Kenny Chesney On What Makes Him Happy
Kenny Chesney has become the undisputed king of summer.
His "Poets And Pirates" tour has been drawing huge sellout crowds (he recently played at LP field in Nashville in front of more than 40,000 fans) and sales of his most recent CD, "Just Who I Am: Poets And Pirates" are still going strong.
The album's latest single, "Better As A Memory," recently hit No. 1 on the country charts. That gives him three number ones from his current album and 14 for his career.
He's taking a few days off from his tour to attend Tuesday's All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium (he's a huge sports fan) and he stopped by The Early Show to talk about his summer tour and plans for the future. Chesney also brought 90 copies of his latest album "Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates" to hand out to Plaza crowd.
Chesney said that for his fans, his show is more than just a concert.
Photos: Kenny Chesney
"I've had people tell me all year they look at our show as an event, as something to forget about gas prices, something to forget about what's going on in that area of their life," he told weather anchor and features reporter Dave Price. "That's a huge compliment to me."
It isn't easy to reach every person in a crowd of 40,000. Chesney said that it's a challenge, but he has a method he uses in large venues.
"Every night before I go on stage I go up to the very top of the stadium, sit completely by myself, look at the stage, look at how far I have to mentally go to reach the person standing right there in the back row."
The 40-year-old musician began his recording career in the mid-1990s, earning his first platinum album for 1997's "I Will Stand."
He's been playing stadium shows for years now, but sees no signs of slowing down.
"I think as a performer, you know, as in anything, I think the more you do it the better you get," he said. "The guys in the band - my main guys - have been with me for 12 years. As a unit we're pretty in tune with what everybody is doing up there."
For Chesney, his time on stage is his favorite time of all.
"I'm not burned out on the music," he said. "I'm burned out on everything that comes around it. The two hours that we get to go on stage and play, is the happiest I ever am."
Chesney, along with Bon Jovi and Eric Clapton, are part of a MasterCard promotion that gives fans a chance to join them on tour. Click here to find out more.