How Old Is Chris Stapleton? A Look at the Life and Career of the Country Star

Publish date: 2024-05-08

Chris Stapleton is one of the most successful and acclaimed country music artists of the 21st century. He has won multiple Grammy Awards, CMA Awards, and ACM Awards for his solo albums and songs. He is also a prolific songwriter who has penned hits for many other artists, such as Adele, Luke Bryan, and Tim McGraw. But how old is Chris Stapleton, and what is his story? Here is a brief overview of his life and career.

Early Years and Musical Influences

Chris Stapleton was born on April 15, 1978, in Lexington, Kentucky, according to Wikipedia. He grew up in a small town called Staffordsville, where his father worked as a coal miner and his mother worked at the local health department. He has an older brother and a younger sister.

Stapleton developed an interest in music at an early age, influenced by his parents’ diverse musical tastes. He listened to country, rock, bluegrass, and soul music, and learned to play guitar and sing. He was also exposed to the local music scene, where he performed in various bands and events.

Stapleton graduated from Johnson Central High School in 1996, and enrolled at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, to study engineering. However, he dropped out after a year to pursue his musical career.

Songwriting Success and Band Projects

Stapleton moved to Nashville in 2001 and signed a publishing deal with Sea Gayle Music within four days of arriving, according to The Famous People. He quickly established himself as a sought-after songwriter, writing or co-writing over 170 songs for various artists. Some of his notable songs include “Never Wanted Nothing More” by Kenny Chesney, “Your Man” by Josh Turner, “Love’s Gonna Make It Alright” by George Strait, and “Drink a Beer” by Luke Bryan. He also wrote songs for pop and rock artists, such as “If It Hadn’t Been for Love” by Adele, “Don’t Forget to Remember Me” by Kelly Clarkson, “Whiskey and You” by Tim McGraw, and “Crash and Burn” by Thomas Rhett.

In addition to songwriting, Stapleton also pursued his own musical projects. From 2008 to 2010, he was the lead singer and guitarist of the bluegrass band The SteelDrivers, which earned three Grammy nominations for their albums. In 2010, he formed the Southern rock band The Jompson Brothers, which released one self-titled album and toured regionally.

Solo Breakthrough and Stardom

Stapleton launched his solo career in 2013 with the release of his debut single “What Are You Listening To?”, which received positive reviews but failed to chart. He continued to work on his solo album with producer Dave Cobb, who encouraged him to record live with minimal overdubs.

In 2015, Stapleton released his debut solo album Traveller, which was inspired by a road trip he took with his wife Morgane after his father’s death. The album received critical acclaim and commercial success, reaching number one on the Billboard 200 chart and selling over four million copies in the US. It also won two Grammy Awards for Best Country Album and Best Country Solo Performance (for the title track), as well as three CMA Awards for Album of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and New Artist of the Year.

Stapleton’s popularity soared after he performed with Justin Timberlake at the 2015 CMA Awards, where they sang a medley of “Tennessee Whiskey” (a cover of David Allan Coe’s song) and “Drink You Away” (a song from Timberlake’s album The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2). The performance went viral online and boosted the sales of both songs.

In 2017, Stapleton released two more solo albums: From A Room: Volume 1 in May and From A Room: Volume 2 in December. Both albums were recorded at RCA Studio A in Nashville and featured a mix of original songs and covers. They also received critical acclaim and commercial success, with Volume 1 winning another Grammy Award for Best Country Album and another CMA Award for Album of the Year.

In 2020, Stapleton released his fourth solo album Starting Over, which featured guest appearances from Tom Petty’s former bandmates Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench. The album received positive reviews from critics and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 chart. The title track was issued as its lead single.

Personal Life and Family

Stapleton married singer-songwriter Morgane Hayes in 2007. They met in 2003 when they were both working at adjacent publishing houses in Nashville. They have collaborated on many songs together and often perform as a duo on stage. Morgane also provides harmony vocals and plays tambourine on Stapleton’s solo albums.

Stapleton and Morgane have five children together: two sons and three daughters. Their names and birth dates are not publicly known, as the couple prefers to keep their family life private. They live on a farm in Nashville with their dogs and horses.

Awards and Honors

Stapleton has won numerous awards and honors for his music, both as a songwriter and as a solo artist. Some of his achievements include:

Stapleton has also been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019 and the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame in 2020. He has also been ranked at number 170 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time in 2023.

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