Amy had a one-on-one interview with Kenny Chesney at his record label. They talked about which artists have impacted him, how Chesney knew he wanted to pursue a career in music and more!
Chesney said asking him what his favorite song is, is impossible, but a lot of George Strait songs changed the trajectory of his life. Growing up, there were a lot of songs that Dean Dillon wrote, and Strait recorded that made him want to chase a music dream in the first place. When he was a senior in High School that’s when he kind of knew he wanted to pursue a career in music, but when he got to college, he started to play at a bar in Johnson City, Tennessee for tips, and that’s when he knew. He didn’t know how or where it would take him, but that’s when he knew he loved performing music. He was singing cover songs from his heroes Strait, Randy Travis, The Eagles, Tom Petty, and when people would turn around and watch him sing, he loved that feeling. Music overall impacted him, and he always gravitated towards the singer songwriters. He said he has gotten to a place in his life where the artists who had songs that changed his life, he is now friends with.
He recalled the first time he met Strait was years ago at the BMI Awards and it was just in passing. Chesney was way more excited to meet him than Strait was. Then a few years later, he went on the road with him and got to know him and they formed a friendship. To be in the car with your mother as a child listening to Strait, to then having your tour bus parked next to his is a surreal moment. When he had a conversation with Bruce Springsteen about songwriting and becoming friends over the years was something he did not see coming.
His new song, “Take Her Home,” is about shooting your shot and taking chances and risks, and he hopes if someone hears it, it will inspire them to chase their music dreams. He looks for songs that he can relate to and are his life, but he always feels like throughout his career, he’s been able to find songs that he knew other people could relate to also, and he felt like his new song had that thread in it. He had been looking for a song like this bus was done recording his new album, until HARDY sent him the song and said when he wrote it, it reminded him of his song “There Goes My Life.” When he heard it, he was thrilled because there aren’t too many people writing these types of life songs now.
You can hear Amy’s full interview with Chesney on The Bobby Bones Show podcast on iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to podcasts!