Chris Stapleton

That’s not all. Little Big Town calls him “one of the best singers on the planet” and Rolling Stone said he’s “the biggest, baddest country voice you’ve ever heard. No, really.” RS also noted that Stapleton’s recent solo debut, Traveller, was the most anticipated record since Sturgill Simpson’s album release.

As for Stapleton himself, he’s a modest, unassuming 37-year-old who’s just glad to be here.

“I’ve been in the music business long enough to know you can make all the plans in the world but you can’t fully predict what you will do. It’s always a moving target,” Stapleton told  Pollstar. “I think we’re doing better than what we could have hoped for right now, putting out this record. We’re just going to keep walking through the doors that are open.”

His agent, Jay Williams, was happy to explain further.

“He’s incredibly humble about his talent.  He is one of the nicest guys I’ve been around,” Williams told Pollstar. “His wife, Morgane, is a big part of the team also.  She gets up on stage every night and sings her ass off too.”

Stapleton – who’s been compared to Gregg Allman – shouldn’t be pigeonholed. He’ls played bluegrass with The SteelDrivers and rock ‘n’ roll with The Jompson Brothers and in July he will take the stage alongside Twenty One Pilots, Action Bronson, and The Replacements at the Forecastle Festival.

“Chris has more tools in his toolbox than most of his peers.  Adele and Luke Bryan have cut his songs.  No one else can claim that,” Williams said. “If people want to categorize Chris, that’s fine, but I certainly don’t (and don’t call him a singer/songwriter; he’ll brush it off).”

Stapleton just wrapped some Eric Church dates and is touring theatres before hitting the summer festival circuit.