Takamine Test Site

Longtime Takamine player turned country music superstar, Kenny Chesney, is now a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Recently announced from the Hall of Fame rotunda in Nashville, the Knoxville native known for his high-energy live shows, catchy songs, and massive "No Shoes Nation" fanbase had this to say about the honor.

“I always felt that country music told a lot of truth, and it’s fueled by a lot of dreams... I had a really big dream, but I can promise you, I did not see this coming.” 

Chesney follows fellow Takamine signature artist Toby Keith, who was posthumously inducted last October.

We first met Kenny back in 1994 as a new kid in town in search of a first-rate acoustic electric. Mutual friend Billy Craven introduced us, and soon the 25-year-old Knoxville native would take delivery of his first Takamine: an EF360SC, which would appear in his earliest videos. A year later, Kenny would switch to the more compact FP317S, a model that, along with his signature model KC70, has been on stage for every Kenny Chesney concert since.

It's been 1,469 shows since then (and counting), most registering as sold-out stadiums or arenas, making Chesney as one of the most preeminent touring acts of any era or genre. This spring, Kenny will take the path of fellow Takamine artists Garth Brooks, Eagles, and Blake Shelton with his own Las Vegas residency, beginning May 22 at the Sphere, and launching a run of shows that will likely deliver a full-fledged beach party to the super-sensory desert venue.

Congratulations to the great Kenny Chesney on his well-deserved inclusion into the legendary Country Music Hall of Fame. The craftsmen and women at Takamine Guitars take great pride in having been Kenny’s acoustic-electric of choice for the last 31 years, and remain dedicated to earning the honor. Chesney will be formally inducted into the Hall of Fame in the Medallion Ceremony later this year.