Backstage Country

LISTEN LIVE

Kenny Chesney Breaks Nashville Stadium Record, Welcomes Kelsea Ballerini

Over the weekend (5/28), Kenny Chesney broke Eric Church’s attendance record at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium. During the show, Kenny brought out fellow native Tennessean Kelsea Ballerini to sing their hit…

Kenny Chesney Breaks Nashville Stadium Record, Welcomes Kelsea Ballerini
Getty Images

Over the weekend (5/28), Kenny Chesney broke Eric Church's attendance record at Nashville's Nissan Stadium. During the show, Kenny brought out fellow native Tennessean Kelsea Ballerini to sing their hit duet "Half Of My Hometown."

Kenny said, "I grew up in East Tennessee, and she grew up in East Tennessee. We drove down some of the same roads together. We went to a lot of the same places to eat with our families. We listened to the same radio station and listened to a lot of people tell us we couldn't do certain things that we have dreamed of all our life."

Chesney posted photos of the two of them rehearsing on Instagram. He wrote, "The Nashville show was so special for me on so many levels. Sharing the stage with @kelseaballerini was one of my favorite shared musical moments in a very long time. Thank you, Kelsea. I'm proud of you!! #HereAndNowTour #KCNashville,"

Chelsea responded in part, "I couldn't adore you more, Chesney."

Actress Reese Witherspoon also responded by writing, "Love this."

Kenny Chesney's 20 Best Songs, Ranked

Nancy Brooks has been working in the country music industry for almost 30 years. She has interviewed pretty much any country star you can think of. In the late 1990s, she started working with Dolly Parton. And yes, Nancy reports that Parton is as sweet as you would think. She loves her life in country music and has been backstage at every CMA Awards show since the late 1990s. Many of her stories are from her one-on-one interviews. She was there at the beginning of the incredible careers of many music superstars today, including Taylor Swift, Shania Twain, and Blake Shelton, and has interviewed them multiple times throughout the years.