Chris Stapleton is an American country and Americana singer-songwriter from Lexington, Kentucky, who spent a decade writing Nashville hits before going solo. The multi-platinum Traveller (2015) is the obvious starting point — raw, soulful country that earned every bit of its acclaim. Browse Chris Stapleton vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Chris Stapleton was born in Lexington, Kentucky on April 15, 1978. He spent more than a decade as a Nashville songwriter, writing hits for George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan, and many others. He led the bluegrass band the SteelDrivers from 2008 to 2010, then the country band the Jompson Brothers, before launching his solo career on Mercury Nashville with the multi-platinum Traveller (2015). The 2015 CMA Awards performance with Justin Timberlake of Tennessee Whiskey became a major cultural moment for Stapleton's career. His subsequent albums have continued his commercial success and critical acclaim.
Chris Stapleton's sound combines country, country soul, Americana, southern rock, and bluegrass with his distinctive raw vocal delivery drawing on soul and gospel traditions alongside country. His arrangements typically feature classic country instrumentation with rock-influenced guitar work.
Mercury Nashville pressings of the Chris Stapleton catalog have been issued in multiple color variant editions and retailer-exclusive variants.
Listeners new to Chris Stapleton typically start with Traveller (2015) or Starting Over (2020).
