Kenny Chesney Announces First Book
"Never say never, or you might find yourself doing that very thing…"
Country music superstar Kenny Chesney is stepping into the literary world with his debut book, HEART LIFE MUSIC, set for release on November 4, 2025.
Despite once vowing he’d “never” write a book, Chesney is now ready to share his journey—from his small-town roots in Luttrell, Tennessee, where he was raised by a single mother, to becoming a headlining act in some of the world’s biggest stadiums. The book will explore his experiences in Nashville’s music scene, his time making music in Jamaica, New England, and Cabo San Lucas, and the inspiration he’s drawn from legendary artists and everyday fans alike.
“This is not my memoir,” Chesney explains.
“But something far better. It is almost a love letter to people who shaped and inspired me, the fans who’ve been there from tiny bars, radio stations who believed when nobody else did, a team who just kept coming back, legends who gave me wisdom and opportunities and all the friends who’ve been there along the way. To me, that’s where the music came from – and this is the story of how it turned into the soundtrack for the way No Shoes Nation lives their lives, too.”
The book will feature never-before-told stories, including his time playing Lower Broadway in Nashville, life on his first tour bus (“The Iron Lung”), and his early struggles watching others break into the industry while he worked to make a name for himself.
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Like everything Chesney does—whether it’s performing for 50,000+ fans in stadiums or launching his upcoming Las Vegas Sphere residency—he always has No Shoes Nation in mind.
“I always said I’d never write a book,” Chesney reflects. “Too many things happened almost to be believed, let alone lived, but I realized with the world moving in such fast forward motion, too much of what made Nashville, the music business and our lives great would be lost to the churn of the next click.”
He recalls surreal moments, like writing songs with Dean Dillon, being drafted by Sean Payton at an NFL press conference, recording at Tuff Gong Studios with Aston “Family Man” Barrett and Alvin “Seeco” Patterson, and flying on a private jet with George Jones after opening for him.
“For everyone in No Shoes Nation, I realized: you deserved to share the magic.”
Written by Chesney and longtime collaborator Holly Gleason, HEART LIFE MUSIC will be published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
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Photo Credit: Allister Ann