Kenny Chesney Produces Football Documentary for ESPN
When we say the name Kenny Chesney, what do you think of? Singer? Songwriter? Beach bum? Documentary filmmaker? He's definitely racking up points on that last one, as he's produced a new one-hour special 'The Color Orange: The Condredge Holloway Story,' which debuts February 20 at 8:00 PM ET on ESPN.
Kenny, an East Tennessee native, donned the University of Tennessee quarterback's jersey number when he played high school football and idolized Holloway, so producing the documentary was a no-brainer. "Condredge has meant so much to so many and is a very important figure in my life and to the history of College Football," Kenny explains.
As the first African-American to start at quarterback in the Southeastern Conference, Condredge has inspired many promising young athletes. "I'm excited, with the help of [music video director] Shaun Silva, to tell his story, to show his journey, and to help show the world just how influential he was to how the game is played today and how many doors he opened for so many athletes that have followed in his footsteps," Kenny says.
Another career domino effect started with the song 'The Boys of Fall,' which recently became the singer's 20th No. 1 song. "When I was looking for songs for my album, someone pitched me 'The Boys of Fall' and it struck me as everything I think and feel bout that experience," Kenny explained, referencing his feelings of participating in high school football. "That song was like striking a match!"
The tune lead to Kenny's documentary 'Boys of Fall.' To make the special he drew from his sports friends such as John Madden, Brett Favre, winning Super Bowl coach Sean Payton and Troy Aikman, plus a few high school and college coaches. "Anyone who knows me knows how much I look to football, the lessons learned, the experiences, the feelings as a map for living life, having a music career, being the kind of man I want to be," Kenny said.
That kind of man is currently sitting in the top 5 on the charts with his song 'Somewhere With You' and is set to being rehearsals for his Goin' Coastal Tour, which includes 10 stadium shows and kicks off in March. Get details here.