Chris Stapleton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chris Stapleton
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Stapleton performing in Columbia, Maryland in 2019
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Christopher Alvin Stapleton |
| Born | April 15, 1978 Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Origin | Staffordsville, Kentucky, U.S. Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| Years active | 2001−present |
| Labels | Mercury Nashville |
Christopher Alvin Stapleton (born April 15, 1978) is an American country singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was born in Kentucky and moved to Nashville in 1996. There, he started a music career instead of studying engineering. Soon after, he signed a deal with Sea Gayle Music to write and release his songs.
Chris Stapleton has written many hit songs for other artists. These include "Never Wanted Nothing More" for Kenny Chesney and "Your Man" for Josh Turner. He has also worked on albums for famous singers like Adele, Kelly Clarkson, and Taylor Swift. He has even written songs with Vince Gill and Ed Sheeran.
Before becoming a solo artist, Stapleton sang in two bands. One was a bluegrass group called the SteelDrivers. The other was a rock band named the Jompson Brothers. His first solo album, Traveller (2015), became very popular. It reached number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. His cover of "Tennessee Whiskey" also became a huge hit.
Stapleton has won many important awards. These include ten Grammy Awards, eleven Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards, and fifteen Country Music Association (CMA) Awards. In 2019, he was named the ACM's Artist-Songwriter of the Decade. This means he was recognized as the best artist and songwriter of the past ten years.
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Early Life and School
Chris Stapleton was born in Lexington, Kentucky. His mom worked at the health department, and his dad was an engineer in coal mines. Chris grew up in a small town called Staffordsville, Kentucky.
He went to Johnson Central High School in Paintsville. He was a great student and the top of his class. He also played football in high school.
Music Career
Starting Out and Bands
In 1996, Stapleton moved to Nashville. He first planned to study engineering at Vanderbilt University. But he soon learned that writing songs could be a job. He decided to become a songwriter instead. He quickly signed a deal with Sea Gayle Music. Over the next ten years, he wrote more than a thousand songs!
In 2007, Chris formed a bluegrass band called the SteelDrivers. They had two successful albums. He left the band in 2010 to start a rock band called the Jompson Brothers. This band toured around the country. They even opened for the Zac Brown Band. After releasing an album in 2010, Stapleton decided to go solo.
In 2013, Stapleton signed with Mercury Nashville as a solo artist. He released his first solo song, "What Are You Listening To?". He also helped write the theme song for a radio show called The WSM All Nighter with Marcia Campbell. Songs he wrote have been in movies like Valentine's Day and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip.
Chris and his wife, Morgane, often sing together. In 2013, they sang "Amanda" at the Grand Ole Opry. They also performed for NPR's Tiny Desk Concert in 2015.
Solo Albums and Big Success
Chris Stapleton's first solo album, Traveller, came out on May 5, 2015. He recorded it in Nashville. He worked with producer Dave Cobb on the album. His wife, Morgane Stapleton, sang harmonies on the record. He also played guitar and sang with a live band.
The idea for the song "Traveller" came to him on a road trip. He and his wife were driving through New Mexico in a old Jeep. His wife helped him choose nine songs from 15 years of his writing.
At the 2015 Country Music Association Awards, Stapleton won three big awards. He won Album of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and New Artist of the Year. During the show, he performed "Tennessee Whiskey" with Justin Timberlake. This performance made him famous across the country.
Traveller also won a Grammy Award for Best Country Album. It was the best-selling country album of 2016. By 2017, it had sold 2 million copies in the US.
In 2016, Chris and Morgane sang "You Are My Sunshine" for a special album. Chris also sang on Jake Owen's song "If He Ain't Gonna Love You". He performed at the Country to Country festival in Europe. He was also a musical guest on Saturday Night Live in January 2016. He sang "Parachute" and "Nobody to Blame".
His second album, From A Room: Volume 1, was released on May 5, 2017. It was recorded in Nashville. This album also won him another CMA for Album of the Year. It was the best-selling country album of 2017. His third album, From A Room: Volume 2, came out in December 2017. Both albums were very successful.
Stapleton returned to Saturday Night Live in January 2018. He sang songs from From A Room: Volume 2. His song "Broken Halos" became a number one hit. It won him Song and Single of the Year at the 52nd CMAs. He also won Male Vocalist of the Year for the fourth time.
On August 28, 2020, Stapleton released "Starting Over". This song was the first single from his album of the same name. He released another song, "Cold", in September 2020. He continued to win awards, including Male Vocalist of the Year at the 2021 CMAs.
Other Projects and Team-ups
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Stapleton helped write three songs for Justin Timberlake's album Man of the Woods (2018). Their song "Say Something" became a top ten hit. He also covered the song "I Want Love" for an Elton John tribute album.
In 2019, Chris Stapleton made a surprise appearance on the TV show Game of Thrones. He was an extra in an episode called "The Long Night".
He also teamed up with John Mayer for a concert in 2019. They sang a new song they had written together. In July 2019, Stapleton, Bruno Mars, and Ed Sheeran released a song called "Blow". Chris helped write and sing on the song.
Stapleton has also worked with Mike Campbell, who used to play guitar for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
In 2021, Stapleton was featured on Taylor Swift's album Red (Taylor's Version) on the song "I Bet You Think About Me". He also covered the Metallica song "Nothing Else Matters" for a charity album. He sang on an alternative version of Adele's song "Easy on Me".
On February 12, 2023, Chris Stapleton sang the United States' national anthem at Super Bowl LVII. An Oscar-winning actor, Troy Kotsur, signed the lyrics in American Sign Language.
Stapleton also recorded a cover of Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" for the 2023 opening theme song of Monday Night Football.
Music Style
Chris Stapleton's music is influenced by many styles. These include outlaw country, bluegrass, rock and roll, and blues. People describe his sound as a mix of country, classic rock, and Southern soul.
Before going solo, he led a bluegrass band and a rock band. His first solo album, Traveller, mixed old-school country, Southern rock, and bluegrass. His second album, From A Room: Volume 1, focused on country, blues, and roots rock. He plays both acoustic and electric guitar on his albums.
Stapleton is known for his powerful voice. His singing style reminds some people of country legends like Merle Haggard and blues singers like Ray Charles. He has said that Otis Redding and Freddie King are some of his musical heroes. He also looks up to Kentucky country artists like Keith Whitley and Patty Loveless.
Personal Life
Chris Stapleton is married to singer-songwriter Morgane Hayes. They met while working at music publishing companies. They got married in 2007.
Chris and Morgane have five children. They have a son born in 2009, a daughter born in 2010, twin sons born in 2018, and another son born in 2019. The family lives in Nashville.
Awards and Achievements
Chris Stapleton has won many awards for his music. He has received ten Grammy Awards, ten Academy of Country Music Awards, and fourteen Country Music Association Awards. He also has five Billboard Music Awards.
For his songwriting, he has won nine ASCAP Country awards. In 2019, the Academy of Country Music named him the first-ever ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Decade. His album Traveller was named Billboard's Top Country Album of the decade.
Music Albums
- Traveller (2015)
- From A Room: Volume 1 (2017)
- From A Room: Volume 2 (2017)
- Starting Over (2020)
- Higher (2023)
Tours and Concerts
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Headlining Tours
- Hank Williams Jr. and Chris Stapleton Live in Concert (with Hank Williams Jr.) (2016)
- Chris Stapleton's All-American Road Show Tour (2017–present)
- A Concert for Kentucky (with Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, and Madeline Edwards) (April 23, 2022) — This was the first concert ever held at Kroger Field, a football stadium.
Opening for Other Artists
- Outsiders Tour (Eric Church) (2015)
- The Ashes and Dust World Tour (Warren Haynes) (2015)
- Not in This Lifetime... Tour (Guns N' Roses; one show) (2016)
- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' 40th Anniversary Tour (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers; three shows) (2017)
- An Evening With the Eagles (Eagles; two shows) (2018)
See also
In Spanish: Chris Stapleton para niños
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. country chart
- List of country rock musicians
- List of country music performers
- List of southern rock bands
