He Wrote Hits for Other Stars for Years. Then Chris Stapleton Sang a Song George Jones Made Famous, and His Life Changed Overnight

For years, Chris Stapleton was one of Nashville’s best-kept secrets. He co-wrote No. 1 hits for other singers, like Kenny Chesney’s “Never Wanted Nothing More” and Josh Turner’s “Your Man.” But most people had never heard his name.

In 2015, he released his first solo album, Traveller. Country radio barely played it.

Then came November 4, 2015, and the CMA Awards.

Chris walked out with his guitar, and with him was his good friend Justin Timberlake. Together they sang a medley of “Drink You Away” and an old country song, “Tennessee Whiskey.”

The song had been around for decades. It was written by Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove and first recorded by David Allan Coe in 1981. Two years later, George Jones took it to No. 2 on the country charts.

Chris had started singing it on a whim, during a soundcheck before a show in Virginia. The band loved it so much that he sang it at every show after that.

That night, with his deep, soulful voice, he made millions of people stop what they were doing and listen. By the end of the night, he had also won three CMA Awards, for New Artist, Male Vocalist and Album of the Year.

What happened next was astonishing. The week before the show, Traveller had sold fewer than 3,000 copies. The week after, it sold more than 150,000 and shot to No. 1 on the Billboard 200. His tour dates sold out within hours.

Today, his “Tennessee Whiskey” is the highest-certified country song in America.

Sometimes it takes one song, sung from the heart, for the whole world to finally hear you.

Which version of “Tennessee Whiskey” do you love most, George Jones or Chris Stapleton? Share this with a country music fan.