Chris Stapleton
Chris Stapleton
Chris Stapleton is living proof that good things come to those who wait, especially when they’ve got a killer voice and the heart of a poet. The Kentucky native had many artistic lives before finding his current success in country music. He was a staff songwriter, member of a successful bluegrass outfit and also spent time in a rock band before releasing his breakthrough country album, “Traveller,” in 2015.
Chris was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and grew up in tiny Staffordsville. He was valedictorian of his high school class and attended Vanderbilt University, where he studied engineering before leaving to pursue music. He first garnered attention as a songwriter, and has penned such notable hits as Kenny Chesney’s “Never Wanted Nothing More,” Darius Rucker’s “Comeback Song” and Luke Bryan’s “Drink a Beer.”
Chris earned a reputation as “a singer’s singer” when he fronted the acclaimed bluegrass group The Steeldrivers for three years. After his departure, he formed a Southern rock band called the The Jompson Brothers. In 2013, he signed with Mercury Records as a solo artist and it was “Traveller” that catapulted him to national success. It was named Album of the Year at the 2015 CMA Awards show and earned Grammys for Best Country Album and Best Country Solo Performance. The momentum continued when “Traveller” won Album of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards and “Nobody to Blame” was named Song of the Year.
The Chris Stapleton juggernaut continued in 2017 as he ambitiously released two new albums. “From A Room: Volume 1,” which takes its name from Nashville’s famed RCA Studio A, where it was recorded, was released in May, and “From A Room: Volume 2” followed in December. “Volume 1” earned Chris his second CMA Award for album of the year and, in early 2018, he swept the country categories at “The 60th Annual Grammy Awards,” winning Best Country Album for “Volume 1,” Best Country Solo Performance for “Either Way” and Best Country Song for “Broken Halos.”
Chris continues to maintain a high profile in 2018, penning three songs on Justin Timberlake’s “Man of the Woods” album and dueting with Justin on the track “Say Something.” He will also be embarking on his “All-American Road Show” tour again in 2018, with stops at such prestigious venues as New York’s Madison Square Garden and The Forum in Los Angeles.
He’ll also be busy on the home front as he and wife Morgane welcome twins to their family, joining their older son and daughter. Morgane, who tours with Chris and plays a key role as a vocalist in his band, first shared the baby news on Instagram in October 2017 with a sweet post to Chris that read: “14 years, two babies, and two more on the way. Happy 10-year anniversary babe! You make my whole world go ’round.”
