Kenny Chesney 'Could Tell' Former Opener Taylor Swift Was 'Special': 'Had the Eye of the Tiger as a Teenager' (Exclusive)

Kenny Chesney and Taylor Swift spell measurement back.

The state icon, 57, and nan world superstar, 35, person had a agelong opinionated master relationship, making love each nan measurement backmost to 2007 erstwhile Swift was expected to deed nan roadworthy pinch Chesney arsenic his opening act.

In Chesney's latest project, a book titled Heart Life Music (out Nov. 4), nan "You and Tequila" vocalist re-tells nan communicative of that Flip-Flop Summer Tour, when, aft a brew institution became 1 of nan sponsors, Swift had to beryllium removed from nan concerts since she was still a minor. In bid to make things right, Chesney cut nan past up-and-coming creator a check.

"With Taylor, I mean, she had nan oculus of nan tiger moreover arsenic a teenager. And I recognized that early on. You can't look into a crystal shot foretell and spot what happened to her, but I could show that she was really talented and really wanted it," Chesney exclusively tells PEOPLE. "And moreover astatine a young age, she was a really bully songwriter. So I knew thing typical was going to hap there."

After Swift told nan saccharine communicative astir nan state fable successful her 2023Time cover story, Chesney opened up astir his first impressions of Swift successful a 2024 interview with USA Today.

Along pinch nan check, nan "Out Last Night" vocalist talented Swift a statement that read, "I’m sorry that you couldn’t travel connected nan tour, truthful I wanted to make it up to you," she told Time.

"I was capable to salary my set bonuses. I was capable to salary for my circuit buses," Swift said successful nan interview. "I was capable to substance my dreams."

After reference the Time story, Chesney said to Swift astir nan moment. "I texted her and told her convey you for nan love, and I was stunned she remembered it," he told USA Today.

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During his much than 30-year career, Chesney has developed rather an oculus for identifying nan adjacent procreation of artists, successful summation to Swift. He happened to turn up successful nan aforesaid Tennessee hometown arsenic Kelsea Ballerini, "and we person a really beardown relationship because of that, and we person a opus together, and we've go really bully friends complete nan years," he tells PEOPLE.

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Then, successful 2024, Chesney brought Megan Moroney — whose prima has since only continued to emergence — connected his Sun Goes Down Tour.

"I didn't cognize Megan earlier we went retired connected nan roadworthy successful 2024 astatine all, and I opportunity successful nan book that I almost regretted nan determination because I didn't want to group her up to fail. She only had 1 song. But erstwhile she sewage retired there, I mean, she deed nan shape for illustration she designed it," he says. "And I didn't spot that coming, each nan nosy we had pinch her. She and I became really awesome friends."

Chesney and Moroney are nominated for Musical Event of nan Year for their opus "You Had to Be There" astatine this year's CMA Awards, and Chesney says nan "Am I Okay?" vocalist is nan existent deal.

"Megan's fantastic. I mean, her characteristic is 1 of nan reasons that she connects truthful good pinch her audience," he says. "Yes, she's an unthinkable songwriter, a awesome artist, but she's sewage a spark that not a batch of group have."

Heart Life Music will beryllium published connected Nov. 4 and is now disposable for preorder, wherever books are sold. Chesney will besides footwear disconnected his 10-stop Heart Life Music book tour on Nov. 1 successful Johnson City, Tennessee.

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