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Kenny Chesney honored his late friend when he took the stage at the 59th CMA Awards on Wednesday night (November 19) to celebrate his recent induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Chesney, 57, performed “American Kids” and “When the Sun Goes Down” on Country Music’s Biggest Night. He released the classic singles on 2014’s The Big Revival and on his 2004 album of the same title, respectively.
James, who wrote or co-wrote some of the biggest hits in country music, died in a small plane crash in North Carolina on September 18, along with wife Melody Carole, 59, and stepdaughter Meryl Wilson, 28. He was 57. Chesney has previously paid tribute to his late friend, who was a writer on “When the Sun Goes Down,” and spoke about him during a conversation with Anderson Cooper on his CNN podcast, All There Is.
“So the first time I sang one of his songs after he passed was at Farm Aid with Willie Nelson in Minneapolis. And all of a sudden it hit me,” Chesney shared on the podcast. “I was going to do a song called 'When the Sun Goes Down,' which he wrote by himself. And it was the first time it was really- the wound was really open. It was really fresh, his passing. And I had to go up there and sing that song. And I haven't had to sing it since. But I'm going to, because I'm not going to let that stop me. It's almost like in a celebratory way now […] Brett was just one of those guys that, I mean, I thought was always gonna be around. And it's been really, really, really difficult. And it was a moment that really hit the whole town of Nashville really hard. Because he just didn't create for me, I mean, he was a creative machine and a soul and a great- you know, a great guy and a dear friend […] I don't know, he was just a brother and it would just- he had a bad day in a plane, you know, and it sucks.”
Th East Tennessee-born megastar was inducted last month with late legend June Carter Cash and award-winning record producer Tony Brown. Kelsea Ballerini, Megan Moroney, and Eric Church made surprise appearances to celebrate Chesney’s induction in the Modern Era Artist category. Hall of Fame member and music executive Joe Galante presented Chesney with his medallion that evening. Days later, the Country Music Hall of Fame recapped the star-studded ceremony and all the highlighted, can’t-miss moments.
“You don’t dare dream of being in the Country Music Hall of Fame, alongside legends including George Jones, Willie Nelson, Alabama, even Dean Dillon,” Chesney said when inductees were announced earlier this year. “I’ve been lucky enough to get to call them my friends, and that was plenty. But hearing the news I’d been voted into the Hall, I can honestly say beyond my wildest dreams, it’s an honor that defies words. I am humbled, grateful, honored…as much for all the songwriters, musicians, artists and people who’ve helped me build my career; they have truly inspired me every single day.”
“The truth is, I’ve never really let myself sit in accomplishment very much. I’ve always been very creative, very drive,” Chesney said during the Medallion ceremony. “But tonight, I can tell you, walking into that rotunda and taking the group shot with a lot of my heroes and a lot of my friends, it was the first time that I have ever felt accomplished in my life. …It’s an unbelievable feeling to stand here in this moment, and with every cell in my body, I feel the gravity of this moment.
“This has just been an unbelievable night for me. What an honor. …The thing that I am very thankful for is the fact that I got to do this with so many people.”
The 59th CMA Awards is airing live on ABC. The show will be available to stream on Thursday (November 20) on Hulu. Check back with iHeartCountry throughout the evening for a live-updated list of winners, red carpet fashion, performance highlights, backstage moments you won’t see on TV, and other can’t-miss moments throughout the show.