Bass Magazine – Issue 4 2019

bassmagazine.com ; ISSUE 4 ; BASS MAGAZINE 17

Kenny Chesney

RHYTHM,

MELODY &

HARMONI

Harmoni Kelley dishes on playing

with one of country music’s

biggest artists and the challenge

of dialing in arena-size tone

By Jon D'Auria | Photo by Lindsay Kate Moore

I

n 2012, Harmoni Kelley landed the high

honor of joining country star Hank Wil-

liams Jr.’s band, so she packed up her

things and made the move from Austin,

Texas to Nashville. After a brief stint with

Williams, she flourished in her new scene and

went on to play alongside James McMurty,

Bonnie Bishop, and Holly Williams. She bus-

ily was making a name for herself in Nash-

ville’s bustling music scene when one day she

got a call from her friend, guitarist Kenny

Greenberg. He told her that Kenny Chesney

was looking for a new bassist and urged her

to audition. After meeting the band for an

instrumental audition and to make sure her

personality fit the bill, Kelley went back home

and waited for a callback. Weeks passed, and

Kelley began growing nervous that she didn’t

land the once-in-a-lifetime gig. But finally

her phone rang and she was called back for

another audition, this time with Chesney in

attendance. The only problem was that the