Chris Stapleton is a certified hit machine.
Before he became one of country music’s most soulful voices, he was already a songwriting powerhouse behind the scenes in Nashville. After moving there from his hometown of Paintsville, Kentucky, in 2001, Stapleton signed a publishing deal with Sea Gayle Music, and it didn’t take long for him to start making his mark.
In those early years, he wrote hundreds of songs for other artists, quietly becoming one of the most in-demand writers in town. His pen helped craft hits for big names like Kenny Chesney (“Never Wanted Nothing More”), George Strait (“Love’s Gonna Make It Alright”), and Darius Rucker (“Come Back Song”) — all before most people even knew his name. Stapleton was known for his raw, soulful writing style, often blending country storytelling with blues and Southern rock influences. Even then, his peers recognized his rare combination of grit and heart, and they knew he was one of the best vocalists in the game. Dierks Bentley famously called him the “best singer in the world” way back in 2010…