Although he may prefer the life of a bachelor, there was a point in Chesney’s life where he was actually married. Chesney met the award-winning actress, Renée Zellweger, early on in 2005 at a benefit concert. They dated for a few months and married later that same year. The country singer said that he knew that Zellweger was the girl of his dreams when he saw her in Jerry McGuire. In fact, he was so head-over-heels that he even wrote a song that he dedicated entirely to it called, “You had me at hello.”
But apparently Renée didn’t exactly feel as strongly, and the marriage only lasted for about 5 months before the two had it annulled. On the court papers, the reason Zellweger cited for the annulment was “fraud” – something that would spark a lot of baseless (and untrue) rumors about Chesney.
He’s Got a Big Heart
Even though Kenny may give off the impression that he’s this carefree playboy, he’s really got a huge heart, which shines through in his philanthropic endeavors. He supports a number of charities around the world, including Kids Wish Network, The National Parks Conservation Association, and MusiCares. He’s also been known for immensely helping out victims of hurricane Irma (among other major storms), and even filled his home in the U.S Virgin Islands up with people who needed a place to stay through the brunt of it.
He also established a non-profit for victims of the Boston bombing, the Spread the Love fund, which helped to raise money to cover medical bills for victims. Chesney has also saved numerous lives by finding bone marrow matches through holding pop-up, cheek swab donor match tests at his concerts.
Music is His Passion
They say follow your passion, and Kenny has definitely done just that. You can tell how much he loves what he does through his actions both on and off stage. He has often been called a perfectionist and workaholic when it comes to his music, but that’s because he cares a lot about all that he puts out there for his fans. Although some of his songs may seem a bit sad, it’s just because he uses his songwriting as a way to express himself and let out his feelings before they overwhelm him.
While some people may not be able to imagine a life on the road without a marriage or picket fence, that’s exactly the way Chesney prefers things. In fact, he’s said that he would probably be very unhappy if he had to live a “normal” life.
Bringing Joy to the World
Nearly every Kenny Chesney concert ends up getting sold out long before the show, prompting several hundred fans who couldn’t get their hands on a ticket in time to stand longingly outside of the venue and try to listen in as closely as possible. Luckily, when Chesney performed in 2012 for the American Express Unstaged concert at the Jersey Shore, he had an idea that would mean everyone would have a chance to see him live in action.
The singer partnered up with Jonathan Demme, an award-winning director, to create a special live-stream experience for his fans. The director sadly passed away a few years later, and Kenny took to social media to remember him, saying that he will never forget him.
He’s Very Humble
The 6-time Grammy-nominated musician may be extremely talented and travel the world with millions of dollars and a private jet and team of over 100 people but believe it or not – he’s still incredibly humble. Kenny grew up in a small town near Knoxville, in the heart of Tennessee. His father was a teacher in an elementary school, and his mother, a hairstylist. He got to where he is today strictly through his talent and drive.
In fact, he recorded and sold his own first album, and performed in local bars and venues around Nashville until he was discovered by someone from Broadcast Music. Chesney was never just handed anything on a silver platter, he worked for it, and it really shows in his positive outlook on life and music.