Kenny Chesney said he needed a couple of days to process it all.
The country music legend closed out another long, successful tour over the weekend with a three-show slate at Gilette Stadium.
He packed the house, performing in front of more than 180,000 people across the three-day finale. And, he said, that was pretty awesome, and also … a little sad.
“So a bittersweet goodbye to the 2024 #SunGoesDownTour,” he wrote on X. “I’m a touch tired for sure. But my heart and soul is so full from all the faces we saw this year. The energy, the laughter, and all the music will live within me forever.”
Chesney said he needed to take the time before posting just to make sure the Gilette Stadium slate “wasn’t an illusion or a dream.”
“The ringing in my ears tells me it really happened, that it was real,” he wrote. “I’ve never felt so much love and raw energy at once, and it kept growing after each night.”
- Legendary country music acts you might not see again after 2024
- Country music star has positive message for fans after nearly dying
- Country music stars battling serious heart issues
- 24 country music artists, influencers have died in 2024. Here is who we lost
- Greatest country music singer of all time? How they rank according to data
Turns out, the tour closing dates also have a special meaning to Chesney because of the relationship he forged with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft nearly 20 years ago that helped make it all possible.
It all began with Chesney and Kraft taking a bit of gamble that resulted in them forging a close bond, according to a story from MassLive’s Ronnie Ramos.
The first step came in 2005 when Chesney booked Gilette Stadium for a show. Per MassLive, playing such a big venue was uncommon back then, and Kraft told the site he was “grateful” that Chesney had the confidence to do it. And so, Kraft said, he invited Chesney to lunch.
“How many stadium or team owners take the time to come down and have a meal, ask about your friends or your family?” Chesney said.
Chesney’s career was already rolling strong, but as the weekend numbers show, the relationship served a springboard to bigger things. And it also became about more than business. MassLive’s story highlighted that, and dove into how Chesney and Kraft now consider one another family.
“He’s an extended member of our family,” Kraft said. “He’s a very special human being. Very empathetic.”
Kraft’s support has not been lost on Chesney.
“Mr. Kraft heard something in me or felt something vibrating with the fans, and he went for it, too,” Chesney told MassLive. “He embraced us so completely in those first years. He took us — me, my band, my road family, even the fans — on as something he believed in. That means a lot. The caring Mr. Kraft has shown us has been incredible.
“Mr. Kraft told my father several years ago, and it meant so much to my dad, that we were family,” Chesney told the site. “People don’t just do that or say that. But it’s very, very true. And it goes for Mr. Kraft, his son, and his entire organization have made us feel so welcome and part of their family for years.”
To read more about Chesney and Kraft’s relationship and how it helped springboard his career into the big, tour closing slate, check out MassLive’s story here.
With the dust settled on the monster weekend at Gilette, Chesney thanked Zac Brown Band, Uncle Kracker and Megan Moroney for performing on tour. And he delivered a message to his fans.
“I love all of you and thank you,” he said. “I’m going to go jump in the ocean now. See ya when I see ya.”