Kenny Chesney: Every Rut of Every Highway

25:32Yes, exactly. So that's the only thing because that was my mojo. But we got past it. We played there tons of times since and we put a bunch of content on it and it looks really great, actually.

25:42Rob Lowe:Speaking of Jerry Jones, one of my favorite people to talk football with. How about his scene? Have you seen his scene in Landman? I thought it's unbelievable. It's the same thing, though, that you with Coach Payton, Taylor Sheridan, the great creator of Yellowstone, Landman, was like, just tell that story. it's like like you and for sheridan to not write something because you know he's that's what he does he's like just do your thing and it's the same it's just riveting when you get these old school football and i guess it's probably true in any sport anybody who's a a master of their domain that has to inspire people from time to time it's it's that's one of my favorite moments is is hearing jerry talk like that oh i love it you know and and he he's been a friend you know So over the years, when I first started playing there, I didn't know him at all until we played there.

26:32And my first interaction with him was us. We weren't in an argument, but Jerry wanted me to use that screen. I didn't want to use it, so I didn't use it. And so the next year, I agreed to it, and he came down. I mean, he gave me a big hug. And since then, we've been friends ever since. but he has not gotten to where he is today in the world by not being a smart cookie. He's a master motivator, and I look up to him a lot. That documentary that's out now on him.

27:14Rob Lowe:On the Cowboys. It's insane. It's so good. Yeah, it's insane. It's so good. I mean, it's like, and, and, you know, it's also like, you know, Dr. Buss and the Lakers when, and all those documentaries, you realize these guys just were wheeler dealers who, riverboat gamblers, man, who just by hook or by crook made it happen. No, wasn't there a story where he, like Jerry was in like Mexico or somewhere and got a call. Like we think that, I don't know. I think I watched this in the documentary where he goes, well, we think the Cowboys are going to be for sale. And he flew out of Mexico and went straight to Dallas.

27:51And that's how that whole thing started.

27:54Rob Lowe:It's a crazy story. And him being a Louisiana, or I guess he's Arkansas. Arkansas, yeah. Like an Arkansas boy and the Tech. And how about firing, you know, Dapper, the famous coach, Landry, Tom Landry. And Tech Schramm and all of them, you know. So it was like, it was, you know, but you know what? To sit down with Jerry Jones at a dinner. Oh, nothing better. Nothing. Nothing better. I mean, it's one of the most fascinating conversations. Yes. And I've never seen a human being hold the table or hold the room better than him. It's unbelievable. It's unbelievable. I couldn't agree with you more. It's a real treat.

28:37Rob Lowe:How did you fall in love with the Virgin Islands? I mean, you're a waterman like me. I love the water. I, I, and then, and then tell me what the, in your mind, is there a difference? We're going to go in like deep dive here. What's the difference between the British Virgin Islands and the Virgin Islands? Or do you consider them all the same? Well, they're just U.S. owned. A couple of them are U.S. owned. You know, St. Puerto Rico, then St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John. Right. But from my house in St. John, you can see the British Virgin Islands. You can be there in 20 minutes. It's like the same area.

29:12But I went to the Virgin Islands for the first time in 1997 to shoot a music video for a song called How Forever Feels. And we were in St. Thomas and we ran into really bad weather. So we had to push a couple of days. So I didn't really have anything to do. And I took the ferry over to St. John. And that was the beginning of my love affair with the Virgin Islands. And I met a group of people that became life friends. You know, on that day, I mean, I walked into this bar. There were two twin boys there from Missouri, and they introduced me to a couple other people. And we just had a nice talk. You know, I got to get back on the ferry.

29:55You know, I got to get up really early in the morning and shoot sunrise, that kind of stuff. But I went back a couple of months later and stayed a month. And all of a sudden, I'm meeting all these people that became a different circle of friends that I had on the road and from my family. And they were all from different places, right? So think about from 1993 till that time, 1997, 98, I was trying to create music for a certain formula that was working, right? In the genre of country. Because I was just trying to get my songs heard any way I could. I wasn't really comfortable in my skin. I didn't know who I wanted to be as an artist, but I was recording music that just fit a formula.

30:44And I had a few songs on the radio at the time. But when I went to the Virgin Islands and I met all these different people from all over the world, a lot of them from New England. But for the first time in my life, I went, wow, I can create music for these people too. I don't have to make music for this specific thing because I think it hits a certain audience. Right. And that truly, Rob, changed my life. All of a sudden, it gave me creative freedom. It gave me, now I didn't annihilate the country audience. I just expanded my version of it. And all that happened by meeting people. And they didn't even know who I was, all these people down there, right?

31:26It was long before social media. It was long before how everything is so instant today. Right, yeah, that makes sense. So they didn't know. What's crazy is Winkle State, once they found out and years later they would come on the road and they would see me do my thing on stage, they were really confused because they didn't know that person down there. You know, they're scratching their head going, who's this guy? Yeah, for sure. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But, you know, being around water and on boats and having a bunch of authentic island friends like that just changed me creatively. and it allowed me to, I don't know, all of a sudden I was, you know, where I had been creating and looking through a straw, all of a sudden I was creating with a fisheye lens.

32:16That's the best way I could explain it. That makes sense. And that's how it all changed for me. Do you fish? A little bit, but I tell you, I don't love to go out there if it's rough. So I struggle with that. but you know, you can never predict. I don't fish a ton, but I love it.

32:37Rob Lowe:Yeah. I, I'm, my, my son and I are just obsessed with the water and spent a lot of time in the, in the, in the Virgin islands and all that, that whole area. I just got down to all the way down to Mystique finally, which, you know, and you go Mystique, this is like where Mick Jagger used to And then I realized that Mystique is French for fucking mosquito. And boy, did they name that island correctly. Oh, yeah, no question. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. It was like insane. But that's a really - You see all these beautiful villas in the Virgin Islands, and you see they're tucked back into the hill. It is gorgeous.

33:20But, you know, if mosquitoes love darkness and they love, it's hard to do that for me, you know, because I've made the mistake. I've ridden this villa down there with me and my girlfriend at the time, and we woke up and we were like covered in mosquito bites. But luckily over the years, I think they got used to my blood and they leave me alone pretty much now.

33:41Rob Lowe:Well, it is a funny thing. Mosquitoes don't like my blood. It must say something about me. I mean, but my wife gets annihilated, annihilated. And it's just so funny to me. It's like, I'm like, I didn't even notice it. I must be, it must be all the, you know, years of bitterness in my blood. You know, just, it has to be hard. Do you think it's too much caffeine? It's bitterness and caffeine. I think that we have a song title, Bitterness and Caffeine. Okay, yeah, no question. In our blood. That's actually, that's a chapter of a book for sure. Isn't it? For sure. When is your, is your book out or coming out?

34:23Rob Lowe:It's coming. No, it's out. It's out now. It's available now. There it is. Yeah, it's Heart Life Music. And we were number one New York Times bestseller last week. And that's not easy to do, bro. That's not easy to do. Very, I'm very thankful. But I had no idea that that was going to happen. You know, truly, Rob, all I wanted to do was to, Once we agreed to do this and Holly and I spent a year together writing this book, really all I wanted to do was just to get my story out there and have it on print. And hopefully that somebody would see their life reflected in it. And I'm very proud of it. Did you do the audio book?

35:03I did the audio book. Great. Yeah. It was difficult. It took a while. But I'm really glad I did it. Because you know what? Like, if you wrote a book, the people that know and love you wouldn't want me to read your audio book. No, for sure. They want you to read it. Yes, yes, yes. I hate how I sound on it, but to listen to your own voice is always really weird. See, that's funny, but you don't feel that way about your singing voice. No, I've got used to that.

35:32Rob Lowe:You got used to it. I got used to it. It's really interesting. You get enough tips on the radio, man. You get used to your own voice. You know, man, you win enough Grammys, you get used to your voice. Well, I mean, it's like I said this. We did a book tour after the book came out. And it was really hard for me at first because I'm used to being in front of an audience and I can sing to 60 ,000 people. But you asked me to speak to 600 and it's a completely different thing. But I'm getting better at it. It is a weird thing, isn't it? Yeah. It's a different kind of intimacy. Yes. Yes. That's exactly.

36:12Rob Lowe:That must be it. Which I'm getting better at too. Bro, I'm right there with you. Wait, intimacy? Hmm. I don't know. I can't even believe I used that word. Shame. Shame. It's like I'm good with an audience, but if it's 25 people and I'm supposed to give a toast. Oh, yeah, that's difficult. Brutal. yeah has anybody ever have you ever been in a situation where um you're in like a group of 20 or 25 and someone before a meal and someone randomly asked you to say the prayer oh it's oh my god i like that's so much anxiety i just i crumble so much anxiety say that why don't you hey why don't you leave grace tonight yeah or uh or hey um so i'm gonna open with a few words and And then I thought maybe you'd talk a little bit about, and you can't eat anything.

37:09Rob Lowe:The food now tastes like a cannonball in your stomach. Yeah, I'm not any good at that at all. You get into, and I get that little like devil on my shoulder going, wrap it up, wrap it up, wrap it up. Ooh, land the plane, land the plane. I love it. I actually have a new book coming out. and one of the - When does it come out? It'll be out next year, probably around Father's Day, but it's a little bit of a how to live life book, tongue in cheek. But one of the things I talk about is how to give a toast, how not to give a toast, how to tell a joke. And because I've lived it, I've lived, I've had a very steep learning curve.

37:53Rob Lowe:You bomb enough and you figure it out, right? It's like being on a talk show. Or being on stage or whatever. or stand up on stage, or as an actor, whatever, you learn. You don't necessarily, and I would imagine being a father, like, I don't know that yet, but you kind of imagine, you kind of learn pretty quickly what doesn't work. Yes. Whether you know what works or not, you know what not to do. Yeah. I guess that's half the battle. Tell me, I want to talk to you about Nashville and your heroes and stuff. Okay. And who, in your Mount Rushmore Hall of Fame, who's on it? Okay, well, it's a lot of different people, but it's difficult.

38:39I mean, growing up in East Tennessee, I had, obviously, my country people. But then I went to college, and then I realized the genius of Bruce Springsteen. I realized the genius of Jimmy Buffett. Yes. Growing up as a child in Knoxville, we didn't hear Bob Marley and the Wailers. We did not. But when I got to college, that whole world opened up to me. And then I started writing songs and I realized how great Jimmy was and how great Bruce was. And how great, I still think Bob Marley's music is the most universal music that we have in our world. So you take that child in East Tennessee that just started to dream in his grandmother's backyard and tell him that he is going to meet Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Buffett, and not Bob, obviously, because he had passed, but all the guys that made that music with Bob.

39:34Right. With Ashton Family Man Barrett. I did a music video on the North Shore of Jamaica with the Wailers. Wow. After it was over, I sat there on the beach with Family Man, and we just talked about music and about how, I mean, he almost gave this five-minute speech to me about how reggae and country are alike because they tell stories uncut. And then he started going to talking about how him and Bob, how they met and how, I mean, just their whole journey. And to be a kid from East Tennessee that didn't know what his dream meant, to be sitting there on the beach with Bob, listening to their story, It was eerily similar because they were in Jamaica.

40:23They didn't know the music that they were making was going to touch the world at all. And so they would be on it. So Buffett, Springsteen, Bob Marley and the Wailers. As a kid, I loved the music of Van Halen. I loved Steve Miller. I loved George Strait. I loved Willie Nelson. And I think I'm running out of rooms to put people on it. That's great. But there's just so much that touched me. And I mean, it just goes on and on.

40:55Rob Lowe:Those are great. Those Springsteen in particular, Jimmy Buffett. Yeah. My life wouldn't be the same without those guys. Same. Because I was in college and the first song I wrote, I heard Jimmy's song and I heard a lot of Bruce's music. And I thought, I want to try to write a song. Rob, I was a marketing major at East Tennessee State University, and there was this girl that sat beside me the whole semester. And I tried everywhere in the world to get that girl to go out with me. But all of a sudden, I was out of jokes, and I was out of whatever East Tennessee charm I was trying to lay on, or nothing was working.

41:35And I thought, well, I'm going to write her a song. And I spent a little time writing her whatever I thought that I wanted to give her. And it was one of those old school things. You know, you had to push play and record on the recorder. Yes, same, two fingers at the same time. That's right, two fingers at the same. So I wrote her this song, put it on a cassette. Now look, this class that we took was only a Tuesday, Thursday class. So I made the mistake of walking in there and sliding it across the table to her on a Thursday. And so, which means I had to wait Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday for any kind of response.

42:16And so I walk in, okay, all of a sudden it's Tuesday. Today's the day. Yes, today's the day. You know, today's the day. When I walk in, I sat down and that girl is sitting as far away from me as she possibly can. She's sitting on the backside in the back corner of the room. So I thought, you know, the only thought that I had, I took it pretty good. The only thought that I had was, you know, your songs have got to get a lot better, a lot better. But looking back at it now, it truly was my first taste of rejection in the music business. And it was a glimpse into what was going to come your way a lot when you're trying to break into this business.

42:59So that was my first experience in developing tough skin. And you have to have that when you do what we do. And to not take anything personally. I mean, I took it a little personal, but I got over it pretty quickly.

43:16Rob Lowe:God, that's a true story. That is an amazing, I hope you've written a song, another song for her. No, I haven't. Oh, come on, man. Maybe you should. If I were your John Landau and you're my Bruce Springsteen, I'm insisting you write a song for her today. I'll do it. The Girl in the Classroom. That's how it started, though. Seriously. that was the first song I ever wrote. And I got rejected personally and musically.

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46:39Rob Lowe:Yeah, no, I love the idea. The girl in the classroom. Yeah, yeah. Look at me, yeah, wherever you are. I mean, I don't know. There's an idea in there somewhere for sure. This is what you taught me. You thank her. Thank her for the rejection. It truly was. It was rejection musically, personally. I mean, every way. She didn't like it at all. I mean, she moved to the back corner of the classroom as far away from me as she could possibly get. Well, what I wonder is what was she saying to everybody from Thursday to Tuesday? I mean, you feel like this is the biggest asshole. You know what I mean? Like, I mean, she's saying that to all of her buddies and probably letting all of her friends hear it.

47:19You know, you think the absolute worst. And the year wasn't over. I had to go in every Tuesday, Thursday for like another month and see her sitting in the back corner and be reminded of that every class. So, anyway.

47:34Rob Lowe:Not everybody. I got over it. I got over it. Listen, not everybody can have their first foray work. There was a moment in the late 80s where I thought, I want to try to see if I can do something in music. And so I find myself with Jeff Piccaro and David Page of Toto. Yeah, great players. And they've written a song for me and we're in the recording studio. And God damn, it was, I look back, I'm glad that that cassette never made it out to anybody. And it was a cassette. Yeah, I know. I would have had the entire country moving to the back of the class. Well, look, man, whatever higher power you believe in had something different in mind for you, just like me.

48:24Like I wanted to play, I wanted to play sports, but I swear to God, I'm not, like I, it was this size as a freshman in high school. And I thought I was going to be an athlete when I was a freshman in high school. Sophomore year, same size. Junior year, same size. Yeah, you thought it was good. You thought it was just the beginning. You're like, I'll get another four. 57, 57 years old, same size. Still the same size. So whatever higher power that is out there had something much different in mind for me.

48:53Rob Lowe:It just goes to show you, sometimes like the dream you have is, there's actually a better dream. I always say if I'd ever gotten what I wanted, I would have been selling myself short. Well, I know that emotion because especially when you're young in this business and when you are, when I got my first record deal and it wasn't working and my second one, it wasn't working. it's almost human nature to want it all at once. Right. You know, I think, oh, well, why am I not getting my records played? And I feel like that there were people that I was comparable to that were just shooting up the charts.

49:33But now I am so thankful because if what had happened to me later in my life and what has happened to me now had happened to me when I wanted it, I wouldn't have had the skill set to take it. It would have been over before it started. And so I'm very thankful that that didn't happen when I wanted it.

49:55Rob Lowe:It's a great lesson for everybody because it's true for everybody. It happens. It's not on our time. It's on God's time or whatever fate's time, the universe's time, whatever you believe in. And you just got to, it's like they say, you just got to stay around the hoop. It's a great sports reference. Yeah, that's great. That's great. I love that. Isn't that a good one? Just, you know, dude, good things happen when you stay around the hoop. That's right. Yeah. And you're available. Yes. That's right. So, but I was discouraged some when it started, but I wasn't that. I just kept going. I just truly believed that I was supposed to be there.

50:32So, I had a band. Rob, I had a bus that had 12 bunks on it, and there were 14 of us on the bus. So, we took turns sleeping on the front lounge couch and the back lounge couch. even me, because I was just part of the band. I wasn't Kenny Chesney yet. I was just in the band, right? I had the record deal, but nobody knew who we were. Nobody. At all.

50:56Rob Lowe:That's amazing. I'm so psyched to read the book. I love when people who have a storied career decide to put some of it on paper. There's some of my favorite books come from that era. And I will be reading it. I'm an old-fashioned guy. I'll be reading yours too. I like to read it. Let me know when it's out. I will for sure. I got two out now. I mean, two stories I only tell my friends. You can get that one now. Oh, so is that a tell-in-all? It is a memoir, but it's - That's a good way. Yes, it is a memoir. And what I like about it is it hits a bullseye of telling you all the sort of behind-the-scenes shit that you want, but in a way where nobody gets hurt.

51:51Rob Lowe:That's a good way to put it. Do you know what I'm saying? Well, that's why I didn't want to do it that way, too, because I still respect a lot of people that have been in my life that are still in my life. Just because I have my life don't mean that they have to be painted a certain way. No, and the other part of it is you're entitled to your point of view on your own life. Yes. So like that's, you know, like whenever I would be writing about something, a person or family member or friend or somebody who's powerful, whatever, you know, I would know that I was going to do it with a deft touch. Yeah.

52:29Rob Lowe:But I'd be like, hey, man, fuck it. This is my life. This did happen to me. Yeah. Well, before I go back down to the islands, which is going to be after Thanksgiving, I will have that book. Oh, good. Yeah, and then we'll compare reviews. And if you move to the opposite end of the boat when you see me, I'll know. It's safe, right? I won't do that, brother. I won't do that. Did you do an audio book for it? I did. Yeah, I do audio book. Stories Only Tell My Friends and then another one called Love Life, which is the follow-up. See, I like to sit in the sauna and listen. Yeah. When I'm on the plane, I listen.

53:06When I'm in the car, I listen. I love audio books. Are you an infrared sauna guy? I do some, but I've got my own sauna. It's the heater, and I do a lot of witchcraft stuff in my body. Same, same. Cold plunge? Yeah, cold plunge. I do heat and ice. I do a lot of IV stuff. I do plasma exchange. Have you ever done a plasma exchange? No. It's really intense. Wow. But you feel fantastic.

53:36Rob Lowe:Okay. Yeah. That's something we can talk about later. Okay. I got my homework. Kenny Chesney's plasma exchange. Hi, I'm Kenny Chesney. Get your very own bag. It's really great for you. Yeah. All right. This has been great. Dude, I always love when we get a chance to catch up. Will next Saints game or... Oh, no. Yeah, whatever. Do you go up to see Sean in Denver? Yeah, I'm going to go before the Euros up. I've been busy doing this, but I'm going to go before the Euros. They are so good. Same. And they got a real shot. They got a great defense. They had a real shot. Okay. I hope to see you soon, man.

54:09It's been too long. And thank you for having me. I really appreciate it. It's good to see you. And thanks for the time.

54:15Rob Lowe:And hope to see you soon. Yeah, I'll see you up in Denver, sounds like. Thanks, brother. Appreciate you. Sounds great, man. Thank you. Bye-bye.

54:26Rob Lowe:Thanks, you guys. Thank you, Kenny. That was great. super fun, super fun talk. I looked up at the clock and our time was already up. I love when that happens. All right, y 'all. See you next time right here on Literally. Thanks as always for being here.

54:49Rob Lowe:You've been listening to Literally with Rob Lowe produced by me, Sean Doherty with help from associate producer, Sean Calvano. Research by Jeff Fox. Engineering and mixing by Joanna Samuel. Our executive producers are Rob Lowe for Low Profile and Nick Liao, Adam Sachs, and Jeff Ross for Team Coco. Booking by Katherine Cook. Music by Devin Bryant. Special thanks to Hidden City Studios. Thanks for listening. We'll see you next time on Literally.

55:23Hey, everyone. It's me, Morgan Stewart, and I have a new podcast called The Morgan Stewart Show. Join me each week as I talk about pop culture, fashion, my personal life, and just a warning, I'm going to be giving my opinion on everything.

55:35Rob Lowe:I'll also have some really fun guests to join in on the fun. The Morgan Stewart Show is out now. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts or watch full video on YouTube. Adventures don't always go as planned. One minute you're cruising in your RV, the next your tire hits a massive pothole. Progressive is ready for you when the unexpected hits with excellent claim service for your boat, RV, and motorcycle. Plus optional coverage like roadside assistance and on-the-water towing. Visit Progressive.com and make sure your next adventure is unforgettable for the right reasons. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates.

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