Kenny Chesney celebrated his 55th birthday in style over the weekend, ringing in the milestone with a private plane ride with pals, country singer Kelsea Ballerini and drummer Nick Buda, following a sold-out show at Penn State University’s Bryce Jordan Center on Saturday.
The 12-time CMA Award-winner took to Instagram to share a picture of the party, along with a video of the crowd singing “Happy Birthday” to him.
“I’d be a bad friend if I didn’t ask all of you at this sold-out show on a Saturday night at Penn State to sing happy birthday,” Ballerini, 29, said in the video Chesney shared.
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Chesney kicked off his I Go Back tour on Thursday, with Ballerini as his opening act. The tour, which brings him back on the road after his massive Here and Now Tour wrapped in August, will bring him to many cities across the country between March and May of this year, performing in many cities outside of major markets.
In a press release, Chesney said his 2004 single “I Go Back” inspired the move, saying that it talks about how music can remind you of important life moments.
“So, I decided that rather than just go repeat what we did, I wanted to take this band and these songs to a lot of the cities we played on our way up! Let’s call the tour I Go Back — and do just that,” he said.
As far as bringing Ballerini on the road with him, Chesney said he’s had his eyes on her ever since their collaboration on “Half of My Hometown.”
“As soon as I heard that first verse, I was in. And I have been one of Kelsea’s biggest fans ever since. She’s a writer, a girl who sings from her heart and isn’t afraid to honor where she comes from. To me, there was no other choice for this tour,” he said.
Ballerini said that “singing with Kenny is going home,” noting her excitement to embark on a tour with one of country music’s legends.
The tour is slated to run through May and will make stops in major cities including Jacksonville, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; and Phoenix, Arizona.
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