William Morrow
We may earn an affiliate commission on anything you buy from this article.
Over the past three decades, Kenny Chesney has been one of music's most celebrated singers. In his first book “Music of the Heart” (Written with journalist Holly Gleason and will be published Tuesday by William Morrow) Chesney chronicles his life's journey from East Tennessee to Shoe Nation and beyond.
Below you can read an excerpt in which he writes about his soulful collaboration with singer-songwriter Grace Potter – and don't miss Lee Cowan's interview with Kenny Chesney on the channel “CBS Sunday Morning” October 26th!
“Heart Life Music” door Kenny Chesney with Holly Gleason
Prefer to listen? Sound There's a 30-day free trial available right now.
Mercy
There was a program on TV called “Let’s Make a Deal.” People entered in the hope that host Monty Hall would select them to compete for prizes. New cars, new kitchens with all appliances, expensive watches. You had to choose.
One of two: color TVs and washer-dryer, or what was behind door number 3, knowing that it could be a wheelbarrow with grass seeds or a new car.
I've always been fascinated by what's behind door number 3. I've always been fascinated by the idea of the great unknown that you can't see. The seeker inside has been chasing the unknown all his life.
When you are a dreamer, you can't help but open Door No. 3. This mentality fuels you. The search for inspiration, the desire to find out, is fraught with risk. Some Doors #3 are not working. But Grace Potter? She is the epitome of why Door #3 is always better than playing it safe.
In the middle of the night, “You and Tequila” popped up in my email.
I remember listening and thinking, “Damn…”
The idea of a person you can't quit because he's so addictive is real. You can't resist, just overdo it to the point of poisoning, hit me. I called Matraka Berg and asked if there was a demo of a man singing it; she had one. When I heard Tim Krekel sing, it hit me even more.
We cut it very simply. That tension between doing what you want and knowing you shouldn't is what made “You & Tequila” stick with people.
We're almost done Hemingway Whiskeyy. I wanted something that would give it some shine. Buddy Cannon and I were talking about who could sound good; Clint Higham, my co-manager, even approached Irving Azoff about the Eagles because it sounded like a classic Laurel Canyon song.
Then the woman who sent me the demo said, “Why don’t you take Grace Potter? She conveys this haunting and haunting feeling.”
What makes Grace Potter the final door number 3 remains a mystery. Hippie/rock girl songwriter.
As soon as she was offered, even though it didn't make sense on paper, I knew she was the person we needed.
I listen to a lot of music at night in the Virgin Islands. No light pollution, you can drift in the sounds. I was given a Grace concert CD. “Apologies” poured out of the speakers.
Lying motionless in my lounge chair, when I heard Grace's voice – so soulful, but beautiful and real – I was shocked. No one in my life heard this voice except my friend. I felt blessed.
She wrote her own songs. She had a group and there weren't too many of them. What she really listened to was the way she played the B-3 organ, but especially the way she sang these songs.
I looked up at the sky and exhaled. She sounded like she was back home.
When we put her on “You & Tequila,” all she knew about me was “She thinks my tractor is sexy,” because the Eagle in Burlington, Vermont played it to death.
Is this even possible? Grace completed a tour of Europe, traveled 24 hours without sleep, and landed in America. We laugh now, but she listened to the demo in her rental car after going through customs.
She's tired. She missed her family. AND We needed it in Nashville within 48 hours to meet the mastering deadline – otherwise we would have had to reschedule the recording. Her manager was not optimistic. My friend insisted, “Give her this song.”
Thirty minutes later we said yes. Thirty hours later, Grace Potter landed in Nashville in a flowing leopard print dress, walked into Blackbird Recording Studios and changed our lives. Sassy, smart and funny, she oozed music. She told wild stories, made some people blush, and asked us what we were thinking.
Buddy suggested, “Go into the booth and put on your headphones. See how it makes you feel.”
She probably hummed to warm herself up. Then it came «ооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооо ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo question) roles” were heard on the record.
“Do something else What“
After two or three takes we were done. We talked longer than she was in the voice booth. Even before it was mixed, we knew it was something. That's the thing: you know.
It was my birthday. I asked her and her boyfriend if they wanted to go out to dinner. We went to the Sunset Grille and sat on the patio and laughed. We come from different places musically; her country music influences included Willie, Townes Van Zandt and Lucinda Williams. But we had the same heart, the same small town, family life.
She was tired, so we didn't stay long. As I turned to leave, she followed me, jumped into the passenger seat of my car and announced, “I don’t know what the future holds for us, but we will be friends for life.”
Grace Potter knew a lot. I have always believed that there are things in our lives that are predetermined; driven by some greater force. Grace was completely alone.
From “Heart Life Music” by Kenny Chesney with Holly Gleason. Copyright © 2025 Kenny Chesney. Reprinted with permission from William Morrow, HarperCollins Publishers.
To listen to Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter perform “You and Tequila”, click on the video player below:
Get the book here:
“Heart Life Music” door Kenny Chesney with Holly Gleason
Buy locally from Bookstore.org
For more information:
- “Music of the Heart” Kenny Chesney with Holly Gleason (William Morrow), in hardcover, large print paperback, e-book and audio formats, available November 4.
- kennychesney.com
:quality(85):upscale()/2025/10/23/949/n/24155406/68ea79e868faa247313541.74213917_.png?w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1 "Unique Gifts For Kids Who Have Everything")
