The country legend’s debut memoir chronicles his rise, his music, and the spirit of No Shoes Nation.
After years of reflection, writing, and editing, Kenny Chesney has officially completed his first book, Heart Life Music. Co-written with Holly Gleason, the memoir traces his journey from a small-town kid in the Smoky Mountains to one of the most enduring and electrifying performers in American music. The book arrives November 4, 2025 through William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, and is available now for pre-order.
Chesney approached the project with the same intensity that’s fueled his stadium-filling career. He spent hundreds of hours in conversation, combing through photos, and revisiting the moments that shaped him. “What they don’t tell you,” he laughs, “is how many times you’ll re-read it, or how many moments you’ll have to leave out. But this book is my love letter to the places, people, and characters who made this ride what it is.”
Raw, heartfelt, and inspiring, Heart Life Music captures the twists, risks, and unlikely victories of chasing a dream. It sweeps readers through songwriting sessions in Jamaica and Moscow, long nights in Nashville, and sun-drenched days drifting across the Caribbean and Pacific. “We wanted to create snapshots of my soul, little vignettes of this magic carpet ride,” Chesney shares. “If you’ve been part of this journey, I can’t wait for you to relive it. And if you haven’t, maybe there’s something here you can carry into your own life.”
More than a memoir, Heart Life Music is a roadmap for dreamers. It celebrates the grit it takes to keep going, the joy of unexpected friendships, and the music that connects it all. For fans of No Shoes Nation, it’s an open door into Chesney’s world—equal parts reflection, gratitude, and wide-eyed wonder.
About the Authors:
Kenny Chesney is one of the most successful artists in modern American music. Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2025, he has sold out stadiums nationwide for more than two decades, performing to over a million fans every summer since 2002. With 105+ platinum certifications, 36 Country Airplay No. 1 singles, and eight Entertainer of the Year awards, he was named Billboard’s No. 1 Country Artist of the 21st Century. In 2025, Chesney became the first country artist to headline at the groundbreaking Sphere in Las Vegas. Heart Life Music marks his publishing debut.
Holly Gleason is an acclaimed music journalist and author whose writing has appeared in Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, and the Library of Congress’ National Registry of Sound Recordings. Named Entertainment Journalist of the Year by the LA Press Club and Independent Journalist of the Year by the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Association, she is also the author of the Belmont Book Award-winning Woman Walk The Line. Gleason co-authored Miranda Lambert’s Y’All Eat Yet and edited Prine on Prine: Interviews & Encounters.
