For Immediate Release
21 September  2004
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Holly Gleason for Joe's Garage
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"Oprah" & 800 Screaming Moms-To-Be Can't Be Wrong
Kenny Chesney Erupts Ft. Campbell with "There Goes My Life"

    Fort Campbell, Kentucky: It was billed as "the World's Biggest Baby Shower" -- and it was thrown the way only award-winning talk show host Oprah Winfrey can stage an event. For the 800 military mothers-to-be whose husbands are stationed overseas, there were snugglies and booties and diapers and strollers -- and a special surprise from 6-time Country Music Association Award nominee Kenny Chesney, who offered the soon-to-be- mothers an intimate take on his 8-week #1 "There Goes My Life."

    "When you look into all those faces lit up with hope and joy and all those dreams for the future," says the soft-spoken superstar, "it takes your breath away. Or as I was telling my manager afterwards it's kinda hard to sing with a lump in your throat -- 'cause this experience really shows me a whole other depth of meaning to this song."

    To make his command performance for Winfrey and the military mothers-in-waiting, Chesney cut short his annual post-tour trip with his entire band, crew and support personnel to jet back to mid-Tennessee. Having wrapped Guitars, Tiki Bars & A Whole Lot of Love 10 short days ago -- with 1.2 million tickets sold, tying the Luttrell, Tennessean as the biggest ticket-seller in any genre this year alongside Prince -- it was a whole other kind of screaming that met the singer/songwriter who's sold 16.8 million albums.

    "It was funny, watching from the stage," admits Chesney with a laugh. "Oprah gave me an awesome introduction, but the look on her face when those ladies saw me -- it was priceless 'cause you could tell she wasn't ready for it. And truly, neither was I! Some of those pregnant ladies screamed so loud, I was actually worried they might go into labor early. But then that's when you know a song has really touched someone when they respond in an almost out-of-body way like that.

    "And then seeing Oprah Winfrey in the front row, singing all the words to my songs. If you wanna talk about a thrill, there you go! To me, Oprah is like Ed Sullivan or Johnny Carson -- someone who is just as big as it gets and really sets the standard for making connections and building bridges between different kinds of people."

    Slated to air Monday, Sept. 28, the whirl to get back from the islands -- leaving a large portion of his group mid-post-tour-celebration was more than worth it. "You see the news about what's going on, and it's always so dark and sad. You feel futile almost and you wonder what you can do. When you realize how much joy these families have -- even without knowing if their husbands or fathers might come back -- it makes you see how many different ways we can contribute to this larger American effort in Iraq."

    After posing for pictures, hugging some of the wives, signing lots of autographs and meeting a very special contigent of ladies, Chesney got back on his bus - waved to the people on the side of the road and headed to Nashville, so he could head back to the islands and resume his previously scheduled programming. With an appearance slated for Sammy Hagar's birthday bash in Cabo San Lucas on Oct. 10th, the man who's been certified quadruple platinum on No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems and now triple platinum on When The Sun Goes Down is working both ends of the spectrum and loving every moment of it.

    "To be able to see Oprah singing every word to a song that I cut and loved, to hang out and party with Sammy Hagar, to tour with Uncle Kracker and talk football with Peyton Manning," says Chesney softly. "I get to lead an amazing blessed life. I almost can't believe it, but I'm sure glad that I do."

    Sept. 28, tune in to "Oprah" and see what the screaming is all about.  Check local listings for time and channel.

 

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