Kenny Chesney Crosses Country Lines

He may be the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year for the fourth year in a row, but Kenny Chesney admits he's not pure country. And that suits him just fine.

"I think the lines are getting blurrier and blurrier, and I may have something to do with it," Chesney told the San Francisco Chronicle. "I do believe that people love great music. You can put a genre on it or not. The same people who are going to a Dave Matthews concert are coming to see me. I know it. I see it. I had Dave Matthews on my show last year . . . and my fans went crazy."

Chesney also knows that he is becoming somewhat of a trendsetter in tearing down the walls that divide musical genres. In addition to Matthews, the country superstar has included such rock icons as Joe Walsh and Sammy Hagar on his tour. And while he's proud of his country roots, he's also excited to be an innovator in contemporary country.

"I don't think that I'm what some of the more traditionalists would call three chords and the truth.The songs that I sing tell stories; they are about real life. I think that they hopefully remind people of their first date, the first kiss, the first time they fell in love, the first time they had their heart broke . . . I think the stories are country. I think the way I sing them is country . . . But our show is really edgy . . . I like to make music in a live show that will make people realize that they've been to a concert. Our show isn't the kind of show where you walk in and buy a beverage and popcorn and sit down and enjoy the music. This is not that kind of crowd. It's not my kind of music."

Whatever Chesney is doing is clearly resonating with his fans. He had the highest-grossing tour of any musical act in 2007.