Artist
Chris Stapleton
American singer‐songwriter
Nashville, United States • b. 1978
Chris Stapleton is a musician from Nashville, United States, active since 1978. Their discography on Gatefold includes 5 records.
5
Albums tracked
128
In collections
1978
Since
Biography
Christopher Alvin Stapleton[2] (born April 15, 1978) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Stapleton's music styles include Southern rock and bluegrass. He is an established songwriter with six country number-one songs including the five-week number-one "Never Wanted Nothing More" recorded by Kenny Chesney, "Love's Gonna Make It Alright" recorded by George Strait, and "Come Back Song" recorded by Darius Rucker. Over 150 of Stapleton's songs have appeared on albums by such artists as Adele
The Arc of Chris Stapleton
The pivots — what forced Chris Stapleton to reinvent.
The Bluegrass Grind
Before the solo Grammys, he was fronting The SteelDrivers and proving that bluegrass didn't have to be polite or precious. He pushed his vocals into a gritty, soul-influenced register that felt completely at odds with the high-and-lonesome tradition, forcing the genre to reckon with a heavier, blues-based attack. You hear it on 'Blue Side of the Mountain,' where the mandolin and banjo are playing traditional roles but the vocal performance is pure Muscle Shoals grit. This era was the trial by fire that taught him how to command a room with nothing but acoustic instruments and a terrifyingly large voice.
The Nashville Ghostwriter
Between the band projects and the solo breakout, he became one of the most successful songwriters on Music Row, penning massive hits like 'Your Man' for Josh Turner. He was living a double life, writing radio-friendly hooks for the mainstream machine while his own demos sounded like outlaw country throwbacks. This period refined his sense of structure and melody, giving him the pop sensibility that eventually made his solo work so accessible to people who usually hate country music. He learned exactly how the corporate gears turned before he decided to break them.
The Dave Cobb Sessions
The pivot to superstardom happened when he stopped trying to fit the radio mold and went into the studio with Dave Cobb to capture a raw, live-to-tape energy. They abandoned the overproduced Nashville 'wall of sound' in favor of space, dynamics, and a vintage aesthetic that favored feeling over perfection. This shift turned him from a industry secret into a global phenomenon overnight, specifically after the 2015 CMA performance with Justin Timberlake that bridged the gap between Memphis soul and Nashville dirt. It proved that a simple, honest recording could still outsell the shiny, programmed bullshit dominating the charts.
Influences
- Ray Charles — Stapleton has frequently cited 'Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music' as a definitive blueprint for his own career. You hear it in the way he bends notes on tracks like 'Tennessee Whiskey,' treating country melodies with the phrasing and emotional weight of a soul singer. It's the reason his music works in a R&B context just as well as a honky-tonk.
- Waylon Jennings — The influence is documented through Stapleton’s covers and his heavy use of a 1950s Fender Telecaster with that signature phase-shifted growl. He carries Waylon's 'Outlaw' DNA in his refusal to let label executives pick his session players or polish his vocal takes. It's the foundation of his rhythmic, percussive guitar style.
- Otis Redding — Stapleton often mentions Redding as his favorite singer of all time and has covered 'Hard to Handle' in his live sets for years. That 'tearing' quality in his upper register is a direct descendant of the Stax Records vocal tradition. He’s essentially a soul shouter who happens to write songs about Kentucky.
- Bill Monroe — The bluegrass architect's influence comes through his time in The SteelDrivers and his mastery of high-tension harmony. Even on his loudest rock tracks, the way he structures vocal stacks and keeps the acoustic guitar's rhythm driving is pure Monroe-style 'high lonesome.' It’s the source of the technical precision behind the grit.
- Don Williams — He covered 'Tulsa Time' and has consistently praised Williams' ability to be 'The Gentle Giant' of country music. You hear this in Stapleton’s quieter moments like 'Whiskey and You,' where he drops the power-house screaming to focus on the understated, conversational delivery Williams mastered. It proves he knows when to shut up and let the lyric do the work.
Discography
Their records — most-collected first.
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