In anticipation of Chris Stapleton’s debut Mercury Nashville album, produced by Tony Brown, Luke Wooten and Stapleton, MusicRow was treated to an acoustic performance of songs from the project on June 11, including the first single, “What Are You Listening To.”
Stapleton also performed “The Right Ones,” a cut he prefaced by noting that hit songs are usually either written about newborn babies or record executives. Additionally, he performed a heartfelt bluesy ballad titled “Sometimes I Cry,” and a rendition of his first No. 1 as a songwriter, “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” a Josh Turner cut.
Over time, a handful of truly gifted artists have played a part in defining Country music’s sense of self. Such can be said about the music Chris Stapleton has been producing for the past decade. He has spent time playing in the rock and roll band The Jompson Brothers and as has been the lead singer of the Grammy-nominated bluegrass group The Steeldrivers, which piqued the attention of Adele, who recorded the band’s “If It Hadn’t Been For Love.”
Additional songwriting credits include four No. 1 Country songs alongside roughly 170 album cuts from artists such as Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and Alan Jackson. Stapleton’s chart-topping hits include songs recorded by George Strait (“Love’s Gonna Make It Alright”), Kenny Chesney (“Never Wanted Nothing More”), Darius Rucker (“Come Back Song”) and Josh Turner (“Your Man”). With these credentials, Stapleton not only contributes to Music City’s magnetic energy, but continues to establish himself as part of the integral structure providing its soundness.
Stapleton recently made his solo debut during Nashville’s CMA Music Festival, including an invitation-only industry gathering at the GreenRoom PR’s swanky new office in the Cannery complex. Over this past weekend, he played Bonnaroo music and arts festival in Manchester, Tenn., as one of a select number of musicians to play both Tennessee festivals. He has also just been invited to join Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley during the fall leg of the Locked and Reloaded Tour, starting Oct. 10 in Lincoln, Neb.
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