Ashley Cooke’s ’10-Year’ Dream Comes True Thanks To Her ‘Absolute Idol’ Kenny Chesney
Ashley Cooke fulfilled a decade-long dream when she joined Kenny Chesney on stage for a special performance during the Tortuga…
Kenny Chesney, Ashley Cooke; Photo via Instagram
Ashley Cooke fulfilled a decade-long dream when she joined Kenny Chesney on stage for a special performance during the Tortuga Music Festival over the weekend.
Chesney, who closed out the three-day beachside festival, took to the stage at 10PM to deliver his headlining set after a brief rain delay. It was then that he invited Cooke to join him to perform his chart-topping hit, “When The Sun Goes Down.”
“I watched side stage as he had [the crowd] in the palm of his hands… until the lightning came, and the stage managers had to pull him off,” Cooke explained. ”We all went back to his tent by the bus and took cover while it rained. We waited about 45 mins, and everyone said Kenny would be able to go back on around 10pm. Out of nowhere, someone from his team pulls me out of the tent crowd and very calmly asks, ‘Hey, do you wanna sing ‘When The Sun Goes Down’ with Kenny?’”
“Next thing you know, I’m side stage when ‘When The Sun Goes Down’ starts and Kenny yells ‘Ashley! Come here, baby!!’” she continued.
Wearing a pair of loose-fitting jeans and a tank top, Cooke joined Chesney on stage for a moment she’ll never forget.
“I ran out, barefoot and buzzing on both backstage espresso martinis and teenage dreams and got to take the Main Stage with the absolute idol that is Kenny Chesney,” she recalled.
The unforgettable experience served as a full-circle moment for Cooke, a Florida native who previously attended Tortuga Music Festival as a fan.
“Sunday night was pulled straight from a 10-year-long manifestation dream. I watched Kenny Chesney from the sand on the Main Stage at Tortuga in 2013 and dreamed of one day getting to play on that stage. Here we are in 2023 and not only did I get to play an entire set on that stage… Kenny also very last minute pulled me up during his set.”
Following their performance together, Cooke shared her gratitude for the eight-time Entertainer Of The Year.
“Artists like him are the reason the country music genre is truly a family. He isn’t afraid to take a bet on the next generation. He wants to love greatly and pass down all he’s learned along the way. They say to never meet your heroes – but I say if your hero is anything like Kenny Chesney… Soak up every damn moment you can.”
Cooke also posed for a photo with Chesney backstage before taking a cold plunge in Chesney’s tour ice bath. “Did an ice bath with Kenny Chesney. Guess how long I lasted,” Cooke wrote.
Chesney also took to social media to graciously thank Cooke for joining him on stage.
“Thank you, Ft. Lauderdale and @festivaltortuga for another fun night by the ocean. Our fourth time playing this festival and even the weather couldn’t stop the party. Special thanks to @theashleycooke for coming up on When The Sun Goes Down. What a blast.”
The fast-rising country star is a longtime fan of the “American Kids” singer, who she previously revealed is her dream duet partner.
“Kenny Chesney because I’ve always fangirled over his music and I’m from Florida so I love his island vibe,” she told previously Music Mayhem in an interview.
Cooke often shares clips covering Chesney tunes on her TikTok. She recently covered “Everyone She Knows” and “Knowing You,” a song she said “wrecks me to my core.”
Additionally, Ashley Cooke is serving as support on Brett Young’s headlining 5, TOUR, 3, 2, 1 tour, produced by Live Nation. The 17-city tour kicked off on March 30 in Columbus, Ohio and wraps up on May 20 in Los Angeles, California at the Greek Theatre.
Following the Brett Young tour, Cooke will join Luke Bryan on select dates of his Country On Tour. In between shows with Young and Bryan, Cooke is also headlining several of her own concerts.
Cooke is also scheduled to perform at several festivals throughout the summer, including CMA Fest, Tailgate N’ Tallboys Bloomington, Bonnaroo, Country Jam Colorado, Wild West Fest, Cavendish Beach Music Festival, Country Concert and more.
Meanwhile, Kenny Chesney is in the midst of his I Go Back Tour, which kicked off on March 23 in Charlottesville, Virginia and continues through May 27. The trek features support from Kelsea Ballerini.
Presented by Blue Chair Bay Rum, the I Go Back Tour finds Chesney returning to his roots as he visits arenas and cities that he played on his rise to superstardom.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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