CenturyLink, Inc.

File:CenturyLink 2010 logo.svg
Type	Public
Traded as	NYSE: CTL S&P 500 Component
Industry	Telecommunications
Founded	April 30, 1968 (1968-04-30)[1]
Headquarters	Monroe, Louisiana, United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Glen Post, CEO
Services	Fixed-line telephony, Fiber-optic broadband and fixed-line internet services, digital television, network services, and Internet hosting service
Revenue	US$ 7.0 billion (2010)[2]
Operating income	US$ 2.1 billion (2010)[2]
Net income	US$ 0.9 billion (2010)[2]
Total assets	US$ 22.0 billion (2010)[2]
Total equity	US$ 9.6 billion (2010)[2]
Employees	47,500 (2011)[3]
Subsidiaries	CenturyTel companies Embarq Qwest Savvis
Website	centurylink.com

Shielded by trees and surrounded by a pecan orchard, the CenturyLink corporate headquarters are located at 100 CenturyLink Drive near U.S. Highway 165 in Monroe, Louisiana.

CenturyLink, Inc. is a global^[4] broadband and telecommunications company headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana. The company, founded as Central Telephone & Electronics Corporation in 1968, later changed its name to Century Telephone Enterprises, Inc. in 1971, and then was called CenturyTel, Inc. from 1999 to 2010. A member of the S&P 500 index, the company operates as a local exchange carrier and Internet service provider in U.S. markets and is the third-largest telecommunications company in the United States in terms of lines served, behind AT&T and Verizon Communications.^[5] It also provides long distance service. Approximately 45% of total employees are represented by two labor unions; the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. ^[6]

It acquired Embarq in 2009 and began doing business as CenturyLink, officially changing its corporate name to CenturyLink, Inc. in May 2010. The company completed its acquisition of Qwest on April 1, 2011.^[7]

History[link]

The earliest predecessor of Century Telephone was the Oak Ridge Telephone Company in Oak Ridge, Louisiana, which was owned by F.E. Hogan, Sr. In 1930, Hogan sold the company, with 75 paid subscribers, to William Clarke and Marie Williams, for $500. They moved the switchboard to the Williams family front parlor. In 1946, the Williams' son, Clarke McRae Williams, received ownership of the family's telephone company as a wedding gift.^[8] In 1947, Clarke Williams learned the telephone company in Marion, Louisiana was for sale. With a loan from business associate Joe Sydney Carter, Clarke purchased the Marion Telephone Company and eventually made it his base of operation as he grew his company through more acquisitions. CenturyLink still maintains offices in the former headquarters building. The company remained as a family-operated business until it became incorporated in 1968.^{[8][9][dead link]}

Central Telephone and Electronics[link]

By 1968, Oak Ridge Telephone Company served three states with 10,000 access lines. That year the company was incorporated as Central Telephone and Electronics. Clarke M. Williams served as president and chairman of the board.^[8] Between 1968 and 1972 Clarke gradually moved his headquarters from Marion to Monroe, Louisiana to access the larger employee base and to be near the airport.

Century Telephone Enterprises[link]

In 1971, the company was renamed as Century Telephone Enterprises, Inc.^[8][9] In 1972, Century Telephone acquired the La Crosse Telephone Corporation, of Wisconsin.^[8]

On October 24, 1978 Century Telephone moved to the New York Stock Exchange for the first time and began to trade under the ticker symbol CTL.^[8]

Century Telephone performed well during the long bear market of the 1970s, as its stock rose over fourfold. The company provided telephone service in parts of 14 states by that time.^[10]

In 1981, Century Telephone acquired War Telephone in West Virginia.

In 1982, Century Telephone's earnings peaked at US$14 million, then declined in 1983 following the early 1980s recession, and finally began to recover in 1984. However, the 1983 decline led to a loss of half the value of the company's stock in 1984.^[10]

In 1985, both earnings and the stock price had recovered to new record highs. But by then, the company had accumulated US$206 million in long-term debt.^[10] Century Telephone sold the operations of War Telephone and two other companies to Colonial Telephone for $4.66 million.^[11]

In 1987, the stock price nearly doubled from its low that year, and from its old 1982 record high, before falling back by a third in the 1987 stock market crash. Earnings had steadily grown each year from their 1983 low, and by 1987 reached nearly US$20 million.^[10]

In 1989, Century Telephone Enterprises acquired Universal Telephone, Inc. for US$90 million in cash.^[8] During the late 1980s the company began a long trend in which it performed extremely well. The stock split three-for-two twice in this period, as earnings steadily grew, through the 1990-1991 recession, and by year-end 1991, they reached nearly US$40 million, double from what they had been in 1987.^[10]

In 1992, Century Telephone acquired Central Telephone Company of Ohio, a Centel subsidiary, for US$135 million. The acquisition served more than 65,000 access lines, and added 20% to Century's access line total. Also that year Glen F. Post, III became Chief Executive Officer and , named Vice Chairman of the Board of Century Telephone.^[8]

In 1993, Century Telephone revenues were over US$425 million, up from about US$350 million in 1992. 1993 earnings were nearly US$80 million, up from about US$70 million in 1992, excluding a nearly US$16 million charge in 1992 due to the cumulative effect from an accounting change that year.^[10][12] Also in 1993 the company split its stock three-for-two yet again. However, by then the company had accumulated nearly US$520 million in long-term debt.^[10]

By 1995, Century Telephone Enterprises had been added to the S&P MidCap 400 index. Earnings had continued their steady growth trend through the 1994 economic soft landing, and by 1995 they reached over US$115 million. But the long-term debt continued to grow as well, reaching US$623 million that year.^[10]

In 1997, Century Telephone acquired Delta Security Alarm Co., Inc. of Monroe, Louisiana, and its largest acquisition up until that time, Pacific Telecom, doubling its size with 660,000 additional telephone access lines in 12 states.^[8] Pacific Telecom, Inc. would continue existence and was renamed CenturyTel of the Northwest, Inc.

In 1998, Century Telephone split its stock three-for-two once again. The company acquired another Monroe, Louisiana security company, Century Protection Systems, and also acquired 89,000 access lines and 19 exchanges in 21 northern Wisconsin communities from Ameritech. The affected customers had formerly been served by Wisconsin Bell. Ameritech's directory publishing operations serving those customers were also acquired.^[8]

CenturyTel[link]

CenturyTel office, Ann Arbor, Michigan

In 1999, the company was renamed as CenturyTel, Inc. It split its stock three-for-two once more, and was added to the Standard & Poor's 500 Index that year.^[8]

In 2000, CenturyTel acquired 230,500 GTE lines in Arkansas, and also bought 127,000 GTE lines in Missouri in partnership with Spectra Communications. In Wisconsin, it acquired 133,000 additional lines, and 70,000 access lines for US$195 million from Verizon. That year CenturyTel also bought 62,650 lines for US$170 million in partnership with Telephone USA of Wisconsin, LLC.^[8]

In 2001, CenturyTel acquired CSW Net, Inc. of Russellville, Arkansas, and fended off a hostile take-over attempt by ALLTEL, Inc.^[8]

In 2002, the son of the company's original founder and Chairman of the Board Clarke M. Williams died. He was succeeded by then Vice Chairman Glen F. Post, III. The company sold its wireless business to ALLTEL, to become a pure-play rural local exchange carrier. Also that year CenturyTel acquired 300,000 Verizon access lines in Alabama, and 354,000 Verizon access lines in Missouri, bringing its total operations to 22 states with 2.5 million access lines.^[8]

In 2003, CenturyTel acquired half ownership of SkyComm International, Inc. in Houston, Texas, in March, to form a satellite teleport for its global Network Access Point (NAP) system. In June, CenturyTel also acquired the fiber network of Digital Teleport, Inc., a 5,700-mile (9,200 km) route running from Illinois to Texas, and adjoining states. CenturyTel renamed the network company LightCore. Closing out the year, in December CenturyTel acquired the Midwest Fiber Optic Network (MFON) from Level 3 Communications, Inc. in December, a stand-alone system in the same core central states as LightCore.^[8]

In August 2004, it partnered with EchoStar Communications Corporation for DISH Network multi-channel digital TV. In September, CenturyTel began a relationship with Cingular Wireless.^[8]

In 2005, CenturyTel began a wireless voice and data service, and bought a number of fiber networks in the central United States, from KMC Telecom Holdings, Inc.^[8]

In 2006, CenturyTel sold its entire Arizona assets to Hopi Telecommunications, Inc., bringing total operations to 23 states.^[8]

In May 2007, CenturyTel acquired Madison River Communications. This acquisition also included Mebtel, a telephone company serving Mebane County, North Carolina.^[13]

In late 2007, the Customer Respect Group, an international research and consulting firm that focuses on how corporations treat their online customers, ranked CenturyTel the best among six leading communications providers.

In 2007, CenturyTel acquired GulfTel; the GulfTel name was phased out by 2008.^[14][15]

Acquisition of Embarq[link]

On October 27, 2008, Embarq announced that it would be acquired by CenturyTel, Inc. in an all-stock transaction valued at $11.6 billion, including the assumption of $5.8 billion in Embarq's debt. CenturyTel's CEO Glen Post would remain CEO of the merged company following the acquisition.^[16]

Name change to CenturyLink[link]

On June 2, 2009, a press release announced that the combined CenturyTel/Embarq entity would be called CenturyLink. Denver-based Monigle Associates was retained to formulate the new brand strategy. The acquisition was completed on July 1, 2009.^[17]

On October 19, 2009, CenturyTel and Embarq brandings were retired, and all business was officially conducted under the CenturyLink banner, continuing to trade on the NYSE under the CenturyTel stock ticker CTL. The new corporate name, CenturyLink, Inc., did not become official until May 2010.

Acquisition of Qwest[link]

On April 22, 2010, CenturyLink (at this point still legally known as CenturyTel, Inc.) announced it would acquire Qwest in a stock-for-stock transaction. Under the agreement, CenturyLink would swap 0.1664 of its shares for each share of Qwest; if approved, CenturyLink shareholders will hold a 50.5% share of ownership in the combined company, while Qwest shareholders would own the remaining 49.5%.^[18] The valuation of CenturyLink's purchase as of April 21, 2010 is $22.4 billion, including the assumption of $11.8 billion of outstanding debt held by Qwest as of December 31, 2010. The merger was completed on April 1, 2011.^[7]

The addition of Qwest allowed CenturyLink to become the third largest telecommunications company in the United States. The new company has 17 million access lines, 5 million broadband customers, and 1.4 million video subscribers across 37 states.^[19] The merger also made CenturyLink owner of one of the Baby Bells, as much of Qwest was once U S WEST after the breakup of AT&T.

Acquisition of Savvis[link]

On July 15, 2011^[20] CenturyLink acquired Savvis, Inc., a global provider of cloud infrastructure and hosted IT solutions. This acquisition allowed CenturyLink to provide expanded managed hosting and cloud services.^[21]

Services offered[link]

CenturyLink is a telephone company. It offers voice and data communications, as well as television and home security services.^[22] CenturyLink's local and long distance voice communications is POTS. CenturyLink's data communication is through DSL, Metro Ethernet, MPLS, ATM, and Frame Relay over fiber optics and copper DS-3 and T-1 lines. The company's television offerings are DirecTV and an IPTV service named "PrismTV" which uses equipment similar to that of AT&T's U-Verse service.^[23] CenturyLink formerly offered Dish Network bundles to their customers.^[24] The company also offers bundling with Verizon Wireless.^[25]

Naming rights and sponsorships[link]

Venues[link]

• CenturyLink Arena Boise - Boise, Idaho (formerly Bank of America Centre and Qwest Arena)
• CenturyLink Center — Bossier City, Louisiana (formerly Bossier City Arena and CenturyTel Center)
• CenturyLink Center Omaha - Omaha, Nebraska (formerly Qwest Center)
• CenturyLink Field — Seattle, Washington (formerly Seahawks Stadium and Qwest Field)

Sponsorships[link]

• Portland Timbers^[26]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• CenturyTel/Embarq Merger Website
• CenturyLink/Qwest Merger Website
• CenturyLink/Savvis Merger Website

v t e CenturyLink, Inc. Corporate directors Chairman William Owens CEO Glen F. Post III Non-Executive Charles Biggs · Virginia Boulet · Peter C. Brown · Richard A. Gephardt · W. Bruce Hanks · Gregory J. McCray · C.G. Melville, Jr. · Edward A. Mueller · Fred R. Nichols · Harvey P. Perry · Michael J. Roberts · Laurie A. Siegel · James A. Unruh · Joseph R. Zimmel Acquired companies Centel · Embarq · Pacific Telecom · Qwest Communications International Operating Companies Carolina Telephone & Telegraph · Central Telephone · Central Telephone Company of Texas · Central Telephone Company of Virginia · CenturyTel of Adamsville · CenturyTel of Alabama · CenturyTel of Arkansas · CenturyTel of Central Indiana · CenturyTel of Chester · CenturyTel of Claiborne · CenturyTel of Colorado · CenturyTel of Eagle · CenturyTel of Missouri · CenturyTel of Mountain Home · CenturyTel of Northwest Arkansas · CenturyTel of Ohio · CenturyTel of Port Aransas · CenturyTel of Redfield · CenturyTel of San Marcos · CenturyTel of South Arkansas · CenturyTel of the Gem State · CenturyTel of the Midwest-Kendall · El Paso County Telephone · Embarq Florida · Embarq Minnesota · Embarq Missouri · Qwest · Spectra Communications Group · Telephone USA of Wisconsin · United Telephone Company of Eastern Kansas · United Telephone Company of Kansas Long distance services CenturyTel Long Distance · Embarq Communications · Qwest Communications Annual Revenue: US$1.7 billion ( FY 2011) · Employees: 47,000 · Stock Symbol: NYSE: CTL · Website: centurylink.com

v t e United States telephone companies Alaska Communications · Alaska Power and Telephone Company · AT&T · CenturyLink · Cincinnati Bell · EarthLink (Deltacom) · Emery Telcom · FairPoint · Frontier · GCI · Hawaiian Telcom · Claro - Puerto Rico Telephone · TDS · tw telecom · Verizon · Windstream (Cavalier Telephone, PAETEC) · XO Communications · Zayo

v t e Telecommunications (general) History Beacons Broadcasting Communications satellites Computer networks Drums Electrical telegraphs Fax Heliographs Hydraulic telegraphs Internet Mass media Mobile phones Optical telegraphy Photophones Radio Radiotelephones Telegraphy Telephones The Telephone Cases Television Undersea telegraph lines Videophones Pioneers Edwin Howard Armstrong John Logie Baird Alexander Graham Bell Tim Berners-Lee Jagadish Chandra Bose Vint Cerf Claude Chappe Lee De Forest Philo Farnsworth Reginald Fessenden Elisha Gray Guglielmo Marconi Alexander Stepanovich Popov Johann Philipp Reis Nikola Tesla Alfred Vail Charles Wheatstone Vladimir K. Zworykin Media Coaxial cable Free-space optical Optical fiber Radio waves Telephone lines Terrestrial microwave Networks ARPANET BITNET Ethernet FidoNet ISDN Internet Local area Mobile NGN Packet switched Public Switched Telephone Radio Television Telex Wide area World Wide Web Wireless Geographic v t e Telecommunications in Africa Sovereign states Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe States with limited recognition Azawad Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Somaliland Dependencies and other territories Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla / Plazas de soberanía (Spain) Madeira (Portugal) Mayotte / Réunion (France) Saint Helena / Ascension Island / Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom) Western Sahara v t e Telecommunications in Asia Sovereign states Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Burma (Myanmar) Cambodia People's Republic of China Cyprus East Timor (Timor-Leste) Egypt Georgia India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan North Korea South Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Nepal Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka Syria Tajikistan Thailand Turkey Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen States with limited recognition Abkhazia Nagorno-Karabakh Northern Cyprus Palestine Republic of China (Taiwan) South Ossetia Dependencies and other territories British Indian Ocean Territory Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Hong Kong Macau v t e Telecommunications in Europe Sovereign states Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom England Northern Ireland Scotland Wales States with limited recognition Abkhazia Kosovo Nagorno-Karabakh Northern Cyprus South Ossetia Transnistria Dependencies and other territories Åland Faroe Islands Gibraltar Guernsey Jersey Isle of Man Svalbard Other entities European Union v t e Telecommunications in North America Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Belize Canada Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago United States Dependencies and other territories Anguilla Aruba Bermuda Bonaire British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Curaçao Greenland Guadeloupe Martinique Montserrat Navassa Island Puerto Rico Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saba Sint Eustatius Sint Maarten Turks and Caicos Islands United States Virgin Islands v t e Telecommunications in Oceania Sovereign states Australia East Timor (Timor-Leste) Fiji Indonesia Kiribati Marshall Islands Federated States of Micronesia Nauru New Zealand Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu Dependencies and other territories American Samoa Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cook Islands Easter Island French Polynesia Guam Hawaii New Caledonia Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Pitcairn Islands Tokelau Wallis and Futuna v t e Telecommunications in South America Sovereign states Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela Dependencies and other territories Aruba Bonaire Curaçao Falkland Islands French Guiana South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Kenny Chesney
Kenny Chesney performing on March 8, 2008 at the Jupiter Bar & Grill in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Background information
Birth name	Kenneth Arnold Chesney
Born	(1968-03-26) March 26, 1968 (age 44)
Origin	Luttrell, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres	Country
Occupations	singer-songwriter
Instruments	vocals, guitar, bass
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Capricorn, BNA
Associated acts	Buddy Cannon, George Strait, Dave Matthews, Uncle Kracker, Gretchen Wilson, Sammy Hagar, Tim McGraw, Grace Potter, Lionel Richie
Website	Official website

Kenneth Arnold "Kenny" Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 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, 20 of which climbed to the top of the charts.

Over the life of his career, Chesney has been honored with numerous awards from the Academy of Country Music (ACM), Country Music Association (CMA), American Music Awards (AMA), Country Music Television (CMT), Billboard Music Awards (BMA), People's Choice Awards (PCA), and the French Country Music Awards (FCMA).

Chesney recently produced and co-directed a film for ESPN, "The Boys Of Fall". Chesney has received six Academy of Country Music awards(including four consecutive Entertainer of the Year Awards from 2005 to 2008),^[1] as well as six Country Music Association awards. He is one of the most popular touring acts in country music, regularly selling out the venues at which he performs.^[2][3] His 2007 Flip-Flop Summer Tour was the highest-grossing country road trip of the year.^[4]

The Country Music Association honored Chesney with the Entertainer of the Year award in 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008. Other notable awards include the Academy of Country Music's 1997 New Male Vocalist of the Year, 2002 Top Male Vocalist of the Year, and the Triple Crown Award in 2005. He was awarded his fourth consecutive Entertainer of the Year award from the Academy of Country Music on May 18, 2008.

Early life[link]

Chesney was born on March 26, 1968, in Knoxville, Tennessee at St. Mary's Medical Center and raised in Luttrell, Tennessee, of English and Irish descent. He is the son of David Chesney, a former elementary school teacher, and Karen Chandler, a hair stylist in the Knoxville area. Chesney has one sibling, a younger sister named Jennifer Chandler. In 1986 Chesney graduated from Gibbs High School where he played baseball and football. Chesney received his first guitar "The Terminor" for Christmas and began teaching himself to play.^[5] Chesney studied advertising at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City TN, where he was a member of the ETSU Bluegrass Program and the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. In 1989 Chesney recorded a self-released demo album at Classic Recording Studio in Bristol, Virginia. He sold 1,000 copies while performing at the local clubs in Johnson City and used the money from album sales to help buy a new guitar.^[6] Chesney graduated from East Tennessee State in December 1990 with a degree in advertising.^[6] After graduation he headed to Nashville and performed at several local clubs. He became the resident performer at The Turf, a honky tonk bar in the city's historic district.

Career and awards[link]

[edit] Signing first publishing and record deals

In 1992, the head of writer relations at BMI, Clay Bradley, recommended Chesney to his friend at Opryland Music Group, Troy Tomlinson, by saying: "I met this kid today from East Tennessee. He’s a good singer, a good songwriter, and more than anything, I think you’re going to really like him as a person.”^[7] For the audition for Tomlinson, Chesney performed five songs. Tomlinson's reaction was enthusiastic, later telling HitQuarters:

"First of all I was attracted to the songs, because I thought that he painted great pictures in his lyrics, particularly for someone who had not been around the typical Music Row co-writes. I thought that he sang very well too. But more than anything there was a kind of this ‘I-will-do-it’ look in his eyes - I was really drawn in by the fact that he was so set on being successful in this business."^[7]

Chesney left the audition with a songwriter’s contract. An appearance at a songwriter’s showcase the following year led to a contract with Capricorn Records which had recently started a country division. He released his debut album In My Wildest Dreams in April 1994. When Capricorn closed its country music division in Nashville and moved to Atlanta, Georgia Chesney signed with BNA Records.

[edit] In My Wildest Dreams (1994)

Chesney's first album, In My Wildest Dreams, was released on the independent Capricorn Records label in 1994. The album's lead-off singles, "The Tin Man" and "Whatever It Takes", both reached the lower regions of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. The album sold approximately 10,000 copies before Capricorn Records closed its country music division later that year.^[8]

[edit] All I Need to Know (1995)

After Capricorn's closure, Chesney signed with BNA Records, which released his album All I Need to Know in 1995. The album produced three hit singles. "Fall in Love" and "All I Need to Know" both reached the Top Ten, while "Grandpa Told Me So" peaked at #23.^[8] "The Tin Man" was also included on this album, although it was not released as a single at the time.

[edit] Me and You (1996-1997)

Released in 1996, Chesney's second major-label album was Me and You.^[8] Although its lead-off single peaked just outside the Top 40 on the country charts, the album's title track (which was reprised from All I Need to Know) and the single "When I Close My Eyes" (which was previously recorded by Larry Stewart on his 1993 debut album Down the Road) both peaked at #2 on the Billboard country charts. Me and You was also Chesney's first gold-certified album.^[8] A cover of Mac McAnally's 1990 single "Back Where I Come From" was also included on this album. Although Chesney's version was never released as a single, it has become a regular song played during his concerts. In recognition of his successful year, Chesney was honored with the 1997 Academy of Country Music's New Male Vocalist of the Year award.

[edit] I Will Stand (1997-1998)

I Will Stand, Chesney's third album for BNA, was released in 1997. "She's Got It All" was the album's lead-off single, becoming Chesney's first #1 single, spending three weeks at the top of the Billboard country charts.^[8] The album's second single, "A Chance", peaked just shy of the Top Ten. In 1998, "That's Why I'm Here" went to #2 on Billboard and reached the top of the charts on Radio & Records, giving Chesney his third #1 single overall.

[edit] Everywhere We Go (1999)

Everywhere We Go, released in 1999, was Chesney's fourth album for BNA. The album produced two consecutive #1 singles in "How Forever Feels" and "You Had Me from Hello" (the latter inspired by a line in the movie Jerry Maguire).^[8] The album also produced two more hits, including "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" and "What I Need to Do",^[8] which peaked at #11 and #8 on the country charts, respectively. Everywhere We Go was Chesney's first platinum-selling album.^[8]

[edit] Greatest Hits (2000)

By 2000, Chesney released his Greatest Hits compilation album.^[8] It included four new tracks, as well as updated versions of "Fall in Love", "The Tin Man", and "Back Where I Come From". The new version of "The Tin Man" was one of the disc's three singles, along with two of the new tracks, "I Lost It" and "Don't Happen Twice".^[8]

[edit] No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems (2002-2003)

The album No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems was released in 2002. The lead-off single, "Young", peaked at #2, while the follow-up "The Good Stuff" spent seven weeks at #1, becoming Billboard's #1 country song of the year for 2002. The video for "Young" was honored by CMT with the Video of the Year and Male Video of the Year awards for 2002. In 2003, ACM honored Chesney as Top Male Vocalist of the Year, while "The Good Stuff" received the award for Single Record of the Year. The following year, CMT recognized the video produced for "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems" as the Hottest Video of the Year.

[edit] All I Want for Christmas Is a Real Good Tan (2003)

In 2003, Chesney recorded All I Want for Christmas Is a Real Good Tan. The album's title track peaked at #30 on the country charts from holiday airplay.

[edit] When the Sun Goes Down (2004-2005)

2004 saw the release of Chesney's album When the Sun Goes Down. Its lead-off single, "There Goes My Life", spent seven weeks at the top of the Billboard country charts. On April 21, 2004, the accompanying video was honored by CMT with the Male Video of the Year award. The album's title track, "When the Sun Goes Down", a duet with Uncle Kracker, was also a #1 single. The video from the third single from the album, "I Go Back", was honored on April 11, 2005, with the Male Video of the Year by Country Music Television.

When the Sun Goes Down was honored with the 2004 CMA award for Album of the Year, while Chesney was honored as the Entertainer of the Year. He was also presented with the American Music Award's 2004 Artist of the Year award.

Kenny Chesney performing in the East Room of the White House on May 16, 2006, at the official dinner for Australian Prime Minister John Howard and Mrs. Janette Howard

[edit] Be as You Are and The Road and the Radio (2005-2006)

In January 2005, Chesney released the album Be as You Are (Songs from an Old Blue Chair), supporting the album with his Somewhere in the Sun Tour.

In the spring of 2005, Chesney was honored with the prestigious Triple-Crown Award presented by the Academy of Country Music. This award was presented after Chesney's 2004 Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year award was combined with 1997's New Male Vocalist of the Year award and 2003's Top Male Vocalist of the Year award. The following year, on May 23, 2006, Chesney was honored with his second Entertainer of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards.^[9]

Chesney released his second album of the year in November, The Road and the Radio, producing three #1 singles. "Living in Fast Forward", "Summertime", and "Beer in Mexico" all hit #1, while "Who You'd Be Today" and "You Save Me" broke the Top Five.

[edit] Live: Live Those Songs Again (2006)

Live: Live Those Songs Again is Chesney's first live album. Released on September 19, 2006 on BNA Records, the album includes live renditions of 15 songs, including 11 singles. "Live Those Songs", "Never Gonna Feel Like That Again", "On the Coast of Somewhere Beautiful", and "Back Where I Come From" were never released by Chesney as singles, while "Back Where I Come From" had been released as a single from Mac McAnally's 1990 album Simple Life.

Collaborations[link]

Kenny collaborated with one of his personal heroes, Jimmy Buffett, on a remake of Hank Williams' " Hey Good Lookin' (with Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith and George Strait), and a second song,"License To Chill ". Both songs are on Buffett's 2004 album, "License To Chill".

Chesney, along with Tim McGraw, contributed to a version of Tracy Lawrence's single "Find Out Who Your Friends Are", which can be found on Lawrence's album For the Love. The official single version, featuring only Lawrence's vocals, was released in August 2006, but did not reach the Top 40 on the country charts until January 2007, when For the Love was released. After the album's release, the version with McGraw and Chesney began receiving significant airplay, helping to boost the single to #1 on the country charts. The song became Lawrence's first #1 single in 11 years, as well as the second-slowest climbing #1 single in the history of the Billboard music charts.

Chesney also co-wrote Rascal Flatts' 2007 single along with Neil Thrasher and Wendell Mobley, "Take Me There", which served as the lead-off single to their album Still Feels Good.^[10]

Chesney also recorded a duet with Reba McEntire on her #1 2007 album, Reba: Duets. "Every Other Weekend" peaked at #15 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and #104 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. The album has sold 2.1 million copies world-wide and is certified Platinum by the RIAA for sales of over 1 million. "Every Other Weekend" was the final single from the album.

[edit] Super Hits (2007)

On November 7, 2007 Chesney was named the CMA Entertainer of the Year for the third time in four years. The following week, on November 15, 2007, the compilation Super Hits album was released as part of Sony BMG's Super Hits series.

Kenny Chesney in concert at the Madison Square Garden, New York City on August 30, 2007

[edit] Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates (2007-2008)

On September 11, 2007, Chesney released the album Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates. The album represented a move to a more gulf and western sound with a number of "breezy, steel-drum island songs."^[11] Kanye West's album Graduation, as well as 50 Cent's album Curtis, were released on the same day. Kanye West and 50 Cent were in the midst of a competitive sales war, with 50 Cent claiming he would end his solo rap career if West sold more albums than he did (remarks he later retracted as terms with of contract conflicted with the promise). Kenny Chesney, however, decided he would give country music a place in the competition, claiming country artists were just as popular as rap artists. Chesney came in third place in the number of record sales between the three musical artists.

The album's lead-off single, "Never Wanted Nothing More", became Chesney's 12th song to hit the top of the Billboard country charts.^[12] On the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated for the week ending September 15, 2007, Chesney's single "Don't Blink" debuted at #16, setting a new record for the highest debut on that chart since the inception of SoundScan electronic tabulation in 1990.^[13] This record was broken one week later by Garth Brooks' song "More Than a Memory", which debuted at #1 on the same chart, making it the first song ever to do so. The third single from Just Who I Am album, "Shiftwork", a duet with George Strait peaked at #2 on the Billboard country chart. During the week of June 28, 2008, the fourth single, "Better as a Memory", became Chesney's 14th single to hit the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

Kenny Chesney's Poets and Pirates tour bus in 2008

Chesney started his Poets and Pirates Tour on April 26, 2008 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. During the introduction of his set, his boot was caught between a hydraulic lift and the lip of the stage surface, crushing his foot and causing a severe hematoma from the ankle down, with most of the damage centering in his toes. It took approximately 30 seconds to pry his foot loose as he squatted down on the stage while the band continued to play an extended introduction of the song. When Chesney finally freed himself, he stood up and kept holding his hand on his knee as he began to sing.

Chesney did not acknowledge the injury during the early part of his performance. However, he was visibly limping and seemed to rest near a drum riser while leaning over and holding his knee during the instrumental breaks of his hit songs. As he came offstage, a doctor from the University of South Carolina cut off Chesney’s cowboy boot and immediately began treating the foot injury. X-rays taken later revealed several crushed bones in his right foot.

The injury did not cause him to postpone any shows, saying "He (the doctor) told me it's going to hurt – though nothing could hurt worse than Saturday, I don't think – and they can give me something to deaden the pain when I get out there. I also have to have a doctor standing by should something give, but I'm going to tape it up, and I'm going to get out there."^[14]

On May 19, 2008, just a day after being honored as the ACM Entertainer of the Year at the 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, Chesney criticized the lack of choice in the producers' awarding the honor based on fan votes. "The entertainer of the year trophy is supposed to represent heart and passion and an amazing amount of sacrifice, commitment and focus," he said. "That's the way Garth [Brooks] won it four times, that's the way I won it, that's the way [George] Strait won it, Reba [McEntire], Alabama all those years. That's what it's supposed to represent."^[15]