Chris Stapleton

Chris Stapleton rose to prominence through a distinctive fusion of vintage country, classic rock, and soul, paired with his knack for writing songs that linger in memory and carry weight, whether he operated behind the scenes or stood center stage. His years of steady effort in Nashville before the 2015 release of his debut solo album Traveller included fronting the progressive bluegrass outfit the SteelDrivers and penning successful tracks for George Strait with “Love’s Gonna Make It Alright,” Luke Bryan with “Drink a Beer,” and Darius Rucker with “Come Back Song,” while also supplying material to Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, and Adele. That body of work generated substantial industry support, which surfaced dramatically at the Country Music Association Awards in fall 2015 when he claimed three major honors. Visibility surged afterward, leading to his first Grammy victory for the follow-up record From a Room: Vol. 1. The project’s impact extended beyond sales, steering mainstream country toward a more roots-oriented sound throughout the late 2010s. He sustained that amalgamated approach on Starting Over in 2020 and Higher in 2023, the latter highlighting his soul-inflected delivery.

Stapleton’s ascent unfolded gradually. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, and raised in the smaller community of Staffordsville, he relocated to Nashville in 2001 with ambitions in country music. A publishing agreement with Sea Gayle Music soon followed, allowing him to write consistently while supporting himself through assorted jobs and performing regularly. In 2008 he assembled the SteelDrivers, a bluegrass ensemble that earned considerable praise across the subsequent two years. The International Bluegrass Music Association named the group Emerging Artist of the Year in 2009, and in 2010 they secured three Grammy nominations, one of which was for Best Bluegrass Album on Reckless.

Even with that recognition, Stapleton departed the SteelDrivers in April 2010 to launch the Jompson Brothers alongside guitarist Greg McKee, bassist J.T. Cure, and drummer Brad McNamee. The Southern rock outfit disbanded by 2013, prompting Stapleton to join Mercury Nashville and issue the single “What Are You Listening To?” that October. When the track failed to gain traction, plans for its accompanying album were abandoned, and he turned instead to co-producer Dave Cobb for a fresh project. That effort materialized as Traveller, his solo debut, which arrived in May 2015 to favorable critical response. Its launch overlapped with the chart-topping success of “Crash and Burn,” a composition he created with Jesse Frasure that Thomas Rhett transformed into a major hit. Traveller earned multiple CMA nominations and ultimately captured three trophies that December: Best Male Vocalist, New Artist of the Year, and Album of the Year.

The sudden attention translated into further nominations, including four Grammy nods shortly after the CMAs, followed by commercial momentum that placed Traveller at number one on the U.S. country charts and earned it gold certification from the RIAA, while “Nobody to Blame” became his initial country radio success. “Parachute” climbed even higher later in 2016, after which Stapleton focused on his sophomore album with producer Dave Cobb. Taped at Nashville’s RCA Studio A, From a Room appeared in two installments, the first in May 2017 and the second later that year. From a Room: Vol. 1 secured the CMA for Album of the Year before From a Room: Vol. 2 reached stores in November, then claimed the Grammy for Best Country Album the next spring. In the years that followed he maintained a presence across collaborative ventures, co-writing several tracks for Justin Timberlake’s Man of the Woods, joining Bruno Mars on Ed Sheeran’s “Blow,” and appearing as an extra in an episode of HBO’s Game of Thrones.

Stapleton resurfaced in 2020 with Starting Over, an album that featured Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. The set topped the country charts once more and reached number three on the Billboard 200. During 2021 he contributed a cover of “Nothing Else Matters” to the Metallica tribute collection The Metallica Blacklist, performed with Adele on “Easy on Me,” and joined Taylor Swift on “I Bet You Think About Me” from Red (Taylor’s Version). An appearance at Super Bowl LVII in February 2023 initiated another busy period that included the single “White Horse” and concluded with the November arrival of Higher, a closely focused and soulful record co-produced by Stapleton, Morgane Stapleton, and Dave Cobb.