Who is Chris Stapleton? 5 things you need to know
If you saw Justin Timberlake kill it Wednesday night on stage at the 2015 CMA Awards, you must have wondered who his partner in his crime was: Chris Stapleton, who just released his first solo album in May. The duo stole the show on Wednesday night, and left viewers wanting to learn more about the mystery man with the long hair and cowboy hat.
Here's what you need to know about the CMAs' breakout star:
1. He's written songs for practically everyone. Stapleton, who is a producer, singer and songwriter, has written no. 1 songs for George Strait, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Darius Rucker and Josh Turner, but his talent goes far beyond country: Stapleton has even written for Adele.
2. He won the Male Vocalist of the Year award at the CMAs. That's in addition to his New Artist and Album of the year trophies. Stapleton was an underdog, considering he was running up against country music veterans like Dierks Bentley and Blake Shelton.
3. He's a family man. The musician is married to singer-songwriter Morgane Stapleton and has a son and a daughter. Not only do the two raise a family together; they also work together. Morgane sings backup vocals and tours with her husband.
4. He has an authentic country backstory. Stapleton grew up in Staffordsville, Kentucky, where his father was a coal miner. Stapleton's album, "Traveller," was inspired after his father passed away.
5. He's mostly performed in bands. "Traveller" might be Stapleton's first solo album, but he has plenty of experience playing with bands. He was the lead singer and guitarist for the bluegrass group the SteelDriver from 2008 to 2010, and then he sang for the Jompson Brothers. Stapleton signed to label Mercury Nashville as a solo artist in 2013.
