Kenny Chesney started No Shoes Radio in 2009, inspired in part by the different sounds he’d hear floating across the parking lots at his shows. Five years later, the freeform station that mingles reggae, album rock, singer/songwriters, alternative and live tracks from the man called “the people’s superstar” by The Los Angeles Times, is one of internet radio’s most buzzed about locations – and its reach gets exponentially bigger this weekend as NoShoesRadio.com is added to iHeartRadio, Clear Channel’s all-in-one streaming music and digital radio service.
“My fans are a lot like me,” Chesney says. “They don’t care what stuff’s called, just whether they like it. And listening to what drifts in from the parking lot, they like rock, they like reggae, they like bluegrass… and obviously, they like being part of the texture of what we do! Whether it’s live tracks with my friends, demos of songs they know or just giving them a listen to a jam on the bus, No Shoes Radio is the nerve center of the No Shoes Nation in terms of music.
“When the people at iHeartRadio said they wanted to help us take it out to even more people,” Chesney continues, “I realized it’s not just my hardcore fans, but a lot of folks who like variety in their music. Things aren’t cut-and-dried. People WANT places they will be surprised – and find music they’ll love. iHeartRadio gets that, so it’s a pleasure to team with them to share what we’ve been doing the past five years.”
Ross on Radio’s Sean Ross named No Shoes Radio one the 10 Most Intriguing Stations of 2009. He wrote in the Chicago-based broadcast industry trade Radio-Info.com, “the reggae and all things tropical format allowed country superstar Kenny Chesney’s channel to share as much with Triple-A as with country radio.”
To celebrate the launch on iHeartRadio, Chesney and his team will give listeners behind-the-scenes updates from the shores of Perdido Key as the 4-time Country Music Association and 4-consecutive Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year takes the beach for a very special show at the Flora-Bama Lounge. Deemed the Flora-Bama-Jama, the free concert on the beach is a way to play for the No Shoes Nation as he wraps work on The Big Revival, due Sept 23. Fans can tune into No Shoes Radio on iHeartRadio to hear exclusive live updates from on the beach and backstage during the event.
With “American Kids,” the lead single burning up country radio, pairing with iHeartRadio makes it even easier for people to get their Chesney fix on. Whether you’re making the trip to Orange Beach, Florida or not, tuning into No Shoes Radio is even easier than before.
“This is about music,” Chesney says. “Turning people on, firing them up, hitting that place in their lives where it makes a difference. That was a big part of why we started doing this… and it’s nice to see other people recognize what it is we’re trying to do.”
