Chesney/Zellweger Annulment Goes Through

Source: Y! News

Renee Zellweger's marriage to country crooner Kenny Chesney never existed — at least in the eyes of the law.

The couple's union has been annulled by the Los Angeles Superior Court, according to documents obtained this week by the television show "Extra." Publicists for Zellweger and Chesney did not return calls to The Associated Press on Wednesday.

An annulment is a judicial declaration that a marriage never legally existed. In California, an annulment may be granted when either party in the marriage is under 18, of unsound mind, bound to a previous marriage or if the consent to marry was obtained by fraud or force.

In court papers filed last September, Zellweger listed "fraud" as the reason she was seeking an annulment after four months of marriage.

The Oscar-winning actress later issued a statement saying the term was "simply legal language and not a reflection of Kenny's character."

Zellweger, 36, and Chesney, 37, wed in a small ceremony on the Caribbean island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands in May. It was the first marriage for both.

Chesney & Uncle Kracker Win RMA Award for Best Driving Song

Source: netmusiccountdown.com

The Radio Music Awards for 2005 were passed out in Las Vegas' Aladdin Hotel and Casino Monday night, and KEITH URBAN continued his year of breakout success by performing on the show and also picking up the "Artist of the Year/Country Radio" award. Keith beat out nominees, Kenny Chesney, Brooks&Dunn, Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith and George Strait, all of whom Keith thanked in his acceptance speech."Thank you very much. Thank you to country radio for playing my records. And, I want to thanks to everybody else in this category with me. Everybody in there has been a great help to me. Thanks and Merry Christmas!"

KENNY CHESNEY AND UNCLE KRACKER took the overall RMA award for Best Driving Song for "When The Sun Goes Down." Neither Kenny nor Kracker were at the show to accept the award.

RASCAL FLATTS performed an acoustic version of "BLESS THE BROKEN ROAD" with Jay DeMarcus on piano and Joe Don Rooney playing acoustic guitar, just before the song was named COUNTRY SONG OF THE YEAR.

ALSO, SUGARLAND received a big, warm response from the all-genre audience as they performed their nominated Country Song of the Year "Baby Girl."

Catch Kenny's Special on ABC November 23!

Here's one of Chesney's ads for his first primetime TV special! Should be a really good show.

It's Good to Hear Kenny Has No Regrets

Source: canada.com

NEW YORK -- Kenny Chesney says he has no regrets about his brief marriage to Renee Zellweger because it taught him a lesson about love. "She and I fell in love like a couple of school kids," the 37-year-old country singer said Monday on ABC's "The View."

"I'm glad to know that that can happen. That that exists. And we really still care about each other a lot," said Chesney, who has a new CD, "The Road and the Radio."

He and Zellweger were married in May after first meeting in January.

The 36-year-old actress, who won an Oscar for her role in 2003's "Cold Mountain," filed for an annulment in September.

Get Your Copy of 'The Road and the Radio' Today!

Today is the day! Get your copy of Kenny Chesney's 'The Road and the Radio'! I'll be looking for my copy after work today.

After veering off on a more personal, acoustic-based album, country‘s reigning superstar returns to mainstream form on this set, whose title cut reflects two places this guy dominates. That song in particular is a big, broad ballad of the type Chesney owns, as is the deeply sad leadoff single "Who You‘d Be Today." Similarly, "Summertime" and "Tequila Loves Me" are the sort of laid-back mood pieces likely to melt snow this winter, and Chesney sings the hell out of the romantic power ballad "Save Me" and the well-drawn "Freedom." He rocks a little harder than usual on the Stones-ish "Living in Fast Forward" and brings horns and bombast to "Beer in Mexico." Bottom line: This is Chesney doing what he does so very well, and his legions of fans will eat it up.

Source: abcnews.com

Kenny Chesney says he is doing "good," months after the breakup of his four-month marriage to Renee Zellweger.

"It's (my heart is) good," Chesney told "Good Morning America" today in his first TV appearance since his much publicized breakup with the star of "Chicago" and "Bridget Jones' Diary." "It's up and down, but it's good."

Chesney also performed from his second new album this year, "The Road and the Radio," which was recorded while he was on tour. Chesney explained that he would have songs faxed to him, sift through the best, and when there was a chance, he and his band would record.

"Anything that's been going on in my life, I usually look to the road or the radio to get me through it," Chesney said.

More on the "Road"

Source: Tennessean.com

Road rises up to meet Kenny Chesney Despite a year of rigorous touring, entertainer managed to pull off a highly anticipated new album. Now he's ready to do it all again.

Kenny Chesney sat outside this fall, on a sunny porch out by a pool. Land and trees surrounded his Williamson County residence, which could be called a house if it were significantly smaller.
In Chesney's career, he's sold more albums than Paul Simon or Snoop Dog, and on Tuesday he'll release an album, The Road and the Radio, that looks to be one of country's biggest releases of the year. He's got an ABC network special coming up on Nov. 23 (7 p.m., WKRN-Channel 2), too, and his shows routinely fill arenas with crowds that are younger and louder than is typical in the country genre.

The whole thing looks to be a dream realized for Chesney, one of Tennessee's most famous native sons and the Country Music Association's reigning entertainer of the year. Still, it's no surprise when Chesney answers a routine "How are you?" with a weary chuckle and a quick, "I've been better."

It's not all the marriage thing, either. Even without this year's whirlwind, ill-fated union to actress Renee Zellweger, Chesney would likely have spent part of 2005 crossing the line that separates burning it up from burning out. On June 25, he stood onstage in front of 21,000 people in Tacoma, Wash., knowing full well that he didn't feel like . . . well, like being onstage in front of 21,000 people.

"I was so tired that I didn't want to be there, for the first time in 12 years," Chesney said. "I gave them all I had. I remember laying in my bus bunk one night, going, 'Don't you ever be this tired ever again.' I used to wonder how people could go into the hospital because of exhaustion. I didn't understand it. Now I do.

"Look, getting married is stressful enough, I don't care who you are," he continued. "But with everything I had going on, everything in front of me at my plate, I felt myself changing, and I didn't like it. I wasn't the guy that's fun-loving. I felt like I was treating people different, that I was shorter with them. I felt that with my family and friends."

If Tacoma was a low point, it shouldn't have been terribly unexpected. For months, Chesney had been touring hard, and the two or three days that he had off the road every couple of weeks were spent working on an album that he was increasingly worried might be nothing terribly special.

"I was on the bus one night and told the band, 'I've got an average record.' I stayed up at night because of it. I used to just want to get on the radio and didn't think about the songs so much, but I didn't get to where I'm selling out stadiums by being average. Every album has to be better, but different. It's hard to stay who you are but give people a different ride."

Enter Aimee Mayo, the Nashville songwriter who called Chesney in late July to tell him she had a song he should hear. The song was called Who You'd Be Today, written by Mayo and Bill Luther, and she played it for him in her car, parked in the lot outside the Tracking Room at Emerald Sound Studios, where Chesney and co-producer Buddy Cannon were working on the album.

Chesney instantly loved the song, a rumination on a friend who died young. He recorded it the next day, and the inclusion of Who You'd Be Today and another July find, Like Me, lend some gravity and cohesion to the finished album. The first single off the album, Who You'd Be Today, is now at No. 4 on Billboard's country chart and it's continuing to climb.

"It's only been on the charts for seven weeks, so that is breakneck speed," said Wade Jessen, the country chart director for Billboard. For Chesney, the song offered more than a potentially lucrative single. "When she brought that song to me, I felt like I had something to wrap the rest of the record around," Chesney said. "Who You'd Be Today was the universal song that I didn't have that I now had, and I was able to go from there and find a few other things that were pieces of the puzzle."

Mayo's cameo came at the right time, as Cannon and Chesney were bearing down on the deadline to finish the album. In the past, Chesney has released albums in the spring, and his status as one of country's best-sellers is underscored by his label's decision to release The Road and the Radio in November, a time of the year when only the most commercially dominant artists are likely to put albums out, because it's difficult to get retailers and media to pay attention to mid-level albums during the holiday season.

"We think it's going to be a huge impact record," said RCA Label Group Nashville head Joe Galante. "It's one of the most important records of the fourth quarter, for all genres. It is the biggest release in the country format, but aside from that, it's one of the biggest records in the business."

Galante knows that now, but a few months ago he was worried that the thing might not get done at all.

"There was a concern at one moment. There was that small matter of a marriage in the middle of the recording process," Galante said with the relieved laugh of someone who has dodged a bullet. "We were still doing the tour, filming the special. There was a lot going on. He wasn't able to write the way he wanted to write until the end of that record. We were all kind of jumping."
Chesney's lack of new original songs amped up the need to find material written by others that would speak to his own experiences.

One of those songs is David Lee Murphy and Rivers Rutherford's Living in Fast Forward, which depicts "a hillbilly rock star out of control."

"I heard that song and thought, 'I'm living that,' " he said. "I'm living my life in fast forward now, and I have been for years. That 'hillbilly rock star out of control' line . . . at a point that was very, very accurate." "Out of control," Chesney said, can mean many different things. In 2005, he certainly didn't feel in control of his own schedule or frame of mind. His ability to finish an album under such scattered conditions is a point of pride.

"This was the toughest album I've ever made," he said. "It got to where Buddy and I didn't know what we had and what we didn't. We cut songs we'd forgotten about, and I think I was making decisions based on exhaustion and not clarity. But it worked out, and I'm really proud of this album, because it evolved through the cracks of a lot of other stuff. I didn't have a year to sit home and work on it. I don't think you hear how tired I was when you listen to this record, and I'm glad of that."

One of the songs Chesney did write for the album is Beer in Mexico, one he wrote at rocker Sammy Hagar's house last October. Though the song's title recalls Chesney's sand-friendly past hits No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem and When the Sun Goes Down, its lyrics are more contemplative than celebratory.

"I was getting . . . hey, do we see a pattern here?" laughed Chesney. "I was getting out of another relationship at the time and I thought, 'What is going on? Should I marry this person or not?' In the bridge of the song, it says, 'Maybe I'll settle down, get married/ Or stay single and stay free/ Which road I'll travel is still a mystery to me.' But I realized I didn't have to make that decision in that moment. I realized I could sit there, dangle my feet in the water and have another beer."

After that song was written, Chesney's schedule ratcheted back up and songwriting got squeezed out of the picture. Then it was record-making, headlining the string of shows that Billboard just named the top package tour of 2005 and entering into a relationship that inspired public headlines and, though he won't talk about it in specifics, some measure of private heartache.

"The statement in town is that it all starts with a song, and I couldn't write much this year," he said. "The tank was kind of empty. But it's filling up. It's down at the gas station right now. Leave it to life to fill your tank up, you know?" •

Chesney to Open Country Music Awards!

Taking note that Kenny Chesney has the top country tour of 2005, the CMA decided the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year was the appropriate star to open the 39th Annual CMA awards in New York City on November 15th. Chesney will open the show with "Living In Fast Forward," from his upcoming release The Road & The Radio due in stores November 8th.

Kenny's Thoughts on The Road and the Radio

BNA Records released Kenny's thoughts on each of his songs on The Road and the Radio album. Don't forget... Kenny's new album goes on sale tomorrow (November 8, 2005)!


KENNY CHESNEY - The Road And The Radio

Song By Song

1. The Road And The Radio
Kenny Chesney/Casey Beathard (ASCAP/BMI)

No matter what has gone on in my life, there have been two constant things over the past 12 years and that’s been the road and the radio. No matter what it was, one of them had the answer, whether it was a long stretch of highway or a great song. And as crazy as my life’s gotten, this is the one place where it’s still the same…the broken lines and the truth I find in songs.

2. Living In Fast Forward
David Lee Murphy/Rivers Rutherford (ASCAP)

Definitely, it’s how I’m living my life right now and have been for the past several years. Funny thing about momentum: the more you get, the farther and faster it takes you and the harder it gets to slow down and take a moment to really reflect on what’s just happened.

3. Who You'd Be Today
Bill Luther/Aimee Mayo (BMI)

Everybody has one. Someone who they’ve lost too soon…who never quite got to become the person they were meant to be. I have a couple of friends who come to mind and I wonder what their lives would be like today if fate hadn’t stepped in. I really do believe like the last line of this song says, “we’ll see them again one day.”

4. You Save Me
Brett James/Troy Verges (ASCAP/BMI)

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t need this person- whether they know it or not. Funny too, most of us have them whether we recognize them or not. I’m surrounded be these kinds of people, whether I wanted them to save me or not.

5. Summertime
Steve McEwan/Craig Wiseman (BMI/ASCAP)

My favorite time of year. Summertime to me means people tailgating in parking lots, road cases, fans in the lawn seats, sunburn, laughter, good times, not to mention bikini tops, flip flops, and suntan oil. It is everything I love about the road and really getting to reconnect with the people who love the music.

6. In A Small Town
Cory Mayo/Jon McElroy (BMI)

I’m so glad I grew up in a place where the most important things were friends, church, school, and sports. Our lives revolved around all of those things. Out of all the places I’ve been, I know in the end that’s where I will end up - back “In A Small Town.”

7. Beer In Mexico
Kenny Chesney (ASCAP)

I wrote this song in Cabo at Sammy Hagar’s birthday party. There’re a lot of guys going through these same things — Looking at their lives, where they think they’re supposed to be, not knowing what to do, wondering if they are missing the boat. This song is about realizing that in the moment, you don’t have to make up your mind. You just need to take a deep breath and open another beer. The answer will come if you let it.

8. Freedom
Tom Douglas/Bill Luther (BMI)

Everyone has their own definition and sense of what this means and freedom isn’t always what you think. To a Wall Street guy, it’s giving it up and riding his Harley. To the soldiers, it’s defending our country and our ideas. To me, it’s being on a boat anywhere. It’s the place you feel like you belong, where you are most alive, where you have a reason to be and everything else doesn’t matter.

9. Tequila Loves Me
Jon McElroy/Arnie Roman (BMI/ASCAP)

This one was the one I couldn’t let get away. I recorded this song for When The Sun Goes Down album; it didn’t fit on the Be As You Are album so I finally found a place for this song on this record. I’ve been in this guy’s shoes — wandering around a small island, looking for somebody who just wasn’t there.

10. Somebody Take Me Home
Radney Foster/Randy Rogers (BMI)

We’ve all been there…can’t stay home...don’t want to go out. You wish someone would just take you away and wipe all the memories clean — even if it is just for a moment.

11. Like Me
Troy Jones (BMI)

This is my favorite song. Through all my years of touring and even all my years of dreaming, I’ve met many characters just like the ones painted in this song. We’re talking about people who were not afraid to dream- and dream big. These are people who take life as it comes and still live it to the fullest, no matter where they are or what they’re doing. And whether they make it or not, give that dream everything and don’t look back.

Courtesy: BNA Records

Who You'd Be Today Facts/Kenny's Rise to Fame

Here are some facts about Kenny Chesney's "Who You'd Be Today" video, the first single off of his "The Road and the Radio" album.

Label: BNA Video
Commissioner: Wade Hunt
Production Company: Tacklebox Films/Nashville, TN
Director: Shaun Silva
DP: Giles Dunning Producer: John Hopgood Art Director: Kate Gallion Location: Cincinnati, OH
Editorial Company: Lightborne/Cincinnati, OH
Editor: Jeremiah Shuff
Assistant Editor: Nate Clark Executive Producer: Scott DurbanDirectors Rep.: Randi Wilens
Postproduction Company: Company 3/Los Angeles, CA
Colorist: Dave Hussey
Producer: Denise Brown
VFX Company: Lightborne/Cincinnati, OH
Compositor: Ben Nicholson

Rise to Fame

Chesney didn't pick up a guitar until he was 19 when his mother, a hairdresser, gave him one for Christmas. Chesney taught himself to play in three months and after graduating from college in 1992 he set off for the Nashville music scene where he took $125-a-week job writing songs at one of Nashville's many production houses.

Chesney caught his big break in 1999 with the song "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy," and in 2002 his album "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem" sold more than 3 million copies. The album he released earlier this year, "Be As You Are: Songs from a Big Blue Chair," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, as have four out of five of his last albums. "The Road and the Radio" hits stores on Tuesday.

Chesney will be the opening at the Country Music Association Awards in New York on Nov. 15, and will also sing at the 33rd annual American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Nov. 22.

Another Actor Speaking Out About Kenny & Renee

Now Chloe Sevigny, star of the films Boys Don't Cry and American Psycho is taking a stab at KC and Zellweger for their four month marriage.

"You know - Renee Zellweger, she's married for like, 30 days? I mean, come on! I just get really angry."

After a romantic marriage ceremony in the Virgin Islands, Zellweger and Chesney split in September.

The Cold Mountain actress later cited "fraud" as her reason for the break-up, with rumours indicating that Chesney did not share her ambition of starting a family.

Kenny, meanwhile, preferred to attribute the collapse of their marriage to his gruelling recording and touring schedule.

More on How Kenny Feels About His Divorce

Here's some more interesting thoughts from Kenny Chesney about his divorce and how he's dealing with it.

Source: channelcincinnati.com

Leave it to a country singer to compare the breakup of his marriage to losing a big-screen TV. Kenny Chesney told Life magazine that breaking up with Renee Zellweger was "like opening the door to your house and having someone come in and take your big-screen TV off the wall during the big game, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Chesney said his music has helped him deal with the breakup of his brief marriage to the "Bridget Jones" actress. "It's like medicine -- and obviously I need that now," the 37-year-old country singer told the magazine in an upcoming issue.

His new album, "The Road and the Radio," is set for release Nov. 8.

Zellweger filed for an annulment in September. The couple married in a surprise Caribbean island ceremony in May after first meeting in January.

Chesney told the magazine he has learned that he needs to be more patient. "I need it all and I need it now' was my mentality before. I used to rush everything to get it done." Including marriage? "What was that old song: 'We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout,"' Chesney replied. Zellweger is known for her roles in such films as "Jerry Maguire," "Bridget Jones's Diary" and "Chicago." She won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in "Cold Mountain" in 2004.

Kenny Chesney is on fire this year. He is the reigning Country Music Association entertainer of the year, and his CD "When the Sun Goes Down" was named album of the year.

It was the first time either of them had been married.

One of Kenny's Longtime Friends: David Farmer

I found this part of an article in the Business Journal of Tri-Cities of Tennessee/Virginia. The article had to do with ETSU's College of Business and Technology. They inducted a few Hall of Fame Members. The article did not come out and say that David Farmer won this award, but he was mentioned in the article a few times. Here's what I found: (Interesting information that I didn't already know about Kenny's friends).

Source: bjournal.com

David Farmer came from Knoxville to ETSU with his two best friends, Tim Holt and Kenny Chesney, buddies since the fourth grade.

With his 1990 ETSU diploma, he was on track for a successful career in banking, but then fate intervened. His friend, Kenny Chesney, was striving to develop a career as an entertainer. He needed the support of friends who believed in him and had his best interests at heart. David Farmer became his manager, and Tim Holt handles marketing and merchandising.

Farmer’s job description is deceptively simple: He does whatever is necessary to keep Chesney and his voice in good health; oversees the crew handling technical aspects; and coordinates with other acts participating in tours. Chesney is the reigning Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year, and Farmer’s simple manager’s job description now means overseeing 17 trucks of equipment, a touring staff of 90, including a 10-person culinary staff serving lunch and dinner to some 150 people daily—and a 230-pound stuffed marlin.

Another Award Win For KC: Billboard Road Work 2005

Yes!!! Another award earned by Mr. Kenny Chesney! He is on fire!!! Remember... Kenny's new CD; 'The Road & The Radio' Hitting The Stores November 8, 2005.

Congrats Kenny! The picture shown here is my own personal photo of his stage in Ft. Lauderdale this year. He was awesome live!

Source: top40-charts.com & KennyChesney.com

NASHVILLE, TN. (BNA Records) - Having sold well over a million concert tickets for the third summer in a row - and besting U2 by over 200,000 tickets as the biggest ticket seller for the first half of 2005 - Kenny Chesney is all about the live performance. In addition to being the only country act to play football stadiums this year - with standing room shows in Boston, Pittsburgh and Washington, DC - the reigning Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year found himself the only country act nominated for three awards at the Billboard ROAD WORK 2005 Touring and Conference Awards: Top Tour, Top Draw and Top Package. And in top Kenny Chesney form, his Somewhere In The Sun Tour - featuring Gretchen Wilson, Uncle Kracker and Pat Green - walked off the Top Package, over Ozzfest and the Anger Management Tour with Eminem and 50 Cent.

"When you think of doing anything bigger or more than Ozzy, you kinda don't know what to say," admits Chesney, who could not attend the ceremony due to finishing his upcoming ABC "Kenny Chesney: Somewhere in the Sun" special. "I mean, Ozzy and all those guys he's got out there rock, and Eminem and 50 Cent flat tore it up this summer. It says a lot about our fans, though… the way they come out and party with us, starting at 2 o'clock most afternoons - grilling out, blasting music, laughing and throwing Frisbees out in the parking lot… THAT makes it as much an event as who I bring out on the road with me.

"Though don't get me wrong! Who I bring out is very VERY important. We work very hard to get the right mix, to make sure the people that tour with us know how to have fun, to throw it at the crowd and catch what gets thrown back.

Gretchen Wilson, Kracker, Pat Green - and even Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Montgomery Gentry, some of the other acts who've been out there with us. To me, if we do our job right, we walk off that stage feeling as good as the fans do when they leave the venue."

Accepting for Chesney was Randy Phillips, the AEG Live President and CEO. As a partial owner of Kenny Chesney tour promoter Louis Messina's Messina Group, he was able to convey the impact of Chesney's touring, music and commitment to the assembled industry crowd.

"Randy gets it," says Messina with his classic carny understatement. "If I couldn't be there, I wanted someone who truly understands what Kenny's accomplished the old fashioned way, by getting out on the road and playing to the fans, building that base. It's been amazing to see Kenny come into his own, starting with the George Strait Festival shows… building into the biggest ticket-seller just about in pop music, let alone country. We're all really proud of him and what he's created, especially in terms of bringing music to the people."

With The Road & The Radio hitting the stores November 8th - easily one of the most anticipated new records of the 4th quarter, the project's lead single "Who You'd Be Today" sitting at No 4 on the country charts after only 4 weeks and "Kenny Chesney: Somewhere In The Sun," his ABC network television airing on Nov. 23, the singer/songwriter from Luttrell, Tennessee has plenty to keep him busy before rolling into the "39th Annual CMA Awards" Nov. 15, where he's again nominated for Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year.

Chesney: Music has Helped with Breakup

Always in the spotlight... It's a good thing he is. Good for PR and getting his new CD exposure. Hope KC is getting over this whole ordeal. He deserves a lot more!

Source: CNN.com

NEW YORK (AP) -- Kenny Chesney says his music has helped him deal with the breakup of his brief marriage to "Bridget Jones" actress Renee Zellweger.

"It's like medicine -- and obviously I need that now," the 37-year-old country singer tells Life magazine in an upcoming issue.

His new album, "The Road and the Radio," is set for release November 8.

Zellweger filed for an annulment from Chesney last month. The couple married in a surprise Caribbean island ceremony in May after first meeting in January.

Chesney tells the magazine he has learned that he needs to be more patient. "'I need it all and I need it now' was my mentality before. I used to rush everything to get it done."

Including marriage?

"What was that old song: 'We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout,' " Chesney replies, quoting the Johnny and June Carter Cash song "Jackson."

More Big Names Added to the American Music Awards

The AMA's should be a great show this November!

Source: netmusiccountdown.com

NASHVILLE, TN -- Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban have been added to the lineup of big name performers for this year's American Music Awards (November 22nd) that already includes Kenny Chesney.

They join earlier announced performers including Chesney, Mariah Carey, Rob Thomas and The Rolling Stones on the show, a presentation of Dick Clark Productions, Inc.

Hosting the 33rd annual special is Cedric "The Entertainer."

Also, scheduled to appear on the show as presenters are cycling champion Lance Armstrong, Toni Braxton, Ryan Cabrera, Chingy, Australian songstress Delta Goodrem, Nick Lachey, John Mayer, Jesse McCartney, Sean Paul, Nicole Richie, LeAnn Rimes, "Phantom Of The Opera's" Emmy Rossum, "American Idol's" Ryan Seacrest, "Jake In Progress'" John Stamos, Sugarland, "Night Stalker's" Stuart Townsend & Gabrielle Union, and Gretchen Wilson.

Chesney, Zellweger: Together for a Reunion?

I heard a rumor today that Kenny and Renee got together for a little talk just recently in the Big Apple. Wonder how true it is... Here's the only text I could find on this rumor. They must be ironing out the details for their divorce or maybe they just crossed paths and thought they should get together for a talk?

Kenny Chesney & Renee Zellweger had a reunion recently at a restaurant in NY. She talked as Kenny listened but also watched a game on the TV behind her. Renée realized she started rumors about him so she told him how horrible she felt for hurting him and his family.

When Rumors Start - Could be Rough on Chesney's Family

Source: netmusiccountdown.com

NASHVILLE, TN -- KENNY CHESNEY tells Country Weekly when the press prints hurtful things about him, he's been around long enough to take it, but it's tougher on his family.

"I've been around town a while, I've developed a pretty tough skin," Kenny tells Country Weekly. "But my mother hasn't. My sister hasn't. When they read things about me that people are trying to start, that's hurtful to them. That's the toughest part, the effect rumors have on my family."

ABOUT STARTING HIS OWN FAMILY, Kenny says, "I hope so. Maybe somewhere down the road. Who knows? That's up to the good Lord."

Country Weekly Interview: Part II

Here's a portion of Part II of Country Weekly's exclusive interview with Kenny.

Source: countryweekly.com

In a exclusive, Kenny goes on the record about paparazzi, his personal life and his new album.

In our Oct. 24 issue, Kenny Chesney opened up to about what's ahead for him in the wake of his failed marriage to actress Renée Zellweger and about the making of his new The Road and the Radio album. Here is Part 2 of that exclusive interview with Kenny, who sat down with us just days after Renée, his wife of four months, filed for annulment of their marriage Sept. 14.

The interview took place at Kenny's stately mansion outside Nashville, with Kenny sitting beside his picturesque swimming pool as he talked about the pressure of the last 12 months of his life. In that time, he swept overdue honors as country music's Entertainer of the Year at the CMA and ACM awards shows. He staged the biggest tour of his career on the heels of his record-breaking 2004 tour. He began filming his first network TV special, which airs on ABC this Thanksgiving eve. And he got married, privately, May 9 on the Caribbean island of St. John with only a few friends and family in attendance.

In this final installment, Kenny talks about feeling "violated" by the paparazzi, how his family has been hurt, why his concerts are "rock shows," having children, his ABC special this Thanksgiving and more about his new The Road and the Radio CD.

To read the rest of this article, check out the new issue of Country Weekly, on sale now!

Pre-Order Kenny's "The Road and the Radio"!

Being an associate of Amazon for about 7 years now, I thought I would search for Kenny Chesney's latest album"The Road and the Radio" at Amazon.com. Low and behold, they have the album available for pre-ordering!

Click the links or "Buy from amazon.com" button in the box to the left. I'd say, it's a very good price at $10.99 USD (at the time of this posting).

The Road and the Radio will be released on November 8, 2005 and I for one, cannot wait!

Chesney & Wilson Show Pat Green a 'Summer Camp' Vibe

Good article on how it's like with Kenny on the road. It's cool Pat Green had the experience with both Chesney and Wilson!

Source: 2theadvocate.com

Entertainment writer Fresh from being opening act for the biggest tour of the year, Texas singer-songwriter Pat Green brings his solo tour back to Baton Rouge for an Oct. 27 show at the Varsity Theatre.

Green, whose hits include "Wave On Wave" and "Baby Doll," saw his opening act slot on a 44-date trek with country stars Kenny Chesney and Gretchen Wilson as a golden opportunity.

"Taking my little independent band that's somehow creeping around radio and putting it on the big stage was pretty cool," he said before a show at the Georgia Theatre in Athens. "It was a big deal, very lucky. Hopefully, it'll give us a leg up."

Green had a half-hour to make his mark with the Chesney and Wilson fans who filled venues ranging from about 10,000 to 55,000 seats. He knew he had to strike fast and true.
"You have to," Green said. "If you don't, well, you miss your shot. I felt like, from the first day we stepped on stage, that we had a tight package. During the time that we had allotted, we kicked their teeth in as long as we could."

Offstage was fun, too.

"It was a great kind of summer-camp vibe," Green said. "Everybody was having a good time. Nobody missed out and you just woke up in a new city and did it all over."
Green's no newcomer to the music game, but growing artist that he is, he learned a thing or two from headliners Chesney and Wilson.

"I been watching Kenny on TV since I was in my freshman year in college," Green said. "You gotta pay your dues, that's what I took from him. And from Gretchen, I guess, if you can catch that lightning in a bottle and find that one song (Wilson's 2004 hit, "Redneck Woman"), or write that one song, that changes the world, then you can get to the top pretty fast. So, as far as I know, I'm doing the right thing."

The right thing for Green isn't a gimmick or a marketing plan.
"More than anything," the singer explained, "if you concentrate on the most important things, the studio and the stage, then the rest kind of falls in naturally. The show and then the studio, and if you don't get the connection, you're not gonna get anywhere in the business. You can't have one without the other."

A link in the great Texas singer-songwriter tradition, Green caught the bug for writing songs from fellow Texans Jerry Jeff Walker and Robert Earl Keen. Mainstream singer-songwriter stars Bruce Springsteen and Dave Matthews inspired him, too.

"It was the songwriter that first caught me," Green said. "And then the songwriter up on a huge stage, in front of all the lights and people, really solidified that was what I wanted to do."
Green is about to enter a new phase in his career. He's left the New York-based Republic Records and is considering offers from major labels in Nashville. Breaking a country act such as himself from New York was just too difficult, he said.

Republic, Green said, "got tired of running into the same walls. We were like, 'OK, we gotta make this thing happen down in Nashville.' "

This sort of thinking represented a change of mind for Green.
"I thought for the longest time that Nashville was the enemy," he admitted. "But, really, there's a certain few people in Nashville that run the music business in directions that I don't like. So long as I steer clear of them it's all cool.

"I'm not trying to be corporate," Green said. "I'm not trying to sell out. I'm just trying to get my music in the largest number of ears I can get it in. In order to do that, you have to navigate that slippery side of the business. That's something I wasn't prepared to deal with when I was 18. Now that I have a wife and kid and I'm 30, I'm like, 'OK, I can deal with this.' "

Kenny's Thoughts on His New Album "The Road and the Radio"

Source: netmusiccountdown.com

NASHVILLE, TN Wednesday Oct.19.2005 -- Kenny Chesney tells Country Weekly that he just couldn't quite declare his "The Road and the Radio" CD finished until he found the single, "Who You'd Be Today.""I realized we had a pretty good album but not a great one," Kenny explained. Finding "Who You'd Be Today" helped bring it all together. "After I recorded this song, I found a few others that started to fit. Creatively, this was the most challenging record I've made... But I'm proud of this record because of it."

Chesney Wins ASCAP Voice of Music Award

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Kenny Chesney has won the ASCAP Voice of Music Award at the performing-rights organization’s 43rd annual country music awards show.

“First and foremost, I consider myself a songwriter,”

Kenny performed his song “I Go Back” at the annual ASCAP Country Music Awards at the Ryman Auditorium.

“First and foremost, I consider myself a songwriter,” accepting the honor, said the 37 year old Chesney. His new album, “The Road and the Radio,” will be released in November 2005.

Previous recipients of the award, given to songwriters whose music gives people’s lives a voice through song, are Garth Brooks, Amy Grant, George Strait and Diane Warren.

Craig Wiseman of group Rascal Flatts was named ASCAP’s songwriter of the year for singles that include “In a Real Love,” “Live Like You Were Dying,” “Rough and Ready” and “That’s What It’s All About.”

ASCAP named “Live Like You Were Dying,” a Tim McGraw hit on which Wiseman shares writing credit, its song of the year.

Wiseman has written or co-written 90 charted singles and 13 No. 1 country hits throughout his career. This was his second ASCAP songwriter of the year award. ASCAP’s songwriter/artist of the year is John Rich of duo Big & Rich, who co-wrote “Here for the Party,” “Holy Water,” “Redneck Woman,” “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)” and “When I Think About Cheatin.”

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers is among three U.S. performing-rights organizations that represent songwriters in licensing music and collecting and distributing royalties from play on radio and in television, films, ads and other media.

Renee Thinking About Adoption

Not that I really care about Renee too much anymore... But I thought it would be important to post this for Chesney fans like you and myself to see what's really going on inside her pretty little head. lol!

Source: monstersandcritics.com
Renee Zellweger has revealed she wants to adopt an orphaned baby, just days after her ex Jack White announced he is expecting his first child.

The Hollywood actress is said to be desperate to have children but, since splitting from husband Kenny Chesney last month, has been left with little hope.

So the 'Bridget Jones' actress has reportedly asked advice from Angelina Jolie, who has an adopted Cambodian tot Maddox, four, and Ethiopian baby Zahara.

The pair are reportedly planning a trip to Ethiopia where there are five million orphans.
A source at the country's state-run adoption agency said: "Renee still has to meet the same ten conditions as everybody else.

"The main two are that she's financially secure and law-abiding."

The news of Jack White's impending fatherhood came less than a month after Renee's marriage to country singer Kenny Chesney ended.

Renée and Kenny shocked fans when they announced they had wed on May 9 in a sunset ceremony in the Virgin Islands.

But just four months later their marriage was annulled, with the 'Bridget Jones' star citing 'fraud' as the reason for their split.

The White Stripes frontman and British model Karen Elson made announced the pregnancy to their family last weekend, in Michigan.

White secretly wed Elson in a canoe on the Amazon in June, just four months after he split from Renée.

Chesney: Finalist In The Top Tour Category

Source: Billboard.com

U2's mammoth Vertigo tour is a finalist in four categories for the Billboard Touring Awards, the most of any outing this year. The outing is a finalist in the top tour, top draw and top Boxscore categories, and U2's management company Principle Management is a finalist for top manager.

The Billboard Touring Awards recognize the year’s highest achievements in the concert industry. The awards, which are based on box-office data gathered from Billboard Boxscore reports from Nov. 24, 2004, through Sept. 30, 2005, will be presented at an Oct. 26 reception at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York that wraps the second annual Roadwork conference.

Neil Diamond and Kenny Chesney are also finalists in the top tour category, which reflects gross dollars. U2, Chesney and Dave Matthews Band are finalists in the top draw category, which reflects total attendance. Chesney’s A Place in the Sun tour is also in the running for top package.

Another multiple finalist is the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tenn., which is among the leading performers in the top Boxscore and top festival categories.

The breakthrough act award recognizes an artist or band in its first decade that cracks the top 25 tours listings for the first time. Coldplay and Rascal Flatts fit that description this year.
Finalists in the top manager and top agency categories are based on the combined totals of all the acts they represent in the top 25 tours.

As previously reported, the Dave Matthews Band will receive Roadwork '05's Humanitarian Award for the band's philanthropic efforts. Pioneering promoter Jack Boyle, chairman emeritus for Clear Channel Entertainment and founder of Cellar Door Concerts, will receive the Legend of Live Award.

ASCAP to honor Kenny Chesney

Source: NewKerala

NASHVILLE: The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Thursday named Kenny Chesney as the recipient of its highest country music award.

Chesney will be given the Voice of Music Award during the 43rd Annual ASCAP Country Music Awards gala Oct. 17 at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium.

The publishers and writers of the most performed country songs in 2004 that are registered with ASCAP will also be honored.

The award going to Chesney honors artists and songwriters whose music gives people a voice, ASCAP said in a news release.

Only four other artists have received the award: Garth Brooks, George Strait, Diane Warren and Amy Grant.

Chesney was named Entertainer of the Year by both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.

Interview With Country Weekly

Source: Country Weekly

In a Country Weekly exclusive, Kenny opens up about the tough times, The Road and the Radio—and his new life.

From afar, Kenny Chesney's Nashville-area home looks like a postcard of a stately English countryside mansion. The paved path leading to his driveway curves around tall trees and vast expanses of green lawn, stretching over about four long city blocks. It's a stunning piece of property, even by country star standards.

Once inside Kenny's house, it's apparent this East Tennessee native enjoys his down-home comforts. Photos are everywhere, on walls and nearly every table. Most are candid shots of family and friends enjoying themselves—and plenty of shots from the islands, too.

The living room centers on a large, flat-screen TV and looks set up for friends to cheer on Kenny's beloved University of Tennessee Volunteers. The kitchen has a stainless steel blender pulled to the front of the counter, and the way the glasses and plates are arranged on shelves suggests they get plenty of use.

Zellweger Confronts Reporter

Source: News24

Los Angeles - Renee Zellweger has stormed into a newspaper office to confront a reporter who apparently made her look "slutty".

The Oscar winner, recently split from husband Kenny Chesney, was furious when the New York Post said she had a new man.

The newspaper had described Irish singer Damien Rice as "her new beau", reports the Mirror.
The star went into the office and rang the reporter, saying: "Come down because I want to talk to you."

She told the writer: "That story was hurtful about me being with another man. It wasn't true and it made me look slutty."

Zellweger, 36, insisted she and Rice were old friends and denied they were romantically involved.

More Info on Kenny's New Album, Appearances

Source: Reuters

Newly single country superstar Kenny Chesney will release his second studio album of the year on November 8, and is planning a number of television appearances to promote the set. "The Road and the Radio" (BNA) is expected to feature 11 tracks, including first single "Who You'd Be Today," "Tequila Loves Me (Even if You Don't)," "Another Beer in Mexico," "Living in Fast Forward" and "You Save Me."

Chesney topped the Billboard 200 albums chart in February with "Be As You Are: Songs From an Old Blue Chair," which has sold 1 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Although Chesney has yet to announce tour plans in support of the set, he has scheduled a November 7 performance on ABC's "Good Morning America" in New York's Times Square. The network is also preparing a Chesney special to air the week of Thanksgiving.

Hello ... Goodbye

Source: People Magazine

Pretty good article in People magazine about Kenny and Renee. Here's a little bit of the article this week:

Four months after their island wedding, Renée Zellweger and Kenny Chesney take the drastic step of annulment. Says a friend: 'It just wasn't right for either of them'.

On Sept. 16, the day after the sudden end of her four-month marriage to Kenny Chesney became public, Renée Zellweger was in New York, where she turned up at a steakhouse in the Hamptons. She requested a table for one, kicked off her sandals and quietly dined on salmon and steamed spinach before leaving a $100 tip. "She didn't act sad or upset," says an observer. "She was so sweet."

New Kenny Chesney Video: Who You'd Be Today

See the full video online here! Tear jerker I must say - Awesome song too!

Chesney to perform at 2005 AMA's

MARIAH CAREY, KENNY CHESNEY and ROB THOMAS are the first stars confirmed to perform at the 2005 American Music Awards.The stars are all AMA nominees, and bosses of the show say additional artists will be added to the line-up at a later date.The ceremony, which will take place in Los Angeles on 22 November (2005), will be hosted by CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER.

Kenny will be "OK" after split with Renee

Darn right Kenny will be okay!

Source: Y! News

NEW YORK - Less than a week after Renee Zellweger filed for an annulment from Kenny Chesney, the country music star assured fans, "I'll be OK."

"I'm all right. I'm good. There have been better times, but I'll be OK," Chesney told Country Weekly magazine for its Oct. 24 issue, on newsstands Oct. 10. The interview was conducted Monday at the singer's home outside Nashville, Tenn.

In court papers filed Sept. 14, Zellweger listed "fraud" as the reason for the breakup after four months of marriage. The "Bridget Jones" actress and Chesney married in a surprise Caribbean island ceremony in May after first meeting in January.

"I hit everything so hard this year," Chesney said. "I had the biggest tour I've ever done, I had a record to finish that was real important to me, and, of course, I had something new in my personal life and I was trying to do that too. It really ended up being too much."

Chesney, 37, was named Country Music Association entertainer of the year in November, while his "When the Sun Goes Down" was named album of the year.

"I'm tired right now, but by next year, I'll be excited to get back to it. And it'll be about the music again, not about the sideshow."

Farm Aid Debut for Kenny

It's great to see Kenny not thinking too much about the Renee thing and focus his attention on something positive like Farm Aid. Keep up the great work Kenny!

Source: CMT.com

TINLEY PARK, Ill. -- Back when the original Farm Aid was just getting started, Kenny Chesney was only a teenager. But Sunday (Sept. 18) at the 20th anniversary concert in the Chicago suburb of Tinley Park, Ill., Chesney was all grown up and showing all 25,000 fans he was just fine. And to the fans close enough to hold up their "We Love You, Kenny" signs, he mouthed a very genuine, "Thank you."

As expected, Chesney made no mention of the annulment of his marriage to actress Renee Zellweger, a story that made national news last week. However, he would not allow news photographers to take photos during his performance.

Chesney's set was packed with sure things, like "Live Those Songs," "Big Star," "Young" and "Anything but Mine." He dedicated "Back Where I Come From" to everybody in the audience that had grown up in the country. "I understand the importance of keeping people close to the soil, growing up like I did," Chesney said. "When you're from a small town, you've got to band together. That's why I'm so proud to be here."

Chesney even thanked his friend, Farm Aid co-founder John Mellencamp, for inspiring him. "Years ago, Mellencamp told me I oughta write more of my own songs," Chesney said. "He inspired me, and I wrote this song the very next day." The lyrics of "I Go Back" gained a new meaning after Chesney explained what gave him the push to write about Jack & Diane -- years after Mellencamp himself did so.

Fans got even louder when Chesney closed his part of the Farm Aid show with "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy." How else would you end the concert meant to help the family farms that actually use a John Deere?

This may have been Chesney's first Farm Aid, but Mellencamp has been in it for the long haul, having co-founded the nonprofit organization in 1985 with Willie Nelson and Neil Young. So when it was Mellencamp's turn to sing, he sang his message loud and clear. He was as outspoken as ever with songs about fighting authority, life and death in a small town and discrimination of all kinds. But nothing could've hit closer to home for the family farmers scattered throughout the crowd than Mellencamp's "Rain on the Scarecrow." The crowd was almost silent as he sang, "The crops we grew last summer/Weren't enough to pay the loans/Couldn't buy the seed to plant this spring/And the farmers' bank foreclosed."

Reports: Kenny Chesney & Rene Zellweger Call It Quits

I guess the rumors were correct, Kenny and Rene have announced they will be seeking an annulment. When I heard this last night (sorry I didn't post this until this morning), I was a bit surprised but at the same time reporters have been saying they were in trouble shortly after they got married. It's too bad because they seemed like a pretty good couple. I have a feeling their careers are just too busy for them to work on a marriage or even enjoy each other. The single life is probably the better way to go for these people until their careers have chilled out some.

I'm sure plenty of women out there are breathing a sigh of relief now that Kenny is back on the market. LOL!

Here are a few reports from this morning's news:

Source: CMT News

Kenny Chesney and Renee Zellweger are annulling their five-month marriage, Chesney's publicist confirmed Thursday afternoon (Sept. 15).

Another source close to Chesney said Zellweger was in New York when she initiated the annulment proceedings and that the singer received the news Wednesday (Sept. 14) in Nashville.

The couple married May 9 on the island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he owns a house. It was the first marriage for both.

Source: Sify Movies

Washington: After only four-months, Hollywood actress Renee Zellweger and country singer Kenny Chesney are having their marriage annulled.

The Oscar-winning actress reportedly filed for an annulment from her country star husband on Wednesday (14Sep05) in Los Angeles.

"The reports are true," E! Online quoted Zellweger's spokesperson Nanci Ryder as saying.

"There are no further details," she added Zellweger, 36, and Chesney, 37, wed May 9 on a beach in the Virgin Islands, which happened about five months after the couple met at a tsunami relief benefit in January 2005.

The marriage was the first for both.

Source: BBC News

Oscar-winning actress Renee Zellweger and country singer Kenny Chesney are seeking an annulment after four months of marriage.
The Bridget Jones star, 36, married Chesney, 37, on a Caribbean beach in May, having met four months earlier at a benefit for tsunami victims.

In court papers Zellweger listed "fraud" as the reason for the break-up but did not elaborate.

Chesney is one of the biggest country music stars in the US.

He was named entertainer of the year at the US Academy of Country Music awards in May, with hits including Me and You and She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy.

Zellweger won a best supporting actress Oscar for Cold Mountain in 2004, and was also nominated for her roles in Chicago and Bridget Jones's Diary.

It was the first marriage for both Zellweger and Chesney.

Marriage 'invalid': (This gives a good explaination of what an annulment is)

In US law, an annulment is a decree that a marriage was invalid from its outset.

Anyone seeking an annulment on the grounds of "fraud" must prove that their partner misrepresented some matter that was vital to the marriage.

This may include the concealment of a fact such as an existing spouse, permanent impotence or a criminal history.

If either party was under the influence of drugs or alcohol when the marriage took place, it may also be grounds for its annulment.

However, Zellweger's lawyer and her spokeswoman Nanci Ryder declined to give any details regarding the "fraud" claim in this case.

In her court submission, Zellweger also demanded that the court rule out the possibility of spousal financial support for Chesney.

The pair first met at the Concert of Hope tsunami relief benefit in January, where Chesney was singing and Zellweger was answering telephones.

Source: E! News

A week ago, Renee Zellweger was "happily married" to Kenny Chesney. But in the whirlwind romantic life of the Oscar-winning actress, a lot can happen in seven days.

Wednesday in Los Angeles, Zellweger checked the paperwork box marked "fraud," and filed for an annulment from her country star husband of four months.

"The reports are true," Zellweger rep Nanci Ryder confirmed. "There are no further details."

Zellweger, 36, and Chesney, 37, wed May 9 on a beach in the Virgin Islands. The bride wore a strapless Carolina Herrera; the groom, a black Stetson.

New Kenny Chesney Song: Who You Would Be Today

It was weird... I heard this song as soon as I got into my office this morning that sounded like Kenny Chesney, but I didn't recognize the song. Turns out, he released a song to the radio stations already. The song is called "Who You Would Be Today". I only heard the second half of the song, but it sounded a little like a tear-jerker. Pretty good song though. Can you tell that I'm just itchin' for new Chesney material?

9/11 2005: Four Years Have Past

I would like to take a minute [or two] to remember our heros, victims and families of the victims of 9/11/2001. It seems just like yesterday that we were under attack from the lowest scum of the earth/cowards that slammed aircraft into buildings. I will never forget that fateful day and I hope no American that experienced it will ever forget that day and the people who lost their lives.

I pray for all who were affected by the attacks of 9/11.

CMA Award Nominations 2005

So they are picking the nominees for the CMA Awards today. I'm kind of pissed that Kenny Chesney wasn't nominated in a couple of categories like Single of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year or Video of the Year, but hey... He can't win everything, right?

Hopefully, Kenny will take Entertainer of the Year again and it would be nice if he gets Male Vocalist of the Year.

Man... Choices are so hard to pick in the Female Vocalist of the Year and the Horizon Award. It will be interesting to see how close I am with my picks. It would be nice if Montgomery Gentry would win Duo of the Year, but I'm thinking Brooks & Dunn will probably take it. Don't get me wrong... I love B&D, but I also really like Montgomery Gentry as well. You know, Van Zant might just surprise us with that category. I haven't really watched every video, but I did think Toby Keith's As Good As I Once Was was a pretty funny video. He needs to win something, ya know? Musician of the Year -- I have no idea who will win it, I just had to pick something. :)

So what are your choices? If you want, go ahead and post a response if you like.

Following are the final nominees (my picks are in red):

Entertainer of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Alan Jackson
Toby Keith
Brad Paisley
Keith Urban

Female Vocalist of the Year
Sara Evans
Alison Krauss
Martina McBride
Gretchen Wilson
Lee Ann Womack

Male Vocalist of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Alan Jackson
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Keith Urban

Horizon Award
Dierks Bentley
Big & Rich
Miranda Lambert
Julie Roberts
Sugarland

Vocal Group of the Year
Alison Krauss & Union Station Featuring Jerry Douglas
Diamond Rio
Lonestar
Rascal Flatts
Sugarland

Vocal Duo of the Year
Big & Rich
Brooks & Dunn
Montgomery Gentry
Van Zant
The Warren Brothers

Single of the Year
(Award Goes to Artist and Producer)

"Alcohol"
Artist: Brad Paisley
Producer: Frank Rogers
Arista Nashville

"As Good As I Once Was"
Artist: Toby Keith
Producers: Toby Keith, James Stroud
DreamWorks Records Nashville

"Baby Girl"
Artist: Sugarland
Producer: Garth Fundis
Mercury Records Nashville

"Bless the Broken Road"
Artist: Rascal Flatts
Producers: Mark Bright, Rascal Flatts, Marty Williams
Lyric Street Records

"I May Hate Myself in the Morning"
Artist: Lee Ann Womack
Producer: Byron Gallimore
MCA Nashville

Album of the Year
(Award Goes to Artist and Producer)

Be Here
Artist: Keith Urban
Producers: Dann Huff, Keith Urban
Capitol Records Nashville

Feels Like Today
Artist: Rascal Flatts
Producers: Mark Bright, Rascal Flatts, Marty Williams
Lyric Street Records

Live Like You Were Dying
Artist: Tim McGraw
Producers: Byron Gallimore, Tim McGraw, Darran Smith
Curb Records

Somewhere Down in Texas
Artist: George Strait
Producers: Tony Brown, George Strait
MCA Nashville

There's More Where That Came From
Artist: Lee Ann Womack
Producers: Greg Droman, Byron Gallimore
MCA Nashville

Song of the Year
(Award Goes to Songwriter and Primary Publisher)

"Alcohol"
Songwriter: Brad Paisley
Publishers: EMI April, Sea Gayle Music

"As Good As I Once Was"
Songwriters: Scotty Emerick, Toby Keith
Publishers: Tokeco Tunes, Sony/ATV Songs, Big Yellow Dog Music, Florida Cracker Music

"Bless the Broken Road"
Songwriters: Bobby Boyd, Jeff Hanna, Marcus Hummon
Publishers: Careers-BMG Music, Floyd's Dream Music, Jeff Diggs Music

"I May Hate Myself in the Morning"
Songwriter: Odie Blackmon
Publisher: Cal IV Songs

"Redneck Woman"
Songwriters: John Rich, Gretchen Wilson
Publishers: Sony/ATV, Cross Keys, Hoosiermama Music, WB Music

"Whiskey Lullaby"
Songwriters: Bill Anderson, Jon Randall
Publishers: Sony/ATV, Mr. Bubba Music, Reynsong, Wha Ya Say Music

Musical Event of the Year
"Good News, Bad News"
George Strait With Lee Ann Womack
MCA Nashville

"I'll Never Be Free"
Willie Nelson With Lee Ann Womack
Lost Highway Records

"New Again"
Brad Paisley and Sara Evans
Wind Up Records

"Party for Two"
Shania Twain With Billy Currington
Mercury Records Nashville

"Trip Around the Sun"
Jimmy Buffett With Martina McBride
RCA Records

Music Video of the Year
(Award Goes to Artist and Director)

"Alcohol"
Artist: Brad Paisley
Director: Jim Shea

"As Good As I Once Was"
Artist: Toby Keith
Director: Michael Salomon

"Days Go By"
Artist: Keith Urban
Director: Wayne Isham

"I May Hate Myself in the Morning"
Artist: Lee Ann Womack
Director: Trey Fanjoy

"When I Think About Cheatin'"
Artists: Gretchen Wilson
Directors: Robert Deaton, George J. Flanigen IV

Musician of the Year
Jerry Douglas -- Dobro
Paul Franklin -- Steel Guitar
Dann Huff -- Electric Guitar
Brent Mason -- Guitar/Electric Guitar
Randy Scruggs -- Guitar/Mandolin

Hurricane Katrina Relief

Looks like Kenny is also getting into the act in helping out families of this horrible natural disaster.

It was nice to see Tim McGraw doing his part on NBC the other night along with some 18 celebrities, including Wynton Marsalis, Lindsay Lohan, Leonardo DiCaprio, Harry Connick Jr., Mike Myers, Hilary Swank, Claire Danes, John Goodman and Aaron Neville. It took an unexpected turn when the outspoken rapper Kanye West launched into a tirade about the government's response to the disaster, claiming "George Bush doesn't care about black people." I wonder if Kenny will be doing a similar television special?

Here's what I found off of Mr. Chesney's official website news page which was posted today (fresh off the presses):

FARM AID OFFERS IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE FOR FARMERS DEVASTATED BY HURRICANE KATRINA

Farm Aid will channel emergency assistance to farm families devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Farm Aid today activated the Family Farm Disaster Fund to encourage donations so that farm families can get the help they need to recover from the hurricane and continue farming.
"This is a moment when each of us can take stock of what we can offer to everyone affected by this catastrophe, and Farm Aid is in a position to act for farm families," said Farm Aid President Willie Nelson. "Crop and livestock losses will be massive. Many farm buildings were destroyed in the storm and ensuing flooding. A disaster of this magnitude can be a breaking point for many Southern family farms."

Individuals can contribute to Farm Aid's disaster fund on-line at www.farmaid.org or by calling 1-800-FARM-AID. In addition to funds raised by people across the country, Farm Aid has sent an initial $30,000 to several of its partner family farm organizations in the southeast. The funds will allow the Federation of Southern Cooperatives and the Louisiana Interchurch Conference to immediately begin assessing needs in these states and providing emergency relief. The Farmers Legal Action Group will also step in with information they have developed on how farmers can access federal disaster programs.

For twenty years, Farm Aid has responded to many weather-related disasters that have pushed family farmers to the brink of ruin. Already, there is an outpouring of desire among farmers and farm groups to help other farm families affected by Katrina.
"Fortunately, we can convene our farm group partners across the country to develop additional longer-term actions that Farm Aid and its donors can support," added Farm Aid Executive Director Carolyn Mugar.

While the full extent of the damage to family farms is still unknown, Farm Aid representatives have been told that the infrastructure of many rural southeastern communities has been devastated and will take months to repair. That means many farm families are facing an extended period without phone service, electricity, clean water or modes of transportation. In addition, major crop losses are anticipated as many crops were just a week or two from being harvested when the hurricane hit. Without transport or feed for farm animals, livestock and poultry farmers face serious challenges to keep their animals alive over the coming days and weeks.

Farm Aid will hold its 20th Anniversary concert on September 18 in Tinley Park, IL, just south of Chicago. Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp held the first Farm Aid concert in 1985 in Champaign, IL to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep farm families on their land. Dave Matthews joined the Farm Aid Board of Directors in 2001. Farm Aid has raised more than $27 million to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture. Through public education and direct grants, Farm Aid supports national, regional and local efforts to build and strengthen family farm food production.

# # #

The Road and the Radio Album Cover

I was surfing on BNArecords.com (Kenny Chesney's record label) this morning and saw his new album cover. It's the first time I have seen it anywhere, so it's pretty cool that I found it and thought I would share it with you. Obviously the CD is not out yet, and it's not scheduled for release until November 8, so I guess they still have time to change the album cover. So, I'll just say that this is the unofficial album cover of his new album "The Road and the Radio." Maybe I'll give BNA a call today to confirm. (I confirmed it with the nice young lady at BNA... It will be the cover to his latest album.)

Looking at this new album cover, I found it interesting that Kenny Chesney's last 4 album covers have him posed looking straight at the camera. This cover shows him looking away from the camera similar to his album Everywhere We Go. And a lot of his other earlier albums have him photographed not looking straight at the camera. Is this a hint of what the album will be like? Is Kenny getting back to his roots of his earlier albums? I guess we will have to wait and see.

Let the countdown begin... We only have about 75 days until Kenny's newest album “The Road and the Radio" release date. As I mentioned before... I cannot wait to hear some tracks off this one! Personally, I hope this album is a lot like Kenny's When The Sun Goes Down album. I just think that sound is great for him.

Kenny Chesney Music Download Clips

Here are a few songs (audio clips) from Kenny's When The Sun Goes Down album.

1 There Goes My Life
2 I Go Back
3 When The Sun Goes Down
4 The Woman With You
5 Some People Change
6 Anything But Mine
7 Keg In The Closet
8 When I Think About Leaving
9 Being Drunk's A Lot Like Loving You
10 Outta Here
11 Old Blue Chair
12 Live Those Songs
13 What I Need To Do
14 Please Come To Boston

You will need to listen to the clips above.

Kenny's Thoughts

I am always amazed by some of the stuff I read from Kenny. He's got so many different layers of his thoughts... Such an interesting person. I thought I would share this with you.

"I learned I was strong enough to let go down there, strong enough to move on… that it’s not necessarily a bad thing to be running from something and chasing something all at the same time. I think deep down a lot of people are that way, whether they’ll face it or not – The islands, though, give you the freedom to be real honest with yourself about yourself and about your life." -Kenny Chesney

Kenny Chesney's Best Summer Memories

I found this article this morning and tried to think of one of my favorite summer memories. I remember I was about 13 and my aunt took me to the beach on the south side of Long Island along with a few other kids and a special young lady around the same age as me. We used to ride the waves and when we needed a little shade, we would hide from everyone under the boardwalk and innocently kiss one another. Looking back at that now puts a smile on my face.

Enjoy the article...

Source: netmusiccountdown.com

NASHVILLE, TN -- Kenny Chesney is having the best summer of his life this year, with a fabulous new wife in his life, and a monster, sellout tour.

But, he says the best summer of his young life goes back to when he had that lifeguard job.

"The best summer I ever had was the summer after my freshman year in college and me and my best friend, David Farmer, were lifeguards at this pool at a lake resort down in East Tennessee. David's folks had a houseboat and we drove it down from their dock to where the pool was and we stayed there for two weeks without going home. We'd just be in the sun all day, go life guard, then get off work and go back to the boat and cook and then take out David's ski boat skiin' and then we'd fish all night," he said.

What, no partying?

"Well, we weren't alone," he said with a grin, they were lifeguards after all. "We had a lot of fun...and so...that two weeks on that boat made it the best summer I had."

Two Sold Out Shows For Kenny Chesney At Alltel Pavilion

Yes, more sold out shows for the face of new country Mr. Chesney. His two shows that sold out at Raleigh's Alltel Pavilion were around 40,000 tickets. Friday night's show sold out in 13 minutes.
Kenny played a couple of songs off of his latest album Be As You Are: Songs From An Old Blue Chair, then the crowd really enjoyed songs from When The Sun Goes Down album. He also sang songs off of other albums like "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" and "How Forever Feels", which had the audience singing and dancing in their seats.

Some say the Somewhere in the Sun tour has the same feel as last summer's Guitars, Tiki Bars and a Whole Lot of Love tour -- With a very close set of songs as last years tour. I saw him in Ft. Lauderdale this year and Kracker, Gretchen and Chesney rocked the house. He was awesome! Speaking of Kracker, at the Alltel Pavilion, Kenny and Kracker did When The Sun Goes Down as well as a rendition of Kid Rock's "Cowboy."

Chesney and Gretchen Wilson sang together doing one of John Mellencamp's songs "Hurts So Good."

The ticket price for one of Kenny's shows is not exactly cheap, but for what he gives the audience, it is well worth the price. According to Kenny Chesney's website www.kennychesney.com, his remaining shows are sold out -- Which means you'll have to wait until next time to see him live. I for one cannot wait to see him perform live again.

Article on Zellweger Slamming Reports About Her Marriage

Found this article today which was published August 1, 2005. I'm a little more hopeful hearing about this. I think I might have blogged some of this news on another day... It does look familiar. Anyway, for those of you that are also bummed about all the negative publicity, here you go:

Oscar-winner Renee Zellweger has slammed reports her three month marriage to country singer Kenny Chesney is in trouble.

British newspaper the Daily Mail claimed on July 30, the famous couple have barely spent any time together since their wedding in May.

The 36-year-old Texan actress and 37-year-old musician married on the Caribbean island of St John after a whirlwind four month courtship. A unnamed friend of the actress alleged, "The realities of married life are hitting them both awfully hard. "Renee had no idea how involved in every aspect of her life Kenny would want to be.

She'd never even seen him lose his temper before the wedding, but now he seems to think he can tell Renee what to do, what to wear, where to go and who to see. He doesn't seem to like her hanging out with her old friends."

Zellweger's publicist Nanci Ryder has laughed off the rumors, saying their relationship is "great".

Meanwhile, Chesney's spokeswoman Holly Gleason remarks, "He's focusing on what he does best: making music."

List of Average Box Office Gross Per City

This is interesting... The list below ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America:

• 1. Dave Matthews Band; $1,179,472; $43.55.
• 2. Kenny Chesney; $1,000,527; $57.34.
• 3. James Taylor; $610,522; $46.48.
• 4. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers; $595,495; $36.10.
• 5. Stevie Nicks/Don Henley; $455,031; $61.33.
• 6. Bruce Springsteen; $437,060; $82.86.
• 7. Santana; $410,613; $45.68.
• 8. Rascal Flatts; $406,512; $33.68.
• 9. Sting; $395,530; $56.39.
• 10. Green Day; $379,150; $33.89.

Found this on an online newspaper article.

What? Quicky Divorce!

I heard an interesting thing from an online magazine. It seems that Renee Zellweger is dragging Mr. Chesney to counselling sessions just three months into their marriage. Kenny's obsession with food and fitness has Renee thinking about doing a "quickie divorce".

I still don't buy it. I guess I am just being hopeful that it will work out for the two. Maybe it's just gossip.

Kenny Is Matching Event Records To The Likes Of Elvis & Elton

Source: channelcincinnati.com

Kenny Chesney is on his "Somewhere In The Sun" tour, and he's racking up records matched by only two artists before him. He's sold out three nights at Atlanta's Philips Arena. In the history of Atlanta's major arenas, only Elvis Presley and Elton John have sold out three nights in a row. For the math-minded, that's close to 18,000 tickets per night. Chesney said when they told him, it took him back a little bit. He said the first record he ever bought was Elvis' "Greatest Hits" and he feels he's in some pretty special company. Chesney's current single is "Keg In The Closet" from his When The Sun Goes Down album.

New Kenny Chesney Video

Source: channelcincinnati.com

He is playing a concert in Cincinnati later this month, but country singer Kenny Chesney was also expected in the city Monday, to shoot a music video. Details about filming locations and other specifics were being kept extremely quiet. And, a local production company that put together his two previous music videos was also tight-lipped. Chesney, who recently married actress Renee Zellweger, performs at the US Bank Arena on Aug. 25, 2005.

Chesney & Zellweger Heading For A Split?

I keep on hearing (or reading) rumors about them not getting along and having "petty" sqarrels over their Nashville mansion. They reportedly have not spent very much time together since their May 9 wedding in the Virgin Islands.

Could this be true already? Personally, I highly doubt it. They seem pretty much in love and it's just too early to tell how they will work out. Hopefully it's just rumors and they will live happily ever after, but you never know I guess. They are both strong willed people and if they want it to work out, it will.

Zellweger's publicist, Nanci Ryder, tried to put an end to the rumors, saying the relationship is "great." Chesney's spokeswoman, however, had a more telling remark. "He's focusing on what he does best: making music."

Hmmm... That leads me to another post. Is there a new Kenny Chesney album in the works?

Kenny Chesney Facts

Birthdate: 3/26/1968
Education: East Tennessee State University
Relationships: Renee Zellweger, 2005
Fact: Used to be a full-time songwriter and first hit the charts in country music in the early 1990s with " When I Close My Eyes."
Musical Styles: New Traditionalist, Contemporary Country, ...

***If anyone knows of more info on Kenny, feel free to add more. ***

Found some more facts (8/18/2005):

Name: Kenneth Arnold Chesney
Birth place: Luttrell, TN
Hair color: Dark Brown
Eye color: Blue
Residence: Gallatin, TN - St. Thomas, VI
Education: Graduated East Tennessee State University with a marketing degree in 1990.
Label: BNA
Favorite color: Blue
Favorite sports: Baseball, football, NASCAR
Favorite food: Macaroni and tomatoes, cornbread, fried potatoes and - according to his mom - peanut butter.
Albums:
In My Wildest Dreams 1993 All I Need To Know 1995 Me And You 1996 I Will Stand 1997 Everywhere We Go 1999 Greatest Hits 2000 No Shoes No Shirt No Problems 2002 When The Sun Goes Down 2004 Be As You Are: Songs From An Old Blue Chair 2005
Billboard Top 10 Singles: "Fall in Love" (No. 6, 1995)"All I Need To Know" (No. 8, 1995)"Me And You" (No. 2, 1996)"When I Close My Eyes" (No. 2, 1996)"She's Got It All" (No.1, 1997)"That's Why I'm Here" (No. 6, 1998)"How Forever Feels" (No. 1, 1999)"You Had Me From Hello" (No. 1, 1999)"What I Need To Do" (No. 8, 2000)"I Lost It" (No. 3, 2001)"It Don't Happen Twice" (No. 1, 2001)"Young" (No. 2, 2002)