So, I thought it would be fun to pull up some old concert photos, refresh them a bit, and share them again. It's been a long time since I have looked at any of these photo albums tucked in the back of my closet and a lot has changed since then. Cameras have evolved into digital wonders, scanners have really improved in quality, and hair (in Kenny's case) has gotten a "little bit" shorter.
When I took these photos twelve years ago, Kenny Chesney was just a fledging concert act trying to make it big--and boy did he ever. Who would have thought that the kid in the too-tight beige wranglers with the nasaly voice would become the Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year for three years running? Certainly not I. I kid a lot about Kenny, but even I recognize the many years of hard work that led him to where he is today.
These photos were taken at "Starfest" in 1996. Starfest was the west coast's answer to Nashville's FanFair in the east. For three years in May, the Los Angeles County Fair Grounds in Pomona, California was taken over for a long weekend and invaded by country music stars and fans alike. Several stages were set up for performances and newer acts like LeAnn Rimes, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Tracy Lawrence, and Toby Keith sang their hearts out looking for a bigger audience to buy their records. Every radio station that could get its signal heard was there and buildings were packed with the artist's booth hawking autographs, photos, and assorted swag. It was a great time for everyone and seemed like a huge success to us, the fans, but unfortunately, Starfest collapsed during it's fourth year. Promoters claimed bankruptsy, took our money (after we pre-paid for our seats), and ran.
To see the individual photos, you can go to:
