Oddly enough, he has yet to check Bannana Joe's.
Kenny Chesney might pack stadiums these days, but there was a time on his way up when he had trouble even getting bar patrons to pay attention when he sang at tiny clubs like Chucky's Trading Post in East Tennessee and The Turf on Lower Broadway in Nashville. With that in mind, he's rolling out a Big Star Contest - named for one of his hits - allowing local artists a chance to open some of his shows.
"I've been thinking about how to do this for a couple years now," Kenny says. "People told me I was crazy, and logistically, it's taken a whole lot of people to sort out just how to do it — to be fair and to find local bands all over America who deserve the shot."
Ultimately, it's a really big shot. In addition to getting an opening slot in their hometown, the winning artists get a chance at a grand prize that includes hitting the road for Kenny's final three shows this fall, a $25,000 jackpot and an audition for executives with Sony BMG, the company that owns Kenny's label, BNA Records. Several artists who've gone through public auditions have done well with Sony BMG, including "American Idol"'s Carrie Underwood and Kellie Pickler.