He's Come Along Way

Kenny Chesney got together with the Nashville media this week to announce his first Music City stadium show.

It is an amazing climb from a bar singer for 10 years in downtown Nashville in mid-90's to 50,000 fans at a football stadium this summer!

Kenny is the hardest working star in Nashville. He's paid his dues and, rich as he may be, he still seems like that kid who hauled the amp and guitar around in his pick-up truck. If bets were taken on Music Row about future stars for stadium tours, I don't think Kenny would have been in the top 100 ten years ago. Probably not even 5 years ago. Was the key to all this that horse stealing thing in Buffalo that got him on the Tonight Show? As stupid as that sounds , that was the first time those outside country heard of him. There's no such a thing as bad publicity, so they say.

Kenny SHOULD be Entertainer of the Year at the ACM's this year despite all the publicity around Mr. Urban. Keith is the fastest rising star on a worldwide basis. He is getting to the very top quickly. He's still NOT quite at the ticket sales level as Chesney. Kenny is in rare air that very few in any music genre dwell.

Hooray for Kenny. He deserves the success!

Mr. Urban, by the way, remains unmarried despite non-stop rumors of Kidman/Urban sightings and nuptials. I hear he likes the celebrity involved with his famous gal pal. And why not? He is a fine musician, his fellow musicians love him, and it's only going to get better. I will just be glad when this Kidman issue is open or whatever and he can start being normal with the press again.

How's this for a great recording session this week: Willie, Merle and Ray Price!

Tom Wopat got busted for DUI. Wonder what his mug shot will look like. The country singer DUI list is higher than POP ... Hmmmm.

Glad to report that the danger seems to be past in the injuries to Hank Williams Jr.'s daughters Holly and Hilary. A break and cuts etc. for Holly and far more serious hip injuries to Hilary, but its going to be OK. The girls' car flipped over twice in Northern Mississippi on Wednesday the 15th around noon. No drugs, booze, good weather. Police are still trying to figure it out.

Sat in on a fun radio morning show this week in Tampa at WQYK. This is a fine station with a wonderful legacy. Mornings now are anchored by Steve Austin, who's solid as a rock, and two nuts, Cledus T. Judd and Chad Brock. Cledus and Chad are just wonderful people outside radio and this week Big and Rich came by and whoa ... danger zone! Glad someone had their hand on the kill switches. Big and Rich are fun and why radio doesn't embrace them 100% is weird. They are different, but TV loves them. Radio needs to get it. But, some radio folks just don't get it, them, or anything else.

Keep seeing a few of the morning syndication shows failing. That's good news. YES, good news. LOCAL radio needs local people to SURVIVE. Even the dumbass radio people are starting to learn that lesson. Saving money on a morning show is NOT the place to start.

How is the CMA Music festival going to do this year? Lots of baby acts, as always. A few big evergreen artists. The "A" stars never really did Fan Fair. It's a place where you for sure DO see the stars of tomorrow. Maybe we all need to focus on that point.