Kenny Chesney Enters Country Music Hall of Fame: 'I Feel the Gravity of This Moment'

In his storied career, Kenny Chesney has filled scores of stadiums, sold records successful nan millions and won countless manufacture awards, but he admits, he’s ever been excessively driven to ever fto his achievements soak in.

That each changed connected Sunday day erstwhile Chesney accepted his rightful place, sitting down for a photograph pinch almost 2 twelve Country Music Hall of Fame members, including chap superstars Garth Brooks, George Strait, Randy Travis, Vince Gill and Randy Owen of Alabama. Within hours, Chesney would beryllium officially joining their ranks successful an induction ceremony.

"Taking nan group changeable pinch a batch of my heroes and a batch of my friends," Chesney, 57, said later successful his onstage remarks during nan Nashville event, "it was nan first clip that I person ever felt accomplished successful my life. And I conscionable want to convey you, God, for that. … With each compartment successful my body, I consciousness nan gravity of this moment."

Chesney joins nan precocious June Carter Cash and shaper Tony Brown successful nan hall’s 2025 class, bringing its number to 158. For almost 3 hours, astatine nan invitation-only ceremony, nan 3 inductees were celebrated pinch words, opus and ovations successful nan Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s friendly CMA Theater.

Country euphony famously thrives connected nan “unbroken circle,” and nan beingness of Owen underscored that intergenerational spirit: When Chesney was a teen increasing up successful eastbound Tennessee, he attended an Alabama performance conscionable 10 miles from his home, and that acquisition is what ignited his philharmonic ambitions. Later, arsenic Chesney was trying to make a sanction successful nan 1990s, nan set invited him connected tour, he noted successful his acceptance speech, "when cipher would return maine connected nan road."

Owen was among dozens whom Chesney cited successful his 15-minute address, including his parents, Karen Chandler and David Chesney, who watched from nan beforehand row.

"It’s really a gift," said Chesney, "to beryllium 57 years aged and get inducted into nan Country Music Hall of Fame and beryllium sitting beside your mother and father."

The reside besides overflowed pinch gratitude for each nan different family, friends, colleagues and mentors who person supported Chesney’s profession complete nan decades.

"This dream has allowed maine to pursuit nan sun successful a autobus down nan highways. It has allowed maine to beryllium connected nan front of boats and pursuit nan sun successful nan islands," said Chesney, alluding to his clasp of nan Caribbean civilization that helped commencement his monolithic "No Shoes Nation" instrumentality community. "But it has besides allowed maine to bring a batch of friends pinch me."

Poignantly, he ended nan reside quoting nan lyrics of "I Didn’t Get Here Alone," a opus he co-wrote that appeared arsenic a prize way connected his 2010 album, Hemingway’s Whiskey: "To everyone who helped pave my measurement / if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t beryllium present coming / To each my friends, nan girls, nan surgery hearts, each nan critics, cynics and doubters / Y’all cognize who you are" — Chesney recited those words pinch a laughter — "because I didn’t get present unsocial / This road’s conscionable excessively unsmooth and agelong / I mightiness beryllium nan 1 nan spotlight’s on, but I didn’t get present alone."

Earlier, Chesney was officially inducted by nan chap Hall of Fame personnel he’d selected, grounds executive Joe Galante, and he was fêted pinch performances by Kelsea Ballerini, Megan Moroney and Eric Church, each of whom person been Chesney circuit mates.

Ballerini, different eastbound Tennessee autochthonal who shared 2 CMA awards pinch Chesney for their 2021 deed "Half of My Hometown," interrupted her capacity of "Somewhere pinch You," Chesney’s 2010 blockbuster, to gush her affection: "It’s nan joyousness of my life for this man to spell from hometown leader to collaborator to family."

She besides shared that she’d conscionable been pinch Chesney nan time before, watching nan University of Tennessee-Alabama game.

Moroney, who postponed a formation to Australia to look astatine nan ceremony, accompanied herself connected guitar for an acoustic solo of "Knowing You," a Chesney No. 1 deed from 2021. (Country Music Hall of Fame executive head Kyle Young noted successful his preamble that nan capacity besides honored its co-writer, Brett James, a adjacent friend of Chesney's who was killed past period successful a private level crash.)

Church announced he was a last-minute replacement aft different creator had to front retired owed to illness, but he ably acquitted himself pinch a six-song Chesney medley that he performed solo connected guitar: "I Go Back," "Anything But Mine," "El Cerrito Place," "Never Wanted Nothing More," "The Boys of Fall" and “Old Blue Chair."

Church reminisced astir his first brushwood pinch Chesney erstwhile he opened for a George Strait performance that Church attended while successful college.

"I watched nan room alteration — like, group started grooving up — and I watched reality change," Church, 48, recalled. "And I stood there, and I moreover said to my buddy, 'What’s happening here?' And he goes, 'It’s Kenny Chesney.' And I said, 'What nan f--- is that?’'And he goes, ‘You’re astir to find out.’ And I did."

Chesney’s induction capped nan star-studded evening, which besides featured performances and tributes that honored nan different 2 caller members.

Tony Brown was saluted pinch performances by 4 artists whose careers he powerfully influenced: Trisha Yearwood (who sang "Perfect Love"), George Strait ("Troubador"), Lyle Lovett ("If I Had a Boat") and Steve Earle ("Guitar Town").

Though Brown, 78, first made his sanction arsenic a keyboard artist, astir notably pinch Elvis Presley, he has since gone connected to amass immense accomplishments down nan scenes arsenic a shaper and talent scout.

He selected lifelong friend and workfellow Vince Gill to induct him, and Gill noted really pivotal Brown was to his profession — not only steering him from popular to state but besides signing him to nan grounds woody that led to his stardom.

"He was ever location for me," Gill said, "and erstwhile he asked maine to beryllium nan 1 to coming him tonight, I was conscionable overwhelmed and grateful."

In his remarks, Brown put his induction into perspective: "For years, everybody thought my life, my career, was defined by playing pinch Elvis Presley. Now, my profession is defined by being inducted into nan Country Music Hall of Fame … This, tonight, to me, is validation. And astatine nan extremity of nan day, that’s what we each want."

June Carter Cash, who entered nan Hall of Fame 45 years aft her husband, Johnny Cash, also joins 3 different family members connected nan hallowed roll: her mother, Maybelle Carter, and her uncle and aunt, A.P. and Sara Carter, nan trio who made up nan alleged "first family" of state music.

In his reappraisal of June Carter Cash’s lengthy profession arsenic an artist, comedian, songwriter, character and mentor to up-and-coming artists, Young acknowledged Johnny Cash’s heavy regret that his ain stature overshadowed his wife’s.

"Tonight, we happily reply Johnny’s interest pinch certainty," Young said. "June Carter Cash will everlastingly beryllium somebody: an creator of courage, productivity and condemnation everlastingly enshrined successful nan Country Music Hall of Fame."

Carter Cash’s life successful euphony was remembered pinch 3 performances: Kacey Musgraves, joined by longtime shaper Daniel Tashian, delivered nan Johnny Cash deed "Ring of Fire," which his woman co-wrote; Keb' Mo’ and Ruby Amanfu duetted "Keep connected nan Sunny Side," a Carter Family standard; and Lukas Nelson sang nan Bob Dylan classic, "It Ain’t Me Babe," which became a deed for Cash and Carter Cash successful 1965.

Carter Cash’s children, John Carter Cash and Carlene Carter, chose Hall of Fame personnel Emmylou Harris to induct their mother, and Harris shared stories of her relationship pinch Carter Cash, which included epic games of Scrabble.

"Behind that sweet, guiltless grin location lurked a relentless competitor," Harris, 78, recalled pinch a chuckle. "She unapologetically decimated maine astatine each game."

Harris went connected to praise Carter Cash for her singular spot successful state music: "We for illustration sometimes to deliberation of ourselves arsenic artists. You know, it’s what we put down successful that small blank abstraction nether ‘occupation.’ But June was proud to beryllium an entertainer, and I judge her lifelong pursuit of that calling is why she’s being recognized present tonight. June made it her business to celebrate, to promote and assistance up each of us, and she did it pinch her full bosom and pinch a uncommon and genuine grace. This evening, we person nan long-awaited opportunity to observe her."

John Carter Cash and Carlene Carter accepted nan grant successful representation of their mother, who died successful 2003 astatine property 73, Carter assured nan assemblage that June Carter Cash wasn’t acold away: "She loves america all, and she’s ever watching complete us. And I’ll guarantee you. All you guys [in nan Hall of Fame] that are successful present already, well, Mama’s present now. Mama’s present now, and she’s gonna make judge everybody’s emotion bully each nan time."

During nan ceremony, bronze plaques, featuring alleviation portraits of each inductee, were unveiled, and they now will return their imperishable spot alongside nan different 155 plaques successful nan museum’s Hall of Fame rotunda.