During a recent appearance on the Bruce Springsteen Archives’ Conversation With Our Curator podcast, Kenny Chesney reflected on the profound influence Springsteen has had on his songwriting and live performances. Chesney shared some personal anecdotes about The Boss, including a memorable 2005 encounter when he nervously requested Springsteen play “One Step Up,” a song Chesney covered on his chart-topping 2002 album, No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems, which marked a turning point in his music career. Though Chesney grew up without much exposure to Springsteen’s music in East Tennessee, discovering it in college deeply impacted his artistic approach, inspiring him to give his all on stage much like Springsteen does. “Bruce set a standard and set a bar so high, it’s hard to reach it,” Chesney shared. “I do feel like there are some parallels, as far as loving their audience…From the first note, everybody is in this together, and that really struck me. It’s how we like to do things out here too.” (Holler)
