Saturday 12 November 2016

Kenny Chesney on TWO Major Honors + Loving Music

Pinnacle/ President’s Award Winner 
On The Record + on Beyonce

1/4/2016 NASHVILLE, Tenn.

Having just spent two weeks doing interviews and promotion for his Cosmic Hallelujah, Kenny Chesney came into Nashville grateful – and humbled by the response to his chart-topping duet with P!NK “Setting The World on Fire.” Having spent several days getting ready to receive the Country Music Association’s Pinnacle Award at the 50th Annual CMA Awards – given for only the third time in the organization’s history – he took the idea of his speech very seriously, even mentioning “responsibility” in what he said onstage.
 
To him, the moment was supposed to be about acknowledging the music, the journey and especially the fans who’ve lived their lives in his songs. So to be told the following afternoon that there was a buzz about him dissing Beyonce, the 8-time Entertainer of the Year was astounded. With an interview with ABC completed, Chesney thought people who knew him at all would more than know if anything his serious expression was one of respect, a man knowing he was seeing a once-in-a-lifetime performance.

Kenny Chesney Reassures the Beyhive After CMA Awards Reaction Shot: 'I Love Beyonce'

Kenny Chesney wants the Beyhive to know they've got it all wrong: He loves Beyonce.
Some viewers watching the 50th annual Country Music Association Awards on Wednesday targeted the country star for his facial expression during Bey's performance of "Daddy Lessons" with the Dixie Chicks. Many fans said online that he didn't appear to be very impressed with one of the biggest performances of the evening…Read More Billboard.com

I love Beyonce
“I love Beyonce… I loved her Super Bowl performance, her sense of how to make the music hit really hard – and give it drama when she’s onstage,” Chesney responded. “The idea her fans were so quick to judge me, or know what I was thinking doesn’t feel like the woman I’ve always imagined Beyonce to be – and honestly, the people who love her music, either.
 
“As someone who believes in the message of Spread the Love, we try to find the best in people – and in this case, that meant really watching the musicianship on that stage, as well as a guest in our format who’d written an incredible song. I am amazed and saddened this is the response my respect for her art gets.”
The Dixie Chicks & Beyoncé' perform "Daddy Lessons."
Credit: Image Group LA/Getty

 Chesney, originally signed to Acuff Rose for “The Tin Man,” a pained ballad about how life can puncture you, was awarded BMI’s all-genre President’s Award recognizing his commitment to songwriting and the creative community on Tuesday night.  With Cosmic Hallelujah delayed to accommodate “Setting The World On Fire” affording him extra time to record more songs, the unconventional tactic to make the music even stronger has resulted in a No. album at HITSDailyDouble.com today – and exceptional critical notices. 
USA Today proclaimed, “Chesney goes ‘deeper’ on new album,” while The New York Times enthused Cosmic Hallelujah is “a long, long way from Mr. Chesney’s typical arena-country ballads  about rural pleasures and island getaways” and NPR cited it for “folk’s storytelling, soul’s honesty and gospel’s spirit.” Newsday raved “The result will fit nicely between ‘Friends in Low Places’ and ‘Keep Your Hands To Yourself.’ In other words, country perfection.”
 
“I believe music is great or not,” says Chesney. “It has nothing to do with genre, gender or color. Just did you bring it, and how great are your songs? To me, there’s no question about Beyonce – or my response to their performance.”

Chris Stapleton was humbled to be in the presence of so many heroes and icons of music at the 50th annual CMAs even Beyonce.
The Kentucky-raised singer rained praise upon the megastar, who took the stage with perform “Daddy Lessons” off her chart-topping album Lemonade and “Long Time Gone.”
“She’s everything you want her to be,” Stapleton remarked backstage following the CMAs (quote via the Boot), calling Beyonce’s presence at the show a significant one. “She’s a classy, classy lady, and I’m proud that she could take the time to come show up.”

However, Travis Tritt didn’t think country music needed any help from Beyoncé, or any pop artist, for that matter.
In his opinion, the performance was just an unnecessary ploy for ratings. Tritt’s Twitter rant began on Nov. 3, when he sarcastically criticized the mixing of pop music with country music.
“As I see it, country music has appealed to millions for many years,” he wrote. “We can stand on our own and don’t need pop artists on our awards shows.”
Country artist Wheeler Walker Jr. had a particularly poignant reply.

The Dixie Chicks responded to the Tritt's rant.

Tritt also responded to plenty of fans and followers ― some who agreed with him and others who disagreed. Some users also called Tritt racist for his remarks. Race was a large part of the discussion around this year’s CMA Awards after it appeared the Country Music Association scrubbed its social media of Beyoncé’s performance.
However, the musician maintained that his argument was never about race, but instead about his disappointment in the CMAs for thinking “they need pop every year for ratings.” He claimed that he would be disappointed if any pop act, not just Beyoncé, performed at the award show.

Watch UK singer Fiona Culley’s cover of Beyonce’s “Daddy Lessons” (writers: Wynter Gordon, Beyoncé Knowles, Kevin Cossom, Alex Delicata) published on May 9, 2016 (202.7K Views)

Engineered and mixed by Dewey Boyd at Forty-One Fifteen Recordings

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