Kenneth Arnold "Kenny" Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is an American country music artist. Since 1993, Chesney has recorded 13 albums, 11 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, 17 of which reached Number One. In addition, Chesney has received six ACM (including four consecutive Entertainer of the Year Awards), as well as six CMA awards. Chesney is also one of the most popular touring acts in country music, regularly selling out the venues at which he performs; his 2007 Flip-Flop Summer Tour was the highest-grossing country road trip of 2007. He was awarded his 4th consecutive ACM Entertainer of the Year award on May 18, 2008.

Chesney was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, at St. Mary's Hospital on March 26, 1968. His mother Karen, was, and still is, a hair stylist in the Knoxville area. His father, David Chesney, is a former elementary school teacher. Chesney has one sibling, a younger sister named Jennifer Chandler. He was raised in Luttrell, Tennessee, and attended Gibbs High School, where he was a receiver on the football team, and graduated in 1986. The following year, Kenny received his first guitar for Christmas, which he began teaching himself to play. He had previously attempted guitar playing at age 5 but quit because "it hurt his fingers."

Chesney studied in East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee, where he joined Lambda Chi Alpha International Fraternity and was member of the ETSU Bluegrass Program. Chesney played tunes at local places around Johnson City like Chucky's Trading Post (a small Mexican restaurant), Quarterbacks BBQ, and Rafters. He recorded his first album in 1989 at Classic Recording Studio in Bristol, Virginia. One thousand copies were produced and Chesney sold them at his busking gigs, using the money from album sales to help buy a new guitar.