Kenny Chesney Biography

Fast Facts

• Grew up in Luttrell, TN, birthplace of country legend Chet Atkins
• Became serious about a music career during his college years, after receiving a guitar as a gift and joining the university's bluegrass band
• First album, In My Wildest Dreams, was released in 1993 and sold 100,000 copies
• Penned the 1999 tune "You Had Me From Hello" after watching Renee Zellweger's performance in the 1996 film Jerry Maguire
• Six years later, Chesney and Zellweger surprised the world with a quickie wedding and an even quicker annulment just four months later
• Received numerous industry honors, including several Entertainer of the Year wins at both the Country Music Association Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards
• Is an avid football fan (he was a wide receiver in high school), and has participated in workouts with the New Orleans Saints and created a song for ESPN's college-football coverage
• Named No
• 8 on Billboard's Top Touring Artists of the Decade
• His stadium tours in the 2000s reached more than 9 million fans and were documented in the 2010 theatrical concert film Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3D
• Honored as Tennessean of the Year by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in February 2011