Kenny Is Top Songwriter for 2007

1/8/2008 Stephen L. Betts   Because Kenny Chesney is an artist open to recording songs written by other people, he finds it ironic that he's the artist who spent the most weeks last year on Billboard's country singles chart as a writer. As such, he’s been named that publication’s No. 1 songwriter for 2007, and No. 3 songwriter/artist for the year. Kenny penned his own three-week No. 1, “Beer in Mexico,” and also co-wrote Rascal Flatts' four-week chart topper “Take Me There.” Kenny says he thinks people spend too much time worrying about who wrote what when it comes time to record, and speculates that his own attitude was shaped by the amount of time he spent at Acuff Rose Publishing, itching to write with award-winning songwriters such as Dean Dillon and Skip Ewing. “When you spend time with those guys, you get very serious about what a great song is,” says Kenny. “There are hits, and then there are songs that say something about who you are.”