Kenny ChesneyBy Toni Bell

Early Life

Born in 1968 Mother was a hair stylist Father was an

elementary school teacher

He only has one sister Wide receiver for High

School football team

How he got started…

Loved Country music and Rock & Roll throughout high school

He received a guitar for Christmas in college

He joined a college bluegrass band

Getting Discovered

Resident performer at The Turf

Landed a record contract with Capricorn

“In My Wildest Dreams” was his first album

After Capricorn, he signed with RCA subsidiary BNA

Personal Life

Married Renee Zellweger in 2005

Divorced Renee Zellweger seven months later

Dated Miss Tennessee USA

Success

21 number one hits, and counting

Won 16 industry awards

Headlined 5 tours since 2005

Fourth biggest tour of the year in 2008

Album Success

Me and You went Gold I Will Stand went Platinum Everywhere We Go went Double Platinum Greatest Hits went Double Platinum No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem was his

best album yet

Composition History

Beer in Mexico I Go Back Out Last Night Reality

I Go Back

Released May 3, 2004 Produced by Kenny Chesney and Buddy

Cannon Spent 7 weeks at number 2 on U.S.

Billboard country charts in 2004

Beer In Mexico

Released January 7, 2008 Produced by Kenny Chesney and Buddy

Cannon Fifth and final single on The Road and the

Radio album First song written by himself that reached

number 1

Out Last Night Released April 6, 2009 Produced by Kenny Chesney and Buddy

Cannon Only new track on his 2009 Greatest Hits

II album

Reality

Released October 3, 2011 Produced by Kenny Chesney and Buddy

Cannon Fifth single off of Hemingway’s Whiskey

album

Listening Guide

I Go Back 0.00 The rhythm repeats with the same notes four times. Slow

tempo. 0:10 More instruments break in at this point and create a new

texture. More upbeat. 0:21 Vocals enter at this point with the same melody in the

background as in 0:00. 0:38 The timbre of the instruments go to a lower pitch, however the

vocals stay the same timbre. 0:44 The tempo speeds up and the vocals then make a slightly

higher pitch. The rhythm stays the same as it was in the first verse. 1:11 Vocals are at a higher timbre towards the end of the verse with

prominent percussion in the background to make the beat. 1:15 Vocals end temporarily and the rhythm of the instruments

speed up then go into soft dynamics until vocals reenter.

Continued… 1:20 Vocals come in again. The tempo isn’t as fast for the instruments in the background and the

instruments combine to a certain form where the percussion is a disjunctive melody and the string instruments have a conjunct melody.

1:40 Vocals have a higher pitch and the tempo goes quicker. The melody moves step by step throughout the chorus, with an organized form for what the notes are.

2:10 Guitar has a quick tempo and a higher pitch while the vocals finish up the chorus. 2:19 Slower tempo from the instruments. The dynamics go quieter. 2:31 Three higher notes with a medium tempo are used for the transformation from the Bridge to

the Chorus again. 2:32 Dynamics go quieter for the final Chorus. The rhythm is kept the same with the same beat,

just not as many chords in harmony. Vocals have softer dynamics. Little accompaniment for the texture.

2:44 More harmony is added to make a louder timbre. The texture involves more instruments with the vocals.

2:58 Tempo speeds up slightly. Harmony is increased with the more chords used while vocals repeat “I Go Back” with variations in the melody.

3:50 The song begins to fade out and get quieter as it ends.

Beer in Mexico 0:00 Begins with a quick tempo. The texture involves different instruments as it

approaches the first verse. The rhythm is somewhat fast with a quick jump from melody to melody.

0:14 The tempo slows down and has quiet dynamics, then harmony is added with more melody from the guitar again.

0:19 Fast tempo of notes right before first verse starts 0:21 Vocals come in. The rhythm is medium paced. Vocals have medium dynamics.

There isn’t much texture between the vocals and instruments. There is accompaniment from percussion and a low pitch of guitar.

0:48 High timbre with vocals. Tempo speeds up. Rhythm stays the same. Harmony is assisted with more guitar chords. Between each line of the chorus, there is a burst of guitar notes separating the lines with a high pitch and fast tempo.

1:10 Timbre lowers with instruments and vocals, but keeps tempo quick. 1:13 Texture of drums, guitar, and bass moving with a fast tempo and a constant

rhythm.

Continued… 1:20 Rhythm remains the same with vocals and instruments. The form of the

instruments has repetition within this part of the song. 1:47 Timbre goes higher. Tempo speeds up, but keeps constant rhythm throughout

chorus. 2:08 Timbre gets lower and tempo slows down as the instruments slightly go quieter. 2:13 Vocals stop temporarily. Guitar has a solo that has a conjunct melody. The

notes vary from high to low throughout the solo. 2:25 Vocals reenter and have a lower dynamics. The voice moves slower from note

to note, but the tempo of the instruments have the same melody as before, keeping the rhythm.

2:41 Harmony has fewer instruments with the vocals. Vocals are at a slow tempo and the instruments don’t have as much texture at this point.

3:20 Guitar solo plays with a quick tempo and is combined with drums and trumpets. High timbre of the guitar.

4:08 Fades out with guitar playing to the end.

Out Last Night 0:00 Immediate medium tempo at the beginning. The form is

organized into a more disjunct melody. 0:14 Vocals have a low timbre. The dynamics of this part of the

song are softer with a medium tempo. 0:28 Vocals raise pitch and more harmony is added to create a

higher pitch. 0:40 Drums are played with a fact tempo to lead up to the chorus.

Higher timbre with instruments and vocals. Quicker, but organized tempo throughout chorus. Rhythm remains the same.

1:05 Chorus ends. Instruments are brought in with softer dynamics. Same melody is used throughout this part of the song.

1:10 Lower timbre of vocals and a medium tempo. 1:24 Timbre went higher and tempo sped up.

Continued… 1:35 Tempo speeds up. Pitch is higher. Melody

is conjunct throughout the chorus. The harmony of more instruments made it a higher timbre.

2:03 The tempo slowed down slightly. Vocals went slower, thus making a different melody. Dynamics were slightly quieter than chorus

2:18 Tempo speeds up. Dynamics went louder. Harmony added with more instruments.

2:44 Vocals ended. The rhythm held a fast beat. 3:07 Faded out to the end with a faster rhythm.

Reality 0:00 Beginning notes were fast in tempo, but then the notes had a

slow rhythm. 0:05 More instruments were added for the harmony of the song.

Tempo sped up drastically. However, the form was organized and repeated.

0:32 Vocals enter. Low dynamics. Rhythm remained the same. 0:43 Vocals raise timbre. Instruments begin to combine for more

harmony. 0:50 More chords are used to lead up to chorus. Higher pitch is

used. Melody is conjunct. The form of the vocals and instruments have a distinct pattern.

1:13 Vocals end. Instruments have a higher timbre and a fast tempo.

Continued… 1:24 Timbre lowers. Tempo gets slightly slower. 1:35 Timbre of the vocals rise while the harmony of instruments get

louder with dynamics. 1:44 Tempo increases. Vocals have a higher pitch. Texture of

vocals and instruments are used together as accompaniment. 2:05 Pitch lowers but tempo stays the same. 2:18 Guitar solo takes place right now with a fast tempo, but keeps

a constant rhythm. 2:38 Timbre is high. Harmony is decreased with less instruments for

a moment. 3:00 Guitar breaks in and adds a quick paced melody as vocals

finish the chorus. 3:23 Fades out and ends with an abrupt guitar chord.

Bibliography Bio.True Story. Kenny Chesney.biography. 2012. A&E Television Networks.

19 Feb. 2012. Web. http://www.biography.com/people/kenny-chesney-12985738

CMT Get country. Kenny Chesney Biography. 2012. Country Music Television, Inc. 19 Feb. 2012. Web. http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/chesney_kenny/bio.jhtml

OnlineTickets.com. Kenny Chesney Interesting Facts. 2008. OnlineTickets.com. 19 Feb 2012. Web. http://www.onlinetickets.com/info/concert_tours/kenny_chesney/facts.html

YouTube.com. 19 Feb 2012. Web. http://www.youtube.com/ Kenny Chesney. 2012. 19 Feb 2012. Web. http://www.kennychesney.com/ About.com. Kenny Chesney – Biography. 26 Mar 2012. Web.

http://countrymusic.about.com/od/maleartistsal/a/KennyChesneyBiography.htm

Image References http://www.dixiestreams.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/1

0/kenny-chesney-reality.jpg http://printedpage.us/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/

KennyChesneyGH2.jpg http://images.uulyrics.com/cover/k/kenny-chesney/

album-the-road-and-the-radio.jpg http://images.uulyrics.com/cover/k/kenny-chesney/

album-when-the-sun-goes-down.jpg http://blog.gactv.com/files/2010/08/kennychesney.jpg http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2005/features/

magstories/050523/rzellweger.jpg