Jon Pardi Says There’s One Reason Kenny Chesney Made the Country Music Hall of Fame [Exclusive]

Jon Pardi says there's one thing that set Kenny Chesney apart from anyone else and it's the reason he's being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this year.

It's his stadium shows.

The "Dirt on My Boots" hitmaker stopped by to chat with Taste of Country Nights, and when we asked his thoughts on Chesney getting inducted, Pardi lit up.

"I think Kenny Chesney was the first to go to football fields — like out of everybody. I mean of course there's Garth [Brooks], but Kenny made like a show of it."

Pardi couldn't stop gushing about how deserving his fellow country artist and friend is. Chesney is this year's CMHOF Modern Era inductee — he'll go in with Non-Performer Tony Brown and Veteran Era Artist Category June Carter Cash.

"For me, he was like always the first guy to do a stadium tour, and selling them out," Pardi explains, "And of course, that's not even talking about his catalog."

So, he feels the "When the Sun Goes Down" star is a perfect selection this year.

"I'm definitely all for it," Pardi says. "He [Chesney] was a pioneer of stadium concerts."

Chesney has been doing stadium shows for more than a decade at this point.

Related: Kenny Chesney's 25 Best Song Prove He's Hall of Fame Worthy

"From when he's started to now, it's like he's grown up," Pardi says.

"I remember listening to the 17 Greatest Hits (2000), that turned into this classic, like ... that's the album we all grew up with. A lot of us listened to that record. I think that's what boosted him to the stadiums."

Tying it up in a nice little bow, Pardi summarizes that, "yeah, he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame."

Chesney's first Top 10 hits came in the 1990s after he released his second album, All I Need to Know. He's had several No. 1s and two greatest hits projects since.