Kenny Chesney Photo Courtesy of BNA Records
April 1, 2008 - After Kenny Chesney's announcement last week that he was instituting a Big Star talent competition that would let local bands open the show on his Poets & Pirates Tour, he was overwhelmed by the interest. His website and his record company were deluged by people asking for more information about how to enlist in the competition, which will allow a winning act to audition for executives at Sony BMG, the parent of BNA Records.
"I didn't know what to expect," Kenny says. "In some ways, it was a crazy idea, and in others, it's a lot of work, but when I look at those fans, think about their dream and how I might get somebody doing what I was doing a few years ago a little bit closer to it, it just seemed like the right thing. This response shows me the fans are as psyched up about it as I am."
The competition is running through a local radio station in each stop along the tour, and a panel of Music Row professionals will work with each station to determine the final four, with a 15-minute performance of original material deciding who gets to open for Kenny when he comes to town. From the acts that open the shows, a grand-prize winner will be selected to kick off the final three stops on the tour.
"I want the winner to have a really good shot of getting that record deal," Kenny says. "I'd like to think I helped somebody get about the hardest thing there is to get: a deal."
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