Dierks Bentley is a big fan of Kenny Chesney.  It’s Chesney who took Bentley on tour, serving as the opening act on Chesney’s Guitars, Tiki Bars and a Whole Lotta Love Tour in 2004. 21 years later, Bentley is still applying the lessons he learned from his former tour boss.

“I learned so much from being on the road with him,” Bentley tells Taste of Country Nights.

“I went on that tour the first time thinking I knew what I was doing, because I was doing 300 shows a year,” he adds. “And I was like, ‘I’m not gonna learn anything on this tour.'”

What Dierks Bentley Learned From Touring With Kenny Chesney

Fortunately for Bentley, he was very, very wrong about not being able to learn anything. Even more than just watching someone like Chesney perform, Bentley learned invaluable lessons about how to treat the people around you, especially on the road.

“I learned so much about how to treat your band, how to treat your crew and how to treat your fans,” Bentley shares. “Nobody [is] as deserving to be in the Hall of Fame than Kenny Chesney.”

Chesney pours into his fans, more than any other artist, which is something Bentley tries to emulate in his own career.

“This is the guy who has made country music, made the live show, made his fans his life’s mission,” he continues.

“They’re his family. Nobody embraces his fanbase like he does.”

Kenny Chesney In The Country Music Hall of Fame

In March, it was announced that Chesney would be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this fall, joined by June Carter Cash and Tony Brown. For Bentley, there is no one more deserving to receive the industry’s highest honor than Chesney.

“He’s been such a great mentor to me, I love Kenny to death,” Bentley says. “I’m so proud of him for being in the Hall of Fame, I know it means so much to him.”

What Kenny Chesney Says About Joining The Country Music Hall of Fame

For Chesney, joining the Country Music Hall of Fame far exceeds even his biggest dreams he had for himself.

“I had a really big dream and I’m still pushing that dream as far as I can,” Chesney says of the honor. “I just wanted to record and write songs that reflected the lives of a lot of people that came to our shows, and I just wanted to spread as much positive energy and love as I possibly could …I know it’s not a dream. It’s real and it feels surreal.”

Chesney is especially honored to be part of the historic institution alongside Dolly Parton, who, like Chesney, was raised in East Tennessee.

“I’m from East Tennessee, and it is so amazing to know that you’re going into the Hall of Fame with three fellow East Tennesseans,” Chesney says. “People that grew up where I grew up. My grandparents lived on the same street that Chet Atkins grew up in. I rode my bicycle past that property all the time. To know that I’m going in with Dolly Parton is a huge deal for me.”

When Will Kenny Chesney Be Inducted Into The Country Music Hall of Fame

The Medallion Ceremony will take place in October at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Numerous artists will perform in tribute to Chesney, Cash and Brown. The ceremony is not open to the public.