Hi guys! :) I HAD to tell you all this! Last night's concert meant A LOT to me... and I had a blast! 6 hours of non-stop country music over the radio, etc.
I met Kenny Chesney last night before the concert at Blossom....before I met him.. I watched Phil Vassar and Jamie O'Neal (I met her while I was waiting for my backstage passes) perform, and they were amazing. Afterwards I saw Montgomery Gentry.. LOL I caught their attention by giving them thumbs up. :) NOW all about Kenny - He was really nice and sweet. He was quiet, seemed shy, but he made me feel comfortable. He was definitely the "down to earth" kind of guy. I wasn't nervous. He gave me more time to talk than the other fans...My mom told him that I was deaf, and he asked "Deaf?" (He shouted that to my mom in confusion and repeated it again) and he kept holding my arm in his hand, and didn't let go until the end. LOL his hand was kind of cold. My mom told him that I got my hearing back few years ago and his concert was his first I was going to, and he was FLOORED and amazed. He was happy for me... He turned around and looked at me with a serious look. He said "Wow, get out of here! You're kidding me! Hey, let me give you a hug!" and he pulled me in and hugged me really hard and smiled. :D
After that, I gave him my drawing I drew of him and he took it. He
thought he was supposed to sign it, but I stopped him. I told him he didn't have to sign it, because it was for him! He
said "thanks! it looks cool." He was amazed how good I drew of him. He signed my Country Weekly magazine and on it, it says " Rachel, I hope you had fun at your first concert!" - Kenny Chesney, and he signed my "No Shoes, No shirt, No Problems" CD and it says "Kenny Chesney, July 2002". I asked him nicely if he would sign my brother's hat and my mom asked him to sign my other brother's ticket. My brother was SO mad because I met him, and he didn't. But he was happy enough to have something he signed..My mom took pictures of him hugging me, signing my magazine, and him standing next to me, posing. (two pictures of me posing with him, I think) My mom had me take a pic of him with her, too. She hugged him and thanked him. After I met him, I was in shock, LOL. I went "Mom, did that really happen? Cuz' I think it just did"..THEN! I had 6th row tickets, and I caught Kenny's attention during a song by waving, and I gave him a thumbs up and smiled, and he smiled and pointed at me. I even caught a big orange ball during the song "How Forever Feels". I held onto the ball, so no one would try to take it away from me.. Now that ball is deflated, lol. I am going to FRAME it, along with the cd cover and magazine. My pictures I took during the concert, I hope will turn out great..I want to make a "scrapbook" but not sure what I will title it.. (ANY IDEAS??) During the near end of the concert, my mom asked this staff member if she'd let me go up to the first row to take few pictures of Kenny up close.. and she did! THAT was awesome! I will show you all the pictures when I get them back in few days! *sigh* I LOVED EVERYTHING.. especiallly meeting him the most. WHAAAAAAAAAAT an amazing night! This was my very first country related concert and whew, it was awesome! I can't wait for my next one someday :)
* And you if you were wondering on how I got backstage and met him? My mom did it all for me, it was a surprise, and I got completely floored afterwards. She kept in touch with a lady who was in charge of meetings, etc. at a country radio (99.5 WGAR) My mom told her about me and how Kenny Chesney and country music was a big part of my life, and that I was deaf until 3 years ago, I had an surgery and that helped me to hear, and I wear a device that allows me to hear 95% of everything. She was impressed and amazed and she wanted me to have the opportunity to meet him, and I did! *
- Rachel
