Biography
Born on 1 December 1944 in Midland, Texas, Chesnut completed high school in 1963 before enrolling at the University of Texas in Austin. While pursuing his studies there, he took on part-time duties at KVET AM, handling both engineering and on-air shifts. Still enrolled in 1968, he cut two Herman M. Nelson compositions—“About To Be Woman” and “Leaves”—backed by a group under Bill Josey Snr. During the following decade he performed solo and also teamed with Rodney Crowell; the partnership expanded into a trio once Chesnut’s first wife, Linda, joined on drums. After relocating to Nashville, Tennessee, he joined the writing staff at Acuff-Rose Music, where co-owner Roy Acuff urged him to record two albums in the late 1970s. These sets featured mostly original material, including the Grammy-nominated “Show Me A Sign” and “Get Back To Loving Me.” Johnny Cash later cut Chesnut’s composition “Oney.”
Early in the 1980s, facing marital difficulties and struggles with alcohol, Chesnut issued six sides through United Artists Records and Liberty Records before withdrawing from the industry and ending his drinking. He subsequently built a career in marketing with a focus on communications, deliberately steering clear of music. Nevertheless, he made occasional appearances at San Antonio’s yearly KKYX River Festival. When a 1982 booking left a sudden opening, Chesnut filled the slot, which led to a sales position at the station and an introduction to Christine Walden; the two married later that year. In early 2007 he discovered that “Get Back To Loving Me” had been placed on the soundtrack of the Ashley Judd film Come Early Morning (2007), whose star is Naomi Judd’s daughter. The placement inspired him to have his earlier masters digitally restored for reissue on Sony/ATV Music. By then he had begun testing live performances again, restricting most engagements to venues inside his home state.
Early in the 1980s, facing marital difficulties and struggles with alcohol, Chesnut issued six sides through United Artists Records and Liberty Records before withdrawing from the industry and ending his drinking. He subsequently built a career in marketing with a focus on communications, deliberately steering clear of music. Nevertheless, he made occasional appearances at San Antonio’s yearly KKYX River Festival. When a 1982 booking left a sudden opening, Chesnut filled the slot, which led to a sales position at the station and an introduction to Christine Walden; the two married later that year. In early 2007 he discovered that “Get Back To Loving Me” had been placed on the soundtrack of the Ashley Judd film Come Early Morning (2007), whose star is Naomi Judd’s daughter. The placement inspired him to have his earlier masters digitally restored for reissue on Sony/ATV Music. By then he had begun testing live performances again, restricting most engagements to venues inside his home state.
Albums
