If you’re a fan of country music, Chris Stapleton needs no introduction. For those of you new the name, you’re in for a treat. Best known for his Grammy winning album “Traveller,” Stapleton’s journey as an artist is constantly evolving. Born and raised in Kentucky, Stapleton left his small town of Staffordsville to pursue a music career in a place with the most promise – Nashville, Tennessee. He began writing songs and signed a deal with Brad Paisley‘s Sea Gayle Music publishing company. It was in this time that Chris met his soon-to-be wife, singer-songwriter, Morgane Hayes, who happened to work at a neighbouring publishing house. The two songwriters were meant to be, and they got married in 2007. After writing for a few years, Stapleton helped form the bluegrass band, The SteelDrivers. He recorded their first two albums, a self-titled LP in 2008 and “Reckless” in 2010. Deciding to focus on family and a solo career, Stapleton left the band in April, 2010.
Chris Stapleton is pictured in the middle.
Now it was on to bigger and better things! Chris put out his first solo single, “What Are You Listening To” and experienced great commercial success, but the good news wasn’t meant to last long. Around the same time as this release, Stapleton’s father passed away and it took a heavy toll on him. This was ultimately what sparked his 3-time CMA-winning album, “Traveller.”
Now Chris is set to release his second solo project entitled From A Room: Volume 1, named after Nashville’s RCA Studio A in which he recorded the album with long-time producer and friend Dave Cobb. So far, three tracks have already been released off the new record. “Broken Halos,” “Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning,” and “Second One To Know.” Take a listen to all three below:
From A Room: Volume 1 will be out Friday, May 5th for the world to enjoy.
3 More Reasons To Love Chris Stapleton
1. He wrote his entire Traveller album while on a road trip with his wife, to clear his mind after his father passed away.
2. He sang a duet of “Tennessee Whiskey” with Justin Timberlake at the 2015 CMAs
3. Chris Stapleton wrote these next 5 songs:
Adele, “If It Hadn’t Been for Love”
Thomas Rhett, “Crash and Burn”
Sheryl Crow featuring Zac Brown, “Homesick”
Josh Turner, “Your Man”
Kenny Chesney, “Never Wanted Nothing More”
Are you convinced yet?! Let us know what you think of Chris by giving us a tweet @umusic.