By Dan Whitcomb
Chesney, writing about the controversy in a blog entry on
his official MySpace page, told his fans his much-discussed
comments were not aimed at them and were shared by others in
the country music industry.
"Sure, to make me sound ungrateful is a sexy way to spin
this and drive viewers. It's a controversy and that sells,"
Chesney wrote on Tuesday.
Chesney was named entertainer of the year a fourth time on
Sunday night, during the 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music
Awards, in the first year that fans were allowed to choose the
winner by voting on the Internet.
The top-selling country singer told reporters backstage in
response to a question that Web voting had cheapened the show's
top prize.
"I don't think it's right that they picked the one award
that means the most, that all the artists sacrificed the most
for, and turned it into ... a sweepstakes, to seeing who can
push people's buttons the hardest on the Internet," he said.
"It's a complete disrespect of the artists. I think because
of that it really diminishes the integrity of the work."
Chesney's remarks made worldwide headlines and a Los
Angeles Times blogger even asked readers to vote on whether the
40-year-old singer, best known for such hits as "There Goes My
Life" and "You Had Me From Hello," should return his award.
On his blog, Chesney said that in speaking to reporters
backstage he was trying to say that he wanted fans to enjoy the
music and let the music industry handle awards judging.
"And that's what I was being asked about ... what a lot of
people in the business were talking about and frankly something
an awful lot of artists and business people have told me they
not only agree with but something the entire media room
applauded pretty resoundingly after I addressed it Sunday
night."
Reuters/Nielsen
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