For Immediate Release
8 July 2005
For More Information
Holly Gleason for Joe's Garage
Wes Vause for BNA Nashville
(615)-301-4300

People Versus Dollars: Who's Got The Biggest Tour?
Kenny Chesney's Got The Most Folks Rocking in N. America, Period, Hands Down


   Nashville, TN: If you want to make it about what people will pay, then Kenny Chesney's got a problem -- because the Luttrell, Tennessean has always been about making it reasonable for the people who want to come hear his music, party in the parking lot and sing along to be able to do so. So when it comes time to publish those lists of top "grossing" tours, the reigning CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year is never going to be able to compete with people whose tickets cost several hundred dollars -- although even averaging less than $60/ticket on his current tour, his gross still put him at #3 total box office receipts over all.

   But if you set the bar based on kids rocked and people leaving happy, there is NO bigger tour than Chesney's 2005 Somewhere In The Sun Tour -- which has played to 609, 862 people this year already. He handily bests #1 and #2 grossers U2 and Celine Dion by an easy six figures as they sold 499,109 and 321,169 tickets respectively.

   "The thing I hate about these rankings is that no one lever looks at what the facts mean -- and you can make all kinds of claims based on any number of things," says the man whose first stadium show - at Washington, DC's FedEx Field was chronicled with a full page in Tuesday's USA Today. "To me, I'd like to think the biggest tour isn't measured by ticket prices, but about the number of people coming to see you play, and for me, even though this is big production, a lot of trucks, a major crew, I wanna do it -- ultimately -- for the fans. I want to play for all those kids, all those people who come to have a big party with us, and I really try to make sure that everybody who wants to come can."

   Having long identified with the kids sitting in the general admission lawn seats, Chesney's motives have made him a fan favorite since he was playing clubs and building an audience on word of mouth. And at a time when a lot of artists are receding, the man who was outsold by only Prince's Musicology Tour last year, continues to grow his audience -- adding an unprecedented third show in Atlanta (with enough demand for a fourth, only nowhere to put it) next week and gearing up for two more stadium shows, in Boston's Gillette Stadium and Pittsburgh's Heinz Field on July 23 and July 30.

   And in spite of his fan friendly ticket prices, Chesney's placing third for total gross makes him the only country act in the Top 10. After U2 and Celine Dion, the man who won the CMA Album of the Year for his third quadruple platinum release When The Sun Goes Down is followed by Elton John, the Eagles, Motley Crue, Cher, Riverdance, Josh Grobin and Jimmy Buffett in total revenues generated.

   "I want to be smart about the business, of course," says the man whose tour is sponsored by Cruzan Rum. "But that's not the big reason we do what we do: we wanna rock. We wanna have fun. Me and the guys wanna be the kind of band I'd wanna pay money to go see back when I was going to concerts and drinking in all those live shows. If we can do that, make it work so everyone that wants to come rock with us can, then I'd say we're doing it just right. I guess the attendance number means some other folks must think so, too."

############