised the crowd at the Grand Ole Opry Friday night, April 4, when he made a surprise appearance in support of band member Tim Hensley. April 7, 2008 – Tim, who plays guitar in Kenny’s band, has just released his own bluegrass album, Long Monday, co-produced by Kenny. He was making his solo Opry debut. Kenny and Tim performed “Workin’ on a Building” from Tim’s CD. This wasn’t Kenny’s first time to pull an Opry surprise––in 2004, he joined his friend Uncle Kracker on the famous stage. [BY JASON MOORE]
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Post by yoohoo on Apr 23, 2008 10:34:31 GMT -5
Kenny Chesney rolls out expanded tour April 22, 2008 12:04 PM By NULL Kenny Chesney [ tickets ] hit the ground running last weekend, opening his "Poets & Pirates" tour with two sold-out arena shows in Uncasville, CT, and the country star continues to add dates to the itinerary. The extensive spring/summer outing continues Saturday (4/26) in Columbia, SC, and is scheduled to visit a host of stadiums, arenas and amphitheaters across the US through mid-September. Since last check, shows have been added in Evansville, IN; Canandaigua, NY; and Houston, TX. Details are included below.
The stadium shows on the calendar will feature LeAnn Rimes [ tickets ] and Gary Allan [ tickets ], plus special guests including Keith Urban [ tickets ], Brooks & Dunn [ tickets ], Sammy Hagar [ tickets ] and Big & Rich [ tickets ] on select dates.
Tour openers will be culled from Chesney's "Next Big Star Contest," which allows local bands in most markets to compete for the honor, according to a press release. One grand-prize winner will be given a tour bus to open the final three shows of the tour, $25,000 and the opportunity to audition for Sony BMG executives. Information about the contest can be found at Chesney's website.
On the road, the laid-back country star is performing hits from every phase of his career, as well as tunes from his latest album, "Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates," which hit stores last September. The new set debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart and has spawned hit singles "Never Wanted Nothing More," "Don't Blink," "Shiftwork" and Chesney's latest, "Better as a Memory," all of which are streaming at his MySpace page.
"Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates" helped Chesney land a whopping 11 nominations for next month's Academy of Country Music Awards, including Entertainer of the Year, Top Male Vocalist, Album of the Year and Song of the Year for "Don't Blink." The singer has won the ACM Entertainer honor for the last three years and is also the reigning Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year.
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Post by yoohoo on Apr 30, 2008 11:11:51 GMT -5
Country Singer Kenny Chesney Gets All-Clear To Keep Performing
Country superstar Kenny Chesney has received the all-clear from doctors to keep performing, after an accident injured his foot during a Saturday night performance in South Carolina. No bones are broken in the singer's foot, although he did suffer a hematoma from the ankle down with most of the damage in his toes.
Chesney's foot became pinned between the stage and a hydraulic elevator during the dramatic opening of his show on Saturday, leaving the star in pain during the remainder of the performance. The boot Chesney was wearing during the performance had to be cut off after the show because his foot had sustained so much swelling.
Despite the trauma to his foot, doctors have said Chesney can continue to perform but will need to take it easy. His next show, which is part of his Poets & Pirates tour, is scheduled for May 1 in Austin, Texas.
Chesney was checked out by a sports medicine/orthopedic doctor from the Tennessee Titan's football team in Nashville and then also underwent a series of tests with his own orthopedist in Nashville. Chesney's doctor knew that the last thing the singer wanted was to cancel the tour, and Chesney said he will continue to try and rock the stage for his fans even if he is in pain.
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Post by yoohoo on May 12, 2008 11:07:09 GMT -5
Kenny Chesney hauls country sound into town May 10, 2008 3:00 AM (2 days ago) by Nancy Dunham, The Examiner » 2 days ago: Kenny Chesney hauls country sound into town «
Kenny Chesney and other music greats perform Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. # 70 of 9,709 Filed under: BALTIMORE , Nancy Dunham , KENNY CHESNEY BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Even those who’ve never spoken directly to Kenny Chesney know that he’s undoubtedly one of the nicest guys in the business.
When Chesney was just starting his career and touring with Alabama, they referred all interview requests to him, thus boosting his career.
“In the spirit of ‘pay it forward,’ Kenny continues that philosophy,” said Wes Vause, Senior Director of Media for Sony BMG, Nashville.
Those who think his concerns for others is just lip service need only look at the ticket prices of his shows which he actively works to keep low.
EXAMINER.COM RELATED ARTICLES Specialty water could be the next hot mixer Specialty water could be the next hot mixer Baltimore strikes it Big & Rich Baltimore strikes it Big & Rich Today in History In this case, this nice guy finishes first with a loyal following that has resulted in more than 30 Top Ten singles in the U.S., 13 of which reached Number One, according to Billboard.
He’s also won countless awards and his 2007 Flip Flop Summer Tour, which took him through the Baltimore area, was the highest grossing country road trip of 2007, according to Pollstar.
This year, Chesney and singer/songwriter LeAnn Rimes bring the Poets & Pirates Tour to the area with an all-star group of musicians including country stars Brooks & Dunn, former Van Halen lead singer Sammy Hagar, and others.
As Chesney’s star continues to rise with his latest release “Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates,” this is arguably one of the region’s largest “must attend” country shows. Chesney currently leads the nominations for Country Music Entertainer of the Year which will be presented by The Academy of Country Music on May 18.
And the show isn’t even all about Chesney. The other musicians are all hitmakers and Rimes is, of course, a two-time Grammy Award who is often compared to Brenda Lee and Tanya Tucker.
The youngest person to win a Grammy (at age 13) and the first country artist to win Best New Artist, Rimes has also won kudos for expanding her career as an adult.
Indeed, her 2005 album “This Woman” went Platinum and won critical acclaim as one of the strongest mainstream country albums in recent memory.
Other well-received albums, including 2007’s “Family” which tells of some personal struggles in her past, followed.
“I was a kid in this business and fell on my face many times, picked myself up and learned by my mistake,” said Rimes. “Everybody’s human; we all make mistakes. Mine have just turned out to be good songs.”
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Post by yoohoo on May 13, 2008 10:54:14 GMT -5
Toby Keith, Kellie Pickler and LeAnn Rimes lead the list of musicians set to perform live on the 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. In a special performance, Kenny Chesney will duet with George Strait on the May 18 telecast. The two will sing their "Shiftwork" from Chesney's album Poets & Pirates, live for the first time. The two will also face off against each other in the Entertainer of the Year category. Chesney leads the pack of nominated artists, earning 11 nominations this year, including top male vocalist. Other big nominees include Rodney Atkins, who nabbed six nods, and Big & Rich and Sugarland with four nominations each. Previously announced performers include: Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift, among others. The Academy also announced that Criss Angel, Jewel and Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw are expected to make appearances. Fans may vote in all categories at www.voteACM.com. The awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will air live on May 18 (8 p.m. ET, CBS) from Las Vegas's MGM Grand Garden Arena.
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Post by yoohoo on May 15, 2008 10:51:54 GMT -5
Chesney Kicks Off Tour with Corona Extra May 14, 2008
By Mike Beirne
Corona Extra marketer Crown Imports will help country star Kenny Chesney kick off his summer tour with a new spot breaking this weekend.
The commercial, breaking May 18 during the CBS telecast of the Academy of Country Music Awards show, starts with pans along a trail of boot prints in the sand, which eventually turn into bare footprints and lead to a pair of sandy cowboy boots. Viewers then see a Corona Extra bottle resting on a stump and the shadow of a man with a cowboy hat. Finally the shot reveals Chesney sitting on a chair, strumming a guitar and singing is song “Old Blue Chair.” An end tag flashes “Corona Presents Kenny Chesney’s 2008 Poets & Pirates Tour.” Cramer-Krasselt, Chicago, handles.
Media buys also will include programming on FX, ESPN, Great American Country and late night talk shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Show with David Lettermanand Late Night with Conan O’Brien. A behind-the-scenes reel about the making the Chesney ad will hit the Internet today. Chesney stand-ups at retail and in-market promotions with concert ticket giveaways in tour cities also support.
The Chicago-based importer signed the Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year to a long-term contract last November. Chesney headlines a summer tour that will hit 31 cities between May and September. The partnership lands the leading imported beer back into the live music scene after Jimmy Buffett jumped ship during 2006 to be the spokesman for Land Shark Lager, brewed by Anheuser-Busch. Corona Extra had sponsored Buffett's Parrot Head Tour since 1986.
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Post by yoohoo on May 19, 2008 11:18:27 GMT -5
A look at who's in the running for top Academy of Country Music awards May 18, 2008
What’s this?
With 11 nominations, Kenny Chesney leads by a bunch and is going for his fourth straight entertainer-of-the-year award, the night's top trophy. If Chesney wins, he'll tie Garth Brooks for that distinction, though Alabama still holds the record with five in a row.
In a twist, fans will choose this year's entertainer of the year. All other winners are selected by members of the ACM.
Chesney has double nominations for artist and producer for "Shift Work" with George Strait, "Don't Blink" for single of the year and "Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates" for album of the year.
Chesney has been doing more offstage stuff lately, coproducing Willie Nelson's album "Moment of Forever" and cowriting Rascal Flatts' No. 1 hit, "Take Me There."
"Something happens to artists when they get to that level," said Wade Jessen, director of country charts for Billboard magazine. "They want to be more involved, want to do more."
Rodney Atkins has six nominations. Brad Paisley, Big & Rich and Sugarland each have four nominations, while Strait has three.
Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert are the most-nominated women, with three apiece.
Swift, 18, may be country's hottest act at the moment, coming off big wins at last month's Country Music Television awards and appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone's "Best of Rock" issue.
Her nominations include top female vocalist -- with Lambert, Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes and Carrie Underwood -- and album of the year.
She's a newcomer, but ACM voters have a history of rewarding new artists who have breakout years. Underwood took home top female vocalist, album and video of the year honors last year. Rascal Flatts won top vocal group back in 2003, and every year since.
"Taylor is a real demonstration of what's possible if you have the right artist at the right moment," Jessen said. "This town isn't really breaking new acts on a regular basis. They are fewer and farther between than they once were. I think that translates into support come awards time. It behooves us to embrace these artists and really build them up."
Lambert, 24, is one of country's enigmas. Critics like her, fans like her, voters like her and she's electric on stage.
But radio hasn't fully embraced her. Her highest charting single on Billboard is "Famous in a Small Town," and it peaked at No. 14.
"If you hook a song that captures the public's imagination, it's going to put you on the national stage. Then it becomes a matter of 'Do you have everything else it takes to be a star?' " said Lon Helton, editor and publisher of industry trade publication Country Aircheck. "In Miranda's case, she has everything else to be a star, it's just finding the right hit. If she hooks that right one that resonates with a large audience, look out."
John Gerome
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