Phil Vassar has been a longtime friend and colleague of Kenny Chesney‘s, and he recently detailed why, in his opinion, Chesney made it into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Vassar was a guest on Taste of Country Nights, where we asked him to recall time spent with Chesney over the years and why he thinks he belongs in the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Vassar says, “The thing I’ve always admired about Kenny is his work ethic.”
According to Vassar, one of the main reasons Chesney belongs in the Hall of Fame is simply how hard he has worked and how long he has done it. He describes Chesney as the kind of guy who is the first one in and last one out at work.
The other thing that the “Just Another Day in Paradise” singer says sets Chesney apart from the pack is how he treats his people.
“He’s always been that guy. We always had so much fun when I was on the road with him.”
Anyone can be talented, but Chesney is a beautiful mix of talent, work ethic and kindness.
Vassar continues gushing on his old pal, “He’s a really smart guy and he doesn’t let things get out of whack. I got a lot of good advice from him.”
Chesney taught Vassar how to deal with record labels and contracts and things like that, and he showed him the underbelly of the business as he was coming up under his wing.
When Did Kenny Chesney Get Into the Country Music Hall of Fame?
The Country Music Hall of Fame announced Chesney as a 2025 inductee on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.
Who Is Being Inducted Into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2025?
In addition to Chesney, June Carter Cash and veteran Nashville producer Tony Brown are set for induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2025.
The 2025 Country Music Hall of Fame inductees will be formally enshrined in a Medallion Ceremony in October.
What truly separates Chesney — a 2025 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee — from other artists is his third act. Six of the 25 songs on this list of Kenny Chesney’s best were released after 2010. It’s there he took some of his biggest risks, rewarding fans with some of the greatest lyrical moments and sounds of the 21st century.
We ranked the Top 25 Kenny Chesney songs using chart data, streaming and airplay numbers and staff/reader opinion. The year listed alongside the title is the year it was released as a radio single. The No. 1 song on this list exemplifies the best of what the Tennessee native is capable of.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
Kenny Chesney has sold his 4-bedroom, 9-bathroom, 12,599-square-foot hilltop estate in Tennessee for $11.5 million, and pictures show an opulent Mediterranean villa that is lavish even by the standards of other celebrity mansions.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker