Chris Stapleton is a tremendously successful singer and performer. He is also a prolific songwriter whose work has been recorded and performed by many of today's leading artists. Per Country Living via CBS News, Stapleton shared in 2016, "I didn't know they would pay you money to sit in a room and write songs for other people. I always thought that George Strait was singing a song, he made it up, and that was the end of it. But the instant I found that out, that that could be a job, I thought, 'That's the job for me. I gotta figure out how to do that.'"
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I think you could say that Stapleton did figure out how to do it. Back then, he estimated that some 200 songs he crafted have been done by various singers - and that was almost a decade ago! I was amazed to see who has recorded his music. Lee Ann Womack, Sheryl Crow, Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, Kenny Chesney, George Strait, and Adele all benefited from Chris Stapleton's songwriting talent.
Here are a few that he wrote for artists who are household names.
'Your Man' by Josh Turner
This track, written by Stapleton with Jace Eveett and Chris DuBois, is notable for a few reasons. It landed Stapleton and DuBois honors from ASCAP (American Society of composers, Authors and Publishers). "Your Man" was also Turner's first chart-topping song. Released in 2005, it went triple platinum by 2021. It's a loving and sensuous declaration of the passion the narrator feels for his woman.
'Never Wanted Nothing More' by Kenny Chesney
This song was on Chesney's 2007 album Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates. Stapleton shared the writing credit with Ronnie Bowman. The tune rose to the number one slot on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. The narrator sings about all the meaningful milestones in his life, like buying his first truck, getting married, and finding God. He is content with what he has because he "never wanted nothing more."
'If It Hadn't Been For Love' by Adele
Per Rolling Stone Australia, "Adele's fandom of Chris Stapleton runs deep.... She covered 'If It Hadn't Been for Love,' originally performed by his band the SteelDrivers, in 2011 for a 21 bonus track and also for her Adele Live tour." The dramatic song describes the sacrifices the narrator made in the name of single-minded devotion and romance, only to find that it all regrettably ends in tragedy. Truly the foundational stuff of country music! Stapleton wrote it with Michael James Henderson.
'Nobody's Fool' by Miranda Lambert
Stapleton penned this track by himself. It's on Lambert's 2011 album, Four the Record. Per Songfacts, The narrator sings about how painful it is to see her ex with other women right in front of her. Anyone who has regrets about a failed romantic relationship will relate strongly to the tune. With Lambert singing it, it packs an emotional wallop.
