Kenny Chesney is one of the most successful artists in country music today. He has sold more than 30 million albums in his career. After releasing his long-awaited album Born last Friday (March 22), that number is sure to grow by leaps and bounds. Next month, Chesney will kick off his Sun Goes Down Tour in Tampa, Florida. While he is sitting on top of the world, the East Tennessee native recently revealed his biggest fear.
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Over the weekend, Chesney appeared on Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist. During the conversation, he told the Today Show correspondent about how far he’s come in his career. He also revealed that he’s “terrified” of becoming complacent in his success.
[Kenny Chesney Sun Goes Down Tour 2024: Get Tickets]
How Kenny Chesney Fights Complacency
Chesney and Geist spoke at the empty MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on a rainy morning. Chesney spoke about his humble beginnings and rising to fame after the release of No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem.
While overlooking the empty stadium from a comfortable press box, Geist asked, “Is this a moment to stop and pinch yourself a little bit and say ‘Wow, look where I’ve come since I rolled into Nashville in January of ’91 and I’m going to fill up this place’?”
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“No,” Chesney replied. “I’m terrified of being complacent and failure,” he added. Then, he explained how he fights complacency. “We always get into a stadium marked on Friday. Then, on Friday, after soundcheck, I’ll go to the very top and sit by myself. I want to be grateful for what’s happened and just reflect on all the years it took to get to this spot,” he explained.
Additionally, those quiet moments give Chesney a chance to see the stage from the cheap seats. “If I’m going to come close to connecting with these people I got to have their perspective,” he added.
Then, Chesney said, “If you want to find me on a Friday night, I’m probably sittin’ up here alone thinking about what I’ve got to do the next night and just taking a moment to reflect and remember how grateful I am to be here.”
Featured Image by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images
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