As country music superstar Kenny Chesney left Oxford Wednesday, he said he'd have a public concert or no show at all.
Around 1 p.m., Chesney's publicist Holly Gleason said the concert was officially cancelled and the singer and his entourage were on their way to Auburn, Ala.
"I didn't come to Oxford to play a private show," Chesney said. "I feel really awful about the way this happened. The 'Keg in the Closet' Tour is for students at the universities, radio listeners and fans. That's not the way it happened."
Gleason said she and Chesney had no contact with Library owner Jon Desler Wednesday morning. However, Chesney's manager Clint Higham said he talked with Desler shortly after the group's tour bus rolled into town Wednesday morning.
Desler said he told Higham that his pre-selling of the tickets was legitimate. Higham still cancelled the show.
"The music industry is one of the most unprofessional groups," Desler said. "They're going to complain about me, and I'm going to complain about them."
Chesney said he has previously only canceled shows in inclement weather.
When tickets went on sale Wednesday morning around midnight, about 500 people were waiting in frigid weather. Oxford policemen announced to the crowd that 370 tickets were pre-sold at The Library.
"This is not how I do business," Chesney said. "I apologize to those 30 fans who got tickets and to all those who waited in line. I know who my fan base is."
Three groups were let in to purchase the remaining 30 tickets at $15 a piece, a $5 hike from the price advertised in The Daily Mississippian.
"We called (Desler) and tried to get an explanation," Higham said. "He said he pre-sold most of the tickets and had a list of all the people he sold them to. It was a lot of city dignitaries, judges, coaches. I said 'That was not what you were supposed to do.'"
That's when Higham decided to cancel Wednesday's show, which was to benefit Ole Miss' Pride of the South band with about $4,000.
"I don't blame those 370 people in town who were given tickets," Higham said. "I blame the one guy for making the mistake."
Returning to Oxford may be a possibility, Chesney said.
"I may come back unannounced and do a free show to make up for this," Chesney said. "We might set up in the middle of the Grove and play a show."
Higham said he was not sure about a return.
"I doubt we'll be coming back," Higham said. "We might come back if there's a club that seems like the place to play."
Desler said Rebel football head coach David Cutcliffe as well as quarterback Eli Manning are friends of Chesney's and were a key factor in bringing him to Oxford.
In turn, about 100 tickets were blocked off for the Athletic Department, Desler said.
"He's just a friend of David's and mine, but we didn't have tickets in hand," said Cutcliffe's wife, Karen. "I'm just really disappointed I didn't get to see him."
Other reserved tickets included about 50-60 for the family and friends of Alex Bridge, a local man who tours with Chesney. Some city officials and citizens approached Desler for tickets, he said.
"If a judge comes up to you and wants two tickets for him and his wife, what are you gonna do?" Desler said.
"This is my business we're talking about. Kenny Chesney comes in for one night and leaves. I have to deal with the judge for the rest of my life."
No matter who was or was not sold tickets, the Pride of the South was left without a donation. Chesney's group had not announced any plans for the money.
"Any money would help," said the band's drum major Kelly Mixon, a junior political science major from Oxford. "(Chesney) really wanted to give it to the band. That's what his purpose was. I'm just kind of disappointed."
Desler said the main focus should be the Ole Miss band's loss of charity money.
"The fact of the matter is that all the money, the whole point, $4,000, was supposed to go to the band," Desler said. "It was taking me $2,000 to put on the show. The Pride of the South is the one who's getting the shaft."
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