Kenny Chesney Injured at Concert!
By Kareng
@kareng (62653)
United States
April 28, 2008 9:07am CST
Did you guys hear about Kenny Chesney breaking his ankle/foot at the South Carolina concert over the weekend? His foot got caught in the lift as it was lifting him up on stage! He went on with the show despite being in pain! This is awesome for an artist to do this. I really like Kenny Chesney and find that he is one of the country music artists that really cares about his fans. No wonder his music is at the top of the charts all the time!
I vote that he is awesome? What about you?
Here's the scoop:
The show went on, but Kenny Chesney was in obvious pain Saturday night (April 26) after bones in his foot were crushed during an equipment malfunction as his performance began in Columbia, S.C.
The sold-out concert before a crowd of 44,424 at Williams-Brice Stadium was the first stadium date of his current Poets & Pirates tour. Luke Bryan, Gary Allan, LeAnn Rimes and Brooks & Dunn had already performed before Chesney closed the show.
Chesney's stage for the stadium shows extends into the audience. As he's done in the past, Saturday's performance was to begin with him emerging via a lift that elevates him onto a section of stage in the middle of the crowd.
With the band playing the opening riffs of "Live Those Songs," Chesney's foot apparently became stuck between the lift and the stage. It took approximately 30 seconds for him to pry himself loose as he squatted down on the stage while the band continued to play an extended introduction of the song. When Chesney finally freed himself, he stood up and kept holding his hand on his knee as he began to sing.
Chesney did not acknowledge the problem during the early part of his performance which was scheduled to end around 11 p.m. Saturday. However, he was visibly limping and seemed to rest near a drum riser while leaning over and holding his knee during the instrumental breaks of his hits.
A team physician from the University of South Carolina waited nearby while Chesney completed his performance. Upon leaving the stage, Chesney's boot was cut off, and the doctor treated the injury to minimize damage.
"I took one look at those fans, and there was no way I wasn't going on," Chesney said in a written statement issued following the concert. "Sometimes the energy and the adrenalin pull you through. They had come to rock, and there was no way I was sending them home with anything less than the best of what me and my guys came to do -- put it all out there and give them back at least as good as they gave us. ... Honestly, through the pain, through all of it, Columbia, S.C., totally got me through."
Link: http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1586341/kenny-chesney-sustains-injury-during-south-carolina-concert.jhtml
1 person likes this
3 responses
@hellcowboy (7374)
• United States
13 May 08
That sucks to hear that Kenny Chesney injured himself,but that goes to show you that you never know what will happen even to country stars,and I am glad that his injury wasnt more severe.
1 person likes this
@hellcowboy (7374)
• United States
14 May 08
I am glad that he is continueing on with his concert tour and he seems like a really nice guy,and I hope his career goes on for many many years.
1 person likes this
@carolscash (9492)
• United States
28 Apr 08
I will have to tell my daughter about this as he is her absolutely favorite artist. He is such a great guy and really does care about his fans.
I find it interesting that this happened as my duaghter had to be taken to the hospital last week for a foot injury also. She was depressed about it and having to wear a brace. I will have to tell her that Kenny has a foot injury too.
1 person likes this
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
30 Apr 08
Wow wha ta strange way to get hurt! It is probably the most unexpected injury. I think it's awesome that he still performed on the one hand, but on the other hand I think health is important and they could have at least taken a 20 min break to have a medic check it out.
Trace Adkins on The Apprentice was making fun of the Backstreet Boys (that performed on the finale) saying they were basically wimps with all their demands and requests and things they needed in order to perform. He said that he also once performed a whole show while injured. It must be a country music thing to play through the pain!!
1 person likes this