Earlier this year, Kenny Chesney announced he was taking a break from touring in 2010. In a statement, he explained: “I need to recharge creatively, and get off the clock of having to be somewhere ‘just because’ and having to keep juggling all these things. I felt like this year it finally hit me that I need to get reconnected with my family… I've given a big part of my soul for this for so long, and nothing has really been filling that up. It seems like in the last couple of years, I've been on an empty tank. And that's gotta change.” 
 
He stressed that he is not quitting the biz, nor is he going to take an extended hiatus, ala Garth Brooks. He said he’d do a few concerts, here and there. Just no tour. Well, we now have info on at least a couple of  events where you can get your live Chesney fix in the upcoming new year; On May 29 & 30, he’ll be part of a big Memorial Day concert, the Bayou Country Superfest at LSU’s Tiger Stadium. Other performers will include Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, Kellie Pickler and Taylor Swift. Additionally, Kenny will be the headliner at the Bama Jam Music and Arts Festival in Enterprise, Alabama June 3-5. There, he’ll once again be joined by Swift and Urban, plus newcomers Justin Moore and Gloriana. And, weirdly enough, Brooks & Dunn (I thought they promised they were going AWAAAAAAAYYYY!!!!)

Kenny has consistently been the highest-earning country act on the road. According to Forbes, Kenny raked in about $65 million from his 2008 tour, while Billboard reports that Kenny’s tour receipts from last year totaled $72.2 million. Whichever of those numbers is correct, that’s a lot of money! Kenny can afford to take a break. However, emotionally, it would take too much of a toll on him to sit out 2010 altogether. 

“I can’t imagine a year not rocking the fans, not seeing those faces or hearing my songs sung back to me. That is where I’m the most alive, and those people are such a big part of who I am and why I do this. To me, not being out there would be the worst thing I could imagine,” he said. 

Today’s video is a duet with Dave Matthews. Kenny says he was surprised when Dave (his good pal) told him that he loved “I’m Alive,” a song Kenny had written, enough to record it on one of his own albums. Kenny suggested they give it a try in the studio. He elaborates: “It was just magic in the studio when we did it. I didn’t realize how natural my voice and his voice would sound together,’ cause it’s completely two different styles. We come from completely two different worlds.” 

Here’s what happens when musical worlds collide… Enjoy! 

www.kennychesney.com

www.myspace.com/kennychesney

http://www.chesneyworld.com

Take it Easy, 

Cricket 

Listen to “The Morning Splash” with me & James Pond, weekday mornings on Froggy 97! (97.5 FM). We also stream live at www.froggy97.com.  

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