Nashville.com The Worldwide Brand for Nashville
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is shining the spotlight on one of country music’s biggest stars with a new exhibit celebrating the life and career of Kenny Chesney.
Kenny Chesney: Living in Fast Forward, presented by Blue Chair Bay Rum, opens July 23 and runs through June 2027. Included with museum admission, the exhibit follows Chesney’s journey from his East Tennessee roots and early days playing bluegrass at East Tennessee State University to becoming one of the most successful touring artists in country music history.
“Kenny Chesney’s creative vision and intense drive to continue raising the bar has helped him reach staggering commercial and artistic highs,” said Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young. “Through his distinctive sound and dynamic live show, he continues to expand country music’s audience, its perception and its sound.”
Chesney said assembling the exhibit gave him an opportunity to reflect on a career that has spanned more than three decades.
“When you’re so busy living life—literally in fast forward—you rarely pause to think about all the miles traveled,” Chesney said. “Trying to decide what things to send to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum that represent a whole lot of dreams, living, songs and the work was as hard as anything I’ve ever done. But in the end, I feel like every piece of who I am is represented.”
The exhibit features instruments, handwritten lyrics, awards, photographs, tour memorabilia and personal keepsakes that trace Chesney’s rise from aspiring songwriter to stadium headliner.
Among the highlights are the Fender Concord acoustic guitar he played while attending East Tennessee State University and after moving to Nashville in the early 1990s. The instrument bears the signatures of several artists and songwriters who influenced his career, including Dean Dillon, Harlan Howard and Porter Wagoner.
Fans will also see the original demo cassette of “When She Calls Me Baby,” recorded in 1992 before appearing on Chesney’s 1994 debut album, In My Wildest Dreams.
Another centerpiece is the weathered wicker rocking chair that inspired Chesney to write “Old Blue Chair” while watching the sunrise in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The chair later appeared on the cover of Be as You Are (Songs from an Old Blue Chair) and in the song’s music video.
Other featured artifacts include:
- A handwritten Nashville Number System chord chart used during the recording of “You and Tequila,” featuring Grace Potter.
- The life-size replica of “Marley,” the famous blue marlin that became a staple of Chesney’s live shows after surviving the 2010 Nashville flood.
- The No Shoes Nation tank top and jeans worn during his 2022 performance at Gillette Stadium.
- The palm leaf hat featured on the cover of his 2024 album Born.
- A commemorative football presented after Chesney’s three sold-out shows at Gillette Stadium in 2025.
- A Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul signed by two of his musical heroes, Steve Miller and Sammy Hagar.
From handwritten song charts and early demo recordings to iconic stage clothing and personal memorabilia, Kenny Chesney: Living in Fast Forward offers fans an inside look at the career of one of country music’s most successful entertainers and the road that helped build No Shoes Nation.
Nashville Concert & Show Tickets!
Nashville.com
The Worldwide Brand for Nashville!
