Country star Kenny Chesney recently announced he’s releasing new material in the fall of 2025. But this time, the singer-songwriter isn’t debuting a new album. Instead, he’s focusing on words rather than music.
In November, he'll release his memoir, “Heart Life Music.” The book is filled with anecdotes that Chesney’s fans will find interesting. From his time spent in Nashville to his days cruising the Caribbean, he shows how he uniquely blends those two worlds to create his music.
While the book is officially listed as a memoir, Chesney refers to it as more of a “love letter.” Throughout the stories, he takes moments to thank those who have helped him become one of country music’s most successful artists.
From Dreamer to Superstar
For years, Chesney scoffed at the idea of writing a book about his life. In an official statement, he shed light on what made him change his mind:“I always said I’d never write a book. 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.”
Chesney promises to take readers on a journey, from his childhood days spent as a “dreamer” living in “small town East Tennessee” to a superstar who’s played “the largest stages across the nation.” He also hopes to take readers on a world tour of sorts. While many musicians are well-traveled due to their occupation’s requirements, Chesney has made a lifestyle out of it—one that’s worked well with the uplifting country music he loves to create.
Not only does he dive into his time spent traveling America and nearby destinations like Cabo San Lucas, but he also retells his time spent on the water traveling both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
A Tribute to Supporters
Chesney has created one of the genre’s most unique brands over the years. His music often focuses on classic country themes like love and leisurely living, yet it’s underscored with instrumentation boasting an island feel. Some of his signature songs that embody this fusion include “Old Blue Chair” and “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven.” His coastal country style has attracted millions of listeners who come for the music and stay for the laidback, joyous lifestyle he promotes.
But Chesney’s repertoire suggests more than music; it encapsulates a lifestyle. Those who fully embrace it are, as he describes it, a part of “No Shoes Nation.” It’s a community that resembles a more contemporary version of the Parrot Heads, the term dedicated Jimmy Buffett fans use to describe themselves. A pioneering contemporary songwriter, Buffett’s own coastal style has been described as “Gulf and Western.”
Chesney views his memoir as a way to further connect with fans who’ve supported his music for many years, saying he wanted to “share the magic.”
In his official statement, the country superstar described his book:
Encountering Heroes
Chesney got his start in country music with the release of his 1994 album, “In My Wildest Dreams.” Three years later, he scored his first hit with “She’s Got It All.” The seasoned performer has gone on to garner 61 top ten hits and 33 number one hits. Over the course of his career so far, he has won over 20 music industry awards, including 12 Country Music Association awards.
Chesney promises a thoroughly entertaining read with “Heart Life Music.” In his statement, he described the essence of the book, which, “will capture the sparks of creativity, venture to places long gone, make unexpected music in Jamaica … New England and Cabo San Lucas, drift across the waters of the Caribbean … encounter and collaborate with heroes … and always find the joy of being unabashedly alive.”
The country singer wrote “Heart Life Music” along with the help of his good friend and creative partner, Holly Gleason. William Morrow, a subsidiary of publishing house HarperCollins, will release it.
