Chris Stapleton

Christopher Alvin Stapleton was born on April 15, 1978, in Lexington, Kentucky, and grew up in the rural town of Staffordsville, in the eastern, mountainous region of the state. He came from a working-class family; his father, Herbert Joseph Stapleton Jr., was an engineer in the coal mines, and his mother, Carol J. Stapleton, worked at the local health department. This working-class background and the regional musical traditions of country, bluegrass, and gospel strongly influenced him. After graduating from Johnson Central High School as class valedictorian in 1996, Stapleton initially pursued a traditional academic path, enrolling at Vanderbilt University in Nashville to study biomedical engineering. However, he quickly realized his passion lay elsewhere and dropped out after his first year. After a period back in Kentucky working various jobs, he returned to Nashville in 2001 to pursue music seriously. He initially focused on becoming a full-time songwriter, signing with Sea Gayle Music and quickly becoming one of the most prolific and sought-after writers in the city. He penned over 170 songs, including six number-one country hits for artists like George Strait and Luke Bryan. Before his solo stardom, he served as the lead vocalist for the bluegrass group The SteelDrivers and the rock band The Jompson Brothers. In 2007, he married fellow songwriter Morgane Hayes, who often joins him on stage to sing harmony vocals. They met while working in adjacent publishing houses and are parents to five children. His own career as a performer skyrocketed with the 2015 release of his debut solo album, Traveller, which was inspired in part by a road trip he took after the death of his father.

Chris Stapleton's career is a remarkable two-act story: first, as a highly prolific, award-winning songwriter, and second, as a Grammy-laden solo recording artist and major touring headliner. For over a decade, Stapleton was one of Nashville’s most in-demand songwriters, penning over a thousand songs, including six number-one hits for artists like Kenny Chesney ("Never Wanted Nothing More") and Luke Bryan ("Drink a Beer"). He also fronted two bands: the bluegrass group The SteelDrivers and the Southern rock band The Jompson Brothers, honing his stage presence. His solo career exploded with the release of his 2015 debut album, Traveller, which blended traditional country, rock, and soul. His career-catapulting moment was a 2015 CMA Awards performance with Justin Timberlake, leading to Traveller sweeping awards and soaring to the top of the charts. Subsequent albums like the two-part From A Room series and Starting Over (2020) and Higher (2023) continued his critical and commercial success, earning him numerous accolades, including eleven Grammy Awards and being named the ACM’s Artist-Songwriter of the Decade in 2019. Stapleton is an enduring live force, primarily touring under the banner of the "All-American Road Show" Tour, which has logged hundreds of dates since launching in 2017. His concerts are known for their raw, unadorned power, featuring his powerful vocals, intricate guitar work, and the tight backing of his band, often including his wife, Morgane. He has also co-headlined with legends like Hank Williams Jr. and opened for rock acts such as Guns N’ Roses and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.