The Front Porch Blog

Bruce Springsteen Inspires Kenny Chesney To Take Time Off

Jessica Phillips  |  September 16, 2009

Kenny Chesney has announced that he will not be touring in 2010. His September 19th show in Indianapolis, IN will be the last big stadium show this year.

Chesney opened up that his relentless schedule of touring, recording, opening a clothing line, and overseeing a massive business seems to be wearing him down. "I need to recharge creatively, and get off the clock of having to be somewhere just because, and having to keep juggling all these things." he says. "And people needing answers. I just felt like this year it finally hit me that I need to get reconnected with my family. I wanna do some things that I've never gotten to do, like see other parts of the world, write some more songs."

When asked what inspired him to come to this decision, Chesney credits rocker Bruce Springsteen with giving him some sage advice. "One night when we were playing in New Jersey, Bruce sat on my bus with me and we talked for a couple hours, and he told me something that hit me really hard, and it's stuck with me ever since. He said, 'Kenny, you can write half a song on a piece of paper, and you can put that piece of paper away in a drawer for five years, and you can go back to it, and that song will still be there. But life isn't like that. And whatever you're doing, don't miss your life, too.' And I thought about that all year. I've been giving to one thing for so long that I just realized that had to change." says Chesney.

Chesney fans can relax, though. He may intend to spend more time in his old blue chair than usual next year, but he says that he has four or five songs already picked out for a new record, which is slated to come out next year. But for 2010, Chesney sees a lot of empty parking lots in his future.

"We'll be back. We're not going away forever. But to make it what I think it can be for the next chapter of my life, those parking lots have got to be empty, at least for my show, for one year," he says. "I just think I owe it to myself, I owe it to the fans, for our show to be the best it can possibly be. And sometimes that means getting away from it."