Biography
Morgane Stapleton first drew notice as the supporting singer and lively counterpart to her spouse, country performer Chris Stapleton, yet she has also established herself as a skilled songwriter for numerous respected figures across Nashville. Born Morgane Hayes in Nashville, Tennessee, she gradually entered the city's dominant music trade. Her professional start came in 1992 when Curtis Wright cut her song "I Will Someday." She kept writing while playing scattered shows, at first appearing in a duo alongside her sister, though discomfort with audience focus prompted her to concentrate on offstage roles. Regular income arrived through demo vocals at sixty dollars per track—she later learned the standard rate reached one hundred twenty-five—and through backup work in Lee Ann Womack's touring band. By 2003 she had obtained a publishing contract with Sea Gayle Music and a recording agreement with Arista Nashville Records, completing material for nearly three albums that never appeared; wary of visibility, she requested release from the deal. That same year she met fellow Sea Gayle songwriter Chris Stapleton, forming an instant bond; the pair later recalled that their opening outing, planned as a writing session, dissolved into mutual infatuation. A decisive step forward arrived in 2005 when Carrie Underwood recorded "Don't Forget to Remember Me" and enlisted Morgane for backup vocals; the single became a substantial success, soon followed by cuts from Trisha Yearwood, Alan Jackson, LeAnn Rimes, Claire Lynch, and Kellie Pickler, several of them co-written with Chris Stapleton. In 2007 she married Chris and adopted the name Morgane Stapleton, thereafter sharing songwriting duties, helping separate stronger material from weaker pieces, and joining him onstage once stage fright eased. After the SteelDrivers and the Jompson Brothers disbanded, Chris pursued solo work, with Morgane aiding track choices and supplying harmonies for his debut The Traveller, a major critical and commercial hit whose concerts frequently highlighted their haunting, intense version of "You Are My Sunshine." Producer Dave Cobb, who helmed The Traveller, urged the Stapletons to record the song for the 2016 Southern Family compilation. That year Morgane also paired with John Prine on "Look at Us" for his album For Better, Or Worse. In 2017 the couple appeared together on tribute sets devoted to Waylon Jennings and Don Williams, and she added her distinctive vocals to Chris's second solo release, From a Room: Vol. 1.
Singles