“I Snapped”: Kenny Chesney Recalls the Time He Punched a Fan at a Show - and What Joe Walsh Had to Say About It

When you think of Kenny Chesney, your mind will inevitably go to the breezy, beachside scenes and laid-back, rum-infused scenes he paints so vividly across his discography. Throughout his catalogue, Chesney has cultivated a loving, empathetic and kind-hearted spirit, one that his loyal No Shoes Nation fanbase embodies.

Which is why the idea of Chesney punching someone might seem a little outlandish. But back in 2007, while Eagles legend Joe Walsh was touring with the ‘I Go Back’ hitmaker, Chesney was involved in an unfortunate altercation with a fan.

As Chesney recalls on the latest episode of The Howard Stern Show on SiriusXM, during a Morgan Wallen-style walk-out ahead of his concert, one fan crossed a line and picked him up. Shocked by this unexpected intrusion into his personal space, Chesney subsequently punched the fan, before continuing to the stage.

The Knoxville native begins by explaining how Walsh, a long-time hero and role model of Chesney's, got involved with that blockbuster tour, “Joe Walsh had decided that he was gonna come out and play with us, he was in the band for a minute. But he wasn't on the show, he would just show up and sit in with the band during the show”.

He then regale listeners with the surprising tale, “So, all of a sudden, here we are, and Joe's up there playing. We were in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I was playing the Steelers football stadium. I thought it was cool to come up in the middle of the stadium, and almost like a boxer in a way, walk through the crowd to the stage”.

Despite being a good idea on paper, Chesney explains when things started to go wrong, “But the security got way ahead of me, and all of a sudden I'm by myself on my way to the stage. And I see this guy coming...I can just see him...in my peripheral [vision], walking to the stage, and the closer I get to him, he buckles down and picks me up with his arms right at my knees, and holds me up. And I just...I just snapped, and I hit him right in the mouth. Now this is first song, going to the stage - I'm not even on-stage yet! And I hit this guy! And the whole time I'm on stage I'm going, ‘This is gonna cost me every penny that I make tonight’”.

The ‘Just To Say We Did’ singer-songwriter concludes by revealing the hilarious piece of advice Walsh offered Chesney after the incident, “So, we're backstage after the show, and Joe's on the bus - and Joe's one of the few people that talks just like he sings...So I said, ‘Joe, did you see what happened at the beginning of the show?’ And he said, ‘Yeah’, and I go, ‘Well, what would you do if someone had picked you up like that?’. He goes...‘I would've asked them to take me to the stage!’”

Although definitely out of character for Chesney to punch someone, in that invasive situation you can sympathise with him feeling a little shocked and taken aback. Walsh's response is iconic, though, and we hope to one day see Chesney reinstating the pre-show walk-out, as Walsh picks him up and carries him to the stage...

Elsewhere during his conversation with Howard Stern, Chesney reflects on the creative process behind his new book, HEART*LIFE*MUSIC, which he wrote alongside Holly Gleason, as well as delivering a stunning acoustic performance of ‘You and Tequila’.

Watch the full anecdote below:

For more on Kenny Chesney, see below:

Featured photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM