Kenny Chesney leads Forbes' latest list of top-earning country performers

July 1, 3:06 AMNashville Country Music ExaminerLisa L. Rollins

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Chesney's No. 1 in country cash. (AP Photo)

According to a just-released report from Forbes magazine, Kenny Chesney—aside from being one of the industry’s “most bankable” touring acts--was the top-earning country entertainer over the past year, grossing $65 million in estimated earnings.

Per the June 22 article, more than a million tickets were sold to Chesney’s Poets and Pirates tour in 2008, and that’s more than any North American on the road during the same period. Thus, the Tennessee native—who was No. 4 on the prior year’s list—put more fans in the seats stateside than top-earning pop stars Celine Dion and Madonna.

Coming in at No. 2 on Forbes’ list of top country moneymakers, not surprisingly, was Rascal Flatts, an Ohio-founded act that garnered its debut hit, "Prayin' for Daylight," in 2000 before going on to score 10 No. 1 songs to date and five hit CDs.

In 2008, the players brought in some $56 million, thanks to their touring success, which translated into almost 940,000 tickets sold, as well as scoring a landmark sponsorship deal with J.C. Penney.

Taylor debuts on Forbes list at No. 4. (AP Photo)

Toby Keith landed the No. 3 spot on the top-grossing country acts list this go around. The singer-turned-actor, in recent years, has not only launched his own clothing line, but also augmented his music career with a chain of restaurants, an acting and screenwriting career and his own record label.

Per Pollstar, Keith’s Biggest & Baddest tour was among the top 25 North American tours in 2008, with a gross of $31 million in 2008. Last year, the Oklahoma-born artist was No. 1 on the same list, but it’s likely he’s not complaining.

Meanwhile, teen-sensation Taylor Swift made her foray onto the list this go around as country’s top female act. In spite of not yet having her own headlining tour in ’08, she earned the No. 4 spot—not too shabby at all for a first-time listee.

According to Forbes, the 19-year-old—with some 4 million CDs sold--still managed to secure he title of biggest-selling solo artist of 2008. She also managed to make history by becoming the lone artist to land not two albums among the 2008’s year-end top-10 records. Thus, the sales of these two discs, coupled with her strong tour presence and songwriting take, put her among country’s biggest wage earners.

Rounding out the rest of the top-10 country earners were duo Brooks and Dunn, with an estimated $16 in earnings, who tied with Tim McGraw. Brad Paisley, who became a second-time dad earlier this year, scored the next spot, with an estimated $15 million in earnings, and then duo Sugarland was right behind him, earning a projected $14 million, as was Carrie Underwood with $14 million in earnings. Next, Alan Jackson, whose landmark home just went on the Nashville market, closed out country's top 10 by bringing in $12 million.