Grace Potter and The Nocturnals played the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville Monday evening and Kenny Chesney made a surprise appearance to join Grace on “You and Tequila.”

In an 80th birthday interview with Taste of Country, George Jones offers high praise for Kenny Chesney:

On the reunion tour with Tammy Wynette, Kenny Chesney opened up the show. Kenny has come a long way since then, and it appears the two of you still work together, as his latest album features you on the track ‘Small Y’all.’ How did your friendship with Kenny begin, and why is he one of your favorite modern singers in country music?

I love Kenny, and he has remained as close as a son to me. My stepdaughter with Nancy worked for Morris Management, who manages Kenny. Kenny was just starting out and we all agreed to bring him along on the tour. He took his first private plane trip with me and he was just thrilled. In fact, he wore overalls that day and gave them to me. I have them framed down in my memorabilia basement! Through the years, Kenny always stayed in touch and, as he became such a big star, he never forgot me. We do little surprises for each other. Just a couple of months ago, I surprised him on tour and walked out onstage singing to him. He just about fell over. He was so happy and emotional. He knows I don’t normally show up at other people’s shows, and it was a wonderful moment between us. We had dinner back in Nashville a couple of nights later. Kenny is a good, good man and I think of him as a son — and he calls me “Dad.” I am so proud of all that he’s accomplished, and he has stayed the same down to earth humble guy that he’s always been.

Kenny Chesney is up for the Eventful 2011 Fans’ Choice Award at the Billboard Touring Conference & Awards.

To vote for Kenny, click here and then under Kenny Chesney click “Demand it!”

The artist with the most Demanders will win the Eventful 2011 Fans’ Choice Award for Best Tour of the Year!

The competition ends November 7th and the conference and awards ceremony will take place on the 9th and 10th.

Vote for Kenny now!

With the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 today, CMT.com has recollections from several country artists on what they were doing and what they were thinking on that day:

We played a fair in Pennsylvania on Sept. 10, and we were supposed to have driven from Pennsylvania into New York City that night and start shooting my video that morning, basically a block away from the World Trade Center the morning all this happened. But we canceled the video a couple of weeks before then, and I’d forgotten all about it. And I woke up that morning, I was on the bus. I think we were traveling through Virginia, and I went up to the front of the bus and turned the TV on to CNN and saw what had happened. It didn’t hit me at first. I was laying on the couch, just watching this and couldn’t believe what I was seeing, and I thought, “Oh, my God.” I said, “We’re supposed to be there.” And it was a weird feeling. You know, I’ve always believed in guardian angels, but it really makes you believe that there’s something up there. I’m glad we weren’t there. I mean, I feel for everybody that was there. I think we’ve all been changed forever by it. — Kenny Chesney

Kenny Chesney appeared on the Today Show Friday morning and performed “The Boys of Fall” to celebrate kickoff of the NFL season. Watch below:

Those of you that watched the Today Show this morning looking for Kenny Chesney were disappointed, as it was erroneously reported that he’d be performing. Instead, according to your TV guide, he’ll perform tomorrow (Friday, the 9th).

9/11 anniversary tour of Ground Zero; a New Jersey town ten years after 9/11; stay in touch with your kids; from “Parenthood,” Lauren Graham; Today’s Pets’ gentle giants; protect your breasts from cancer; Kenny Chesney performs.

So set those DVR’s again for Friday!

What better way to kick off the NFL season than with Kenny Chesney singing “The Boys of Fall”?

Tune in to NBC’s Today Show Thursday morning to watch Kenny sing his hit single about football in the fourth hour.

Chesney performed for the Today Show Summer Concert Series back in June. Watch his performances.

Update – Kenny will actually be on Friday, instead of Thursday.

Nominations for the 45th annual CMA Awards were announced Tuesday morning and Kenny Chesney is up for three awards.

Though having one of the top tours in country music in 2011, Kenny was not nominated for Entertainer of the Year. Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, and Keith Urban will vie for the night’s top award.

Here are the categories that Kenny is nominated in:

Male Vocalist of the Year

• Jason Aldean
• Kenny Chesney
• Brad Paisley
• Blake Shelton
• Keith Urban

Musical Event of the Year

• “As She’s Walking Away” – Zac Brown Band featuring Alan Jackson
  Southern Ground Artists/Atlantic Records
• “Coal Miner’s Daughter” – Loretta Lynn, Sheryl Crow, and Miranda Lambert
  Columbia Records Nashville
• “Don’t You Wanna Stay” – Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson
  Broken Bow Records
• “Old Alabama” – Brad Paisley featuring Alabama
  Arista Nashville
• “You and Tequila” – Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter
  BNA Records

Music Video of the Year

• “Honey Bee” – Blake Shelton
  Directed by Trey Fanjoy
• “If I Die Young” – The Band Perry
  Directed by David McClister
• “Mean” – Taylor Swift
  Directed by Declan Whitebloom
• “Old Alabama” – Brad Paisley featuring Alabama
  Directed by Jim Shea
• “You and Tequila” – Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter
  Directed by Shaun Silva

The 45th annual CMA Awards will air Wednesday, November 9th on ABC with hosts Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley.