USVI-On-Line

There's an article in this months mag and he answers a question about STJ.

The question was:

Three years ago we talked about your Caribbean journey and how you found a sense of home and community in St. John. Can you bring us up to speed with the progreses of that journey?

KC:

It's changed for me a little. I wrote a record (Be as Your Are) about my truth and a place that gave me a sense of place and a freedom I'd never found. But as a result, the freedom went away a little bit. I feel more eyes on me. I feel guilty for bringing attention to places that didn't really need it. If I could do it over again I wouldn't give such a blueprint.

I know alot of people don't like KC or who put him down because he's brought alot of attention to STJ, but I think he understands how special STJ is, and to me, he realizes that STJ is getting too popular and it's a place where people want to keep it to themselves.
JMO, please be nice )

I do feel bad for KC, because he's pretty much had to give up STJ, at least for now. Of course, I wouldn't give it up for anyone, and I think he's being strange about it, but I guess I see his point. Maybe hopefully the stalkers will calm down now?

I am sure that most of the business owners don't mind the additional money that's come in, and every single one I've met was very respectful of KC's privacy and didn't tell those on their stalkeriffic vacation tours anything they didn't already know.

This is something I really don't understand. Are throngs of people coming to STJ looking for Kenny Chesney? I really don't think so. Yes maybe people are more aware that he may be "around" but for what reason would he decide to stay away now? It seems silly to me.

I can tell you I don't follow him, don't know much about him, I know a few of his songs. Probably less than a few. But when I was on STJ in 2006 I instantly knew Kenny was in the same bar as me. And that was due to the people that were with HIM - no one else even had a clue what was going on. In fact I said to the girl sitting next to me - do you know that's Kenny Cheseny? And she was surprised I recogonized him - but the backwards ball cap was a dead give away. I never would have looked at the guy were it not for the 20 year olds he was with his clearly had way too much to drink. His own group of people were drawing way too much attention to themselves.

I don't know Kenny, if you love it so much just go and live your life. If people say hello they do. Is that so bad? Clearly if people are stalking you on the beach that is a whole other story. Is that happening? I'm really asking here, have there been some "incidents" while he was on the island?

I haven't ever heard of an incident on island between him and a fan, but I'm not privy to all the details of his life (thank god). I will say, that I was surprised when three of the girls who went in our group of nine last year arrived on island and launched into KC stalker mode. It was slightly disturbing to say the least. They went all around asking questions about him everywhere and even rented a dinghy to try to get to Peter Bay to stalk him (they were so entertaining to watch that we didn't tell them that he didn't live there anymore). There was another girl we didn't know who actually spent her entire trip on a barstool in Woody's waiting for him. Who spends several grand to sit on a bar stool in paradise waiting for a stranger who may or may not arrive?

That was just in one week, and just the ones I saw with my own eyes. There could've been more. St. John's not a big place... But with those two examples: I'm wondering if it's a quality over quantity issue as far as his stalkers are concerned. From what I've seen of some of his fans, he's got some doozies who would do ANYTHING to get access to him.

But generally, I don't think it's a huge issue. Most business owners said no one bothers him when he's there, and they didn't seem bothered by the bump in business they get from his fans who must see St. John because he sang about it once. I'm sure it's not as big of an issue as he'd like to believe it is... just like he won't go to the grocery store here in Nashville. I never bothered that chick from Sugarland when I saw her in Krogers (or Aretha Franklin when I saw her at a grocery in Detroit)...

Clearly he made a regretful mistake. I don't understand why he just doesn't find some other remote island, that is in desperate need of an economy boost, spend a week there, take pictures, put them in a video, write songs about it, say publicly that he loves it and goes there often. Presto! Any KC hunters, will abandon STJ, go to said island, he can return, and all will right with the world!

Well, word on the street is that he filmed his latest video in Jamaica...

Of course, then there were pics of him in his "disguise" singing at Woody's. I think that's another setback.

I'm glad he made that CD. It's probably my favorite KC CD because I love all the songs about STJ. They perfectly describe a place that I, too, fell in love with. I could live without the stalkers, but a small price to pay for 13 songs about my most favorite place in the world.

Many years ago I was having a late lunch at Woodys. The only people in the place were myself, hubby, the cook and the waitress. We were sitting at the bar when this woman comes running into the place and demands to know if this is the "place" Kenny Chesney comes to. Hubby and I had no clue what she was talking about. We knew who KC was but had no idea that he like (let alone had a house) on STJ.

The waitress decided to mess with her and told her that it was in fact the place and that the bar stool that my husband was sitting on was Kenny's favorite stool. She ran over to us, asked hubby to stand up and rubbed the stool. The waitress then told her that the cook was one of Kenny's best friends. She ran into the kitchen and was hugging him As she ran out the door, she turned around and grabbed a menu off the wall. She took off with the menu

Now, you also have to picture this short, round, over-forty year old with a moo-moo type cover-up, big floppy hat, and a camera around her neck. She was in fact the picture perfect "tourist".

We laughed like we have never laughed before. The waitress told us that since we were there to witness this nightmare that she would give us a special treat. She put a CD in the player and turned on the tunes. It was KC's Be-As-You-R albumn. 3-4 months before it came out From what she told us, KC had given them a pre-release copy but they wern't playing it yet.

Now imagine, if that happened to me on my 1 week vacation BEFORE the albumn came out, what do you think happens there everyday now? CRAZY!

XOXO
Bug

NOTE: I must admit that I would LOVE to see Kenny in STJ but would probably fall over if I saw him

I can't believe that people actually go all the way to St. John to try and meet Kenny Chesney! That is so bizarre. It takes a long time to get there, it is EXPENSIVE, and you are going to spend what should be your beautifully relaxing, sunny, beachy vacation looking for some dude that does not care that you exist? I think that's really weird.

Bug, your story is hysterical!

He milked the island pretty good to create his Caribbean cowboy persona then got a bit whiney when the resulting celebrity became overwhelming. Then there was the peculiar marriage production. He wanted it both ways. In one amusing episode he complained about having no privacy on STJ anymore, so he was spending more time in a new paradise----which he promptly identified and used in videos.

Puzzling now is since he feels guilty about bringing attention to places that don't need it---why not stop giving interviews in which he talks about those places? On another forum someone suggested that he could make amends by writing songs about going on cruises.

A lot's changed on STJ. His impact has been just a minor piece. He's more symptom than cause.

Ok, I wasn't going to reply to this but I read it and guess i had to put my two cents in...

I'm a huge Kenny fan and yeah, would love to run into him anywhere. but in reality, if i ever saw him, especially on STJ, I don't think I'd say a word to him.

And that's def not why I fell in love with the Island. I don't even think I knew that he owned a home there the first time...my mom read about it on this site i believe later on...

I think everyone is different. Everyone reacts differently to everything but I really can't imagine someone going to the Island just to "meet" him but I'm sure it happens........whatever. i think people should respect that it's his getaway...but whatever

i'm babbling now but i do love kenny and he DOES put on an amazing concert..i think many people would be very surprised.

And "Be As You Are" is a perfect cd to listen to when I'm missing STJ

islandgirlstuckinVA wrote:i'm babbling now but i do love kenny and he DOES put on an amazing concert..i think many people would be very surprised.

And "Be As You Are" is a perfect cd to listen to when I'm missing STJ

I think there are more than a few people on this forum that enjoy his music. (probably even some of the macho, macho guys who listen to KC secretly). I've seen his concert twice, and you're right, it is a great, energetic show.

I've also practically worn "Be As You Are" paper thin! It's my dinner cooking CD.

It's just really hard to listen to him be all "boo-hoo for me" about not being able to go to his fav place. Price of fame I guess.

I am a HUGE Kenny fan, too, but like the others would NEVER even dream of going up to him if I ever saw him! I respect peoples privacy - always, no matter who you are! Being a sensitive song writer, he wrote about his favorite place and his life at the time and we all get to enjoy it! Now I can't wait til Lucky Old Sun comes out, I have my order in!!!! Have you listened to XM18 - Kenny's No Shoes Radio?? Excellent mix of artists.