“Keep on Calling”: Willie Nelson's Heartwarming Tribute to Kenny Chesney After a Whirlwind Year

During what can often feel like divisive and fractious times in the country music world, it's always encouraging to see artists lifting up one another, rather than tearing each other down.

In 2007, after a wildly successful year, Kenny Chesney was honoured in a special edition of Billboard. As well as featuring exclusive interviews with Chesney about his whirlwind few months, the magazine includes an array of heartwarming tributes to the ‘Summertime’ hitmaker from the likes of Brooks & Dunn, George Jones, Jimmy Buffett, the Academy of Country Music and various other peers. It serves as a lovely insight into the camaraderie within the genre at that time.

One of our favourites is undoubtedly Willie Nelson's homage to his buddy, Chesney. Taking out a full page, Nelson recalls an occasion when Chesney called him in the middle of the night. He begins, “Phone rings - 4am somewhere...”

Chesney speaks at the other end, “Willie, it's Kenny”, with Nelson replying dryly, “Kenny, it's Willie”. Chesney questions, “Did I wake you?”, with Nelson again showcasing his trademark humour, quipping, “No I had to get up to answer the phone”.

After this playful anecdote, Nelson offers some heartfelt words toasting Chesney's success, and underlining he's always welcome to ring, “Congratulations Kenny and keep on calling”, with the Texas legend signing off, “Your pal, Willie”.

The brief story about the phone-call was seemingly chosen by Nelson as a way of highlighting how dedicated Chesney is to his craft, always thinking about a new song idea.

It came after Chesney had concluded yet another stadium-filling summer run of shows - the Flip Flop Tour - as well as earning a four-week No. 1 with the soul-stirring ‘Don't Blink’, and picking up Entertainer of the Year trophies at the CMA and ACM Awards. Chesney was the undisputed champion of country music, with a slew of joyful feel-good, anthems and chart-topping, sun-soaked odes under his belt.

The two country trailblazers have a storied track record of collaboration, with Nelson even recruiting Chesney to co-produce his lauded 2007 album, Moment of Forever, with Buddy Cannon, after Nelson was impressed by their treatment of ‘That Lucky Old Sun’. The duet appeared on Chesney's 2008 record of the same name.

The ‘No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems’ crooner penned ‘I'm Alive’ for Moment of Forever, as well as joining Nelson for the breezy, marijuana-infused staple, ‘Worry B Gone’.

Following this, they'd go on to join forces on a number of occasions over the next decade or so, with Chesney and Nelson teaming up on ‘Coconut Tree’ in 2013, a wonderfully laid-back and tongue-in-cheek collaboration from Chesney's Life on a Rock.

Shotgun Willie and the No Shoes Nation figurehead would also share the stage to perform classics such as ‘Pancho & Lefty’ and ‘Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning”.

It's been a little while since we've last heard these two titans linking up on a track together. They're still good friends, with Chesney sharing a photo of the two hanging out backstage at Nelson's Maui charity concert a couple of years ago, and we're hoping that we might get some more magic from this stellar duo in the near future.

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