Kenny Chesney Shares Concert Incident Involving Fan

Kenny Chesney recently recalled an unusual encounter with a fan during a concert. This story came to light when he appeared as a guest on the “Howard Stern Show.” It revolves around a moment where a fan physically lifted him during his performance. Although he didn’t specify when it happened, it’s worth noting that he shared the stage with Joe Walsh during both the 2007 Flip Flop Summer Tour and the 2015 Big Revival Tour.

Chesney described the scene as he played in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the Steelers’ stadium. He mentioned wanting to create an exciting atmosphere, similar to a boxer making his way through the audience. However, things took a turn when he found himself approaching the stage alone, and he noticed a fan edging closer.

As the fan reached him, Chesney felt overwhelmed and “slumped down.” The next thing he knew, the fan was lifting him. “He put his arms on my knees and picked me up,” Chesney recounted. Then, reacting impulsively, he punched the fan in the mouth. “So I just snapped and punched him right in the mouth,” he admitted, highlighting his surprise at how quickly things escalated.

At that moment, his primary concern was the possibility of the fan wanting to press charges. “This will cost you all the money you earned tonight,” he joked about the potential repercussions of his reaction.

After the show, Cushney spoke to Walsh about the incident. “Did you see what happened at the beginning of the show?” he asked Walsh, who succinctly replied, “Yeah.” Chesney then wondered how Walsh would’ve reacted if someone had lifted him in a similar fashion. Walsh humorously suggested he would have asked to be taken to the stage instead.

In a separate moment shared during the conversation, Chesney reflected on bringing Jimmy Buffett’s ashes on stage during the late musician’s posthumous induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He said that he and guitarist Mac McAnally discreetly brought an urn containing Buffett’s ashes, which had been entrusted to McAnally by Buffett’s daughter just before the performance.

Chesney ended on a reflective note, stating that even in death, Buffett found a way to be part of the celebration, noting, “So even in death, Jimmy found a way to join the party.” Buffett passed away on September 1, 2023, at the age of 76 from a rare skin cancer.