Country superstar Kenny Chesney has made numerous headlines in the last year – whirlwind marriage with Renée Zellweger, selling 25 million albums over his career, winning a handful of awards – but it’s all par for the course for one of America’s greatest contemporary entertainers.
Chesney grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he was born on March 26, 1968. After graduating from Central High School, Chesney attended East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, where he earned a degree in marketing. Long interested in country music, Chesney spend a lot of time as a busker (a musician who performs in public places for tips) in college and later when he moved to Nashville. His first album was sold at his busking acts in Nashville, and after two years of relentlessly performing as an amateur he received a contract with BMI Records. His first major LP “All I Need to Know” produced two solid hits, and put him on the path to country stardom.
His latest album “The Road and the Radio” has sold well over two million copies and has had four singles reach the top ten of the country charts. Over his career he has sold 25 million albums, charted a staggering ten #1 country hits from his twelve records, and has won the coveted CMA Entertainer of the Year Award twice, in 2004 and 2006. His highly publicized marriage to Renée Zellweger was quickly annulled after only four months in 2005. Chesney's enormous popularity is emblematic of the fabulous success of country music artists as of late - Chesney is one of three nominees for 'Favorite Male Singer' at the 2007 People's Choice Awards, while the others are fellow country crooners Toby Keith and Trace Adkins.