Chris Stapleton

Chris Stapleton Wins Five More ACM Awards, Bringing Career Total to 20

Country music star Chris Stapleton has added five more ACM Awards to his already impressive collection, bringing his career total to 20. At 46, Stapleton was named Male Vocalist and Artist-Songwriter of the Year at the 2024 ACM Awards. His 2023 album, Higher, earned Album of the Year honors, where he was recognized not only as the performer but also as a co-producer alongside David Cobb and his wife, Morgane Stapleton.

In addition, Stapleton received the prestigious Triple Crown Award from the Academy of Country Music. This award recognizes his earlier wins, including New Male Vocalist of the Year (2016), Male Vocalist of the Year (2016), and Entertainer of the Year (2023).

While accepting his second Male Vocalist of the Year award on May 16, Stapleton expressed gratitude, saying, “Thank you, mama, for always telling me I could be whoever I wanted to be.” Before pursuing a full-time career in music, Stapleton was studying engineering at Vanderbilt University.

The only category in which Stapleton was nominated but did not win this year was Entertainer of the Year, which went to Lainey Wilson.

Who Is Chris Stapleton?

Chris Stapleton is a highly respected and accomplished singer-songwriter who began his career in Nashville, Tennessee, crafting songs for some of country music’s most renowned artists. Recognized for his distinctive long hair and beard, Stapleton rose to prominence in 2015 with the release of his debut solo album, Traveller, which achieved critical and commercial success, sweeping the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards that year.

Building on this success, Stapleton showcased his extensive songwriting catalog by releasing two more albums in 2017: From a Room: Volume 1 and From a Room: Volume 2. Both albums earned widespread acclaim, with Volume 1 winning multiple awards. Over the course of his career, Stapleton has received 10 Grammy Awards and holds the record for the most CMA Male Vocalist of the Year titles, having won the honor seven times.

Where Is Chris Stapleton From?

Christopher Alvin Stapleton, born on April 15, 1978, in Lexington, Kentucky, is a renowned American musician and songwriter. He is the son of Carol Stapleton, who worked for the local health department, and Herbert Stapleton Jr., a coal miner. Stapleton grew up with his older brother, Herbert, and younger sister, Melanie, in a family where country music was a significant influence. His parents’ appreciation for local country artists, such as Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley, Dwight Yoakam, and Patty Loveless, shaped Stapleton’s musical interests from an early age.

As a teenager, Stapleton was a popular and accomplished student at Johnson Central High School, where he participated in several team sports and graduated as class valedictorian in 1996. In a testament to his roots, Stapleton returned to his high school two decades later to perform a free concert and to dedicate a new performance space created by student carpenters.

After high school, Stapleton pursued engineering at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. However, he chose to leave the program after one year to immerse himself in the local music scene, a decision that marked the beginning of his successful career in music.

Songwriting Career

Upon connecting with local songwriters in his hometown, Chris Stapleton recognized songwriting as a viable career path. In a 2016 CBS News interview, he reflected, “I always thought that George Strait was singing a song, he made it up, and that was the end of it. But the instant I found out that that could be a job, I thought, ‘That’s the job for me.’”

In 2001, Stapleton secured a publishing deal just four days after relocating to Nashville. Over the following decade, he achieved notable success by penning hits for renowned country artists such as George Strait (“Love’s Gonna Make It Alright”), Kenny Chesney (“Never Wanted Nothing More”), Luke Bryan (“Drink a Beer”), Thomas Rhett (“Crash and Burn”), Darius Rucker (“Come Back Song”), and Josh Turner (“Your Man”). Additionally, his work has been recorded by Lee Ann Womack, Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, and Tim McGraw.

In 2011, Stapleton’s songwriting prowess extended beyond country music when Adele recorded a cover of “If It Hadn’t Been for Love” as a bonus track on her acclaimed album 21. Stapleton co-wrote the song for his band, The Steeldrivers.

Band

While consistently working as a songwriter from 2001 to 2015, Chris Stapleton began collaborating with a band. He and fellow songwriter Mike Henderson founded The SteelDrivers to perform their original compositions that had not been recorded by other artists. The progressive bluegrass group also featured fiddle player Tammy Rogers, bassist Mike Fleming, and banjo player Richard Bailey, with Stapleton as the lead singer and guitarist, and Henderson contributing mandolin.

The SteelDrivers released their self-titled debut album in 2008, with the lead track “Blue Side of the Mountain” earning Stapleton and Henderson a Grammy nomination. The band’s subsequent album, Reckless (2010), garnered two additional Grammy nominations, including Best Bluegrass Album.

Despite their achievements, Stapleton departed from The SteelDrivers in 2010. The band has since continued to make music with several lineup changes.

Following his departure, Stapleton formed a Southern rock band, The Jompson Brothers, where he took on the roles of lead singer and guitarist. His bandmates included guitarist Greg McKee, bassist J.T. Cure, and drummer Bard McNamee. The Jompson Brothers released one album, The Jompson Brothers (2010), and toured for several years, including a stint as an opening act for Zac Brown Band, before Stapleton embarked on his solo career.

Solo Music: Hit Songs and Awards

In 2013, Chris Stapleton signed with Mercury Nashville. His single “What Are You Listening To?” was released in October of that year but failed to gain traction, leading to the cancellation of its accompanying album.

Stapleton then collaborated with co-producer Dave Cobb to record Traveller, his solo debut album. The majority of the album’s tracks were selected from Stapleton’s extensive library of over 1,000 published songs, with significant input from his wife, Morgane. Released in May 2015, Traveller initially received strong critical acclaim but did not achieve widespread airplay until the November Country Music Association Awards. At the CMA Awards, Stapleton and Justin Timberlake delivered a memorable performance of the George Jones classic “Tennessee Whiskey” and Timberlake’s “Drink You Away,” which helped him gain new fans. Traveller won Album of the Year, and Stapleton was honored with CMA New Artist of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year awards. His distinctive long hair and bushy beard solidified his presence in the industry.

Following this, Traveller soared to the top of the Billboard 200 and the country albums chart. Stapleton’s solo rendition of “Tennessee Whiskey” reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Success continued with “Nobody to Blame,” his first country radio hit, and “Parachute,” which charted even higher later in 2016. That year, Stapleton received four Grammy nominations, winning two awards for Traveller and its title track: Best Country Album and Best Country Solo Performance.

Even before the acclaim had settled, Stapleton began work on his second album, again with Cobb. From a Room: Volume 1 was released in May 2017 and won Album of the Year at both the CMAs and the 2018 Academy of Country Music Awards. By the end of 2017, From a Room: Volume 2 had also been released. Stapleton’s sophomore effort garnered three additional Grammys: Best Country Album, Best Country Song for “Broken Halos,” and Best Country Solo Performance for “Either Way.” At the 2018 Grammys, Stapleton performed “Wildflowers” with Emmylou Harris in tribute to the late Tom Petty.

After a three-year period with limited new releases, Stapleton’s status as a country star was further cemented in 2019 when he became the first artist to win the ACM Award for Artist-Songwriter of the Decade, acknowledging his work over the previous decade.

In 2020, Stapleton released Starting Over, which produced hit singles such as the title track and “You Should Probably Leave,” both topping the Hot Country Songs chart. The album garnered significant accolades in 2021 and 2022, including Best Country Album at the CMAs and ACM Awards. The Grammy Awards also recognized Starting Over with Best Country Album, Best Country Song for “Cold,” and Best Country Solo Performance for “You Should Probably Leave.” In November 2022, Stapleton set a record by winning Male Vocalist of the Year for the sixth time at the CMA Awards, surpassing previous record-holders George Strait, Vince Gill, and Blake Shelton. His record was extended to seven wins in the category in 2023.

In September 2023, ESPN featured a new rendition of Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” by Stapleton and Snoop Dogg as the theme song for Monday Night Football broadcasts, signaling the release of Stapleton’s latest original music. His new album, Higher (2023), introduced singles like “It Takes a Woman” and “What Am I Gonna Do,” but it was “White Horse” that achieved significant success. The track peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, a personal best for Stapleton’s solo career, and won two Grammy Awards—Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song—in February 2024.

Elton John Tribute

Elton John personally reached out to Stapleton to request his participation in recording “I Want Love” for the 2018 compilation album Restoration: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. This 13-track collection also includes contributions from Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Dierks Bentley, Vince Gill, and Don Henley.

Wife and Kids

Stapleton met Morgane Hayes in 2003 while both were working as songwriters in nearby offices. Morgane would frequently visit a friend at Sea Gayle Music, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. After a few months, Stapleton invited her to collaborate on a song, which led to what Morgane described as their first date in a 2015 interview with The Washington Post. She humorously noted that they did not accomplish much songwriting that evening.

The couple married in 2007 and have maintained a close bond since. Morgane, a talented singer-songwriter herself, plays a significant role in Chris’s creative endeavors. He has “You Are My Sunshine” inscribed on his wedding band, and the couple often performs the song together. Chris also wrote “Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore” for Morgane, which appeared on his debut album.

Chris and Morgane are parents to five children: Waylon, born in 2009; Ada, born in 2010; twins Macon and Samuel, born in 2018; and a son born in 2019, whose name remains undisclosed. The entire family travels together for tours.