Kenny Chesney is inching closer to George Strait’s legendary status in country music history. Many young country artists, regardless of gender, dream of achieving even a fraction of the success that George Strait, known as The King, has enjoyed. However, replicating Strait’s career is an impossible feat.
In a recent interview with Country Countdown USA’s Lon Helton at the Country Radio Seminar (CRS), Chesney reflected on his early days in the industry. He admitted that he initially tried too hard to emulate George Strait, which led to losing his unique identity.
“I was like many artists, trying to be the new George Strait,” Chesney said. “Garth Brooks would probably say the same thing. George was the benchmark. I wore a belt buckle and tried to be that.”
Chesney realized he wasn’t alone in this pursuit. Many artists were striving to reach the same standard, but he felt he wasn’t being authentic during that time.
“This isn’t a criticism of anyone, but I noticed other acts felt the same way. We were all trying to be like Strait. I didn’t have a song as good as Tracy Lawrence’s ‘Time Marches On.’ I felt I wasn’t being true to myself as an artist,” he explained.
Everything changed for Chesney when he stopped trying to be George Strait and started being himself. He began writing his own songs and spent a lot of time in the Virgin Islands, which influenced his music.
“The moment I stopped trying to be George Strait, my life changed. I started really writing songs,” Chesney said.
One of Chesney’s biggest hits, “Don’t Blink,” was initially a song he disliked. He was skeptical about its success when it was released as a single.
“When we released ‘Don’t Blink,’ I hated it. I thought it was too calculated to be liked. I was convinced it would end my career,” Chesney recalled. “But then, a lady at the front desk told me she loved ‘Don’t Blink,’ and I thought, ‘Maybe there’s something to this song.’
The song, included in his 2007 album “Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates,” became a four-week #1 hit on the Billboard country airplay chart. Sixteen years later, it remains timeless.
In other news, Kenny Chesney has announced his 2024 ‘Sun Goes Down’ Stadium Tour. The tour will kick off in April at Tampa Bay’s Raymond James Stadium and conclude in August at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Joining him on the tour are Megan Moroney, the Zac Brown Band, and Uncle Kracker.
The tour is named after Chesney’s song “When the Sun Goes Down,” a duet with Uncle Kracker. Released in 2004, the song topped the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart for five weeks.
“I wanted a name that suggested when all the good stuff starts to happen,” Chesney said. “No Shoes Nation knows that the fun starts early and keeps going. But when the sun goes down, that’s when people really enjoy themselves.”
Chesney is excited to perform in stadiums again, saying, “There’s nothing like 60,000 members of No Shoes Nation singing these songs. It’s going to be awesome.”
Here are the tour dates for the ‘Sun Goes Down’ 2024 tour:
Saturday, April 20, 2024 – Tampa, Fla. – Raymond James Stadium
Saturday, April 27, 2024 – Charlotte, N.C. – Bank of America Stadium
Saturday, May 4, 2024 – Minneapolis, Minn. – U.S. Bank Stadium
Saturday, May 11, 2024 – Arlington, Texas – AT&T Stadium
Saturday, May 18, 2024 – Atlanta, Ga. – Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Saturday, May 25, 2024 – Landover, Md. – FedExField
Saturday, June 1, 2024 – Pittsburgh, Pa. – Acrisure Stadium
Saturday, June 8, 2024 – Philadelphia, Pa. – Lincoln Financial Field
Saturday, June 15, 2024 – Chicago, Ill. – Soldier Field
Saturday, June 22, 2024 – Milwaukee, Wisc. – American Family Field
Saturday, July 6, 2024 – Kansas City, Mo. – GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
Saturday, July 13, 2024 – Seattle, Wash. – Lumen Field
Saturday, July 20, 2024 – Los Angeles, Calif. – SoFi Stadium
Saturday, July 27, 2024 – Denver, Colo. – Empower Field at Mile High Stadium
Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024 – Nashville, Tenn. – Nissan Stadium
Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024 – Detroit, Mich. – Ford Field
Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024 – East Rutherford, N.J. – MetLife Stadium
Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 – Foxborough, Mass. – Gillette Stadium
Chesney’s journey from trying to be George Strait to finding his own voice has been remarkable. As he continues to make history, he gets closer to the legendary status of George Strait.
