Chris Stapleton shares his touring must-haves, favorite albums, and more.
Former C&I cover star Chris Stapleton answers some of our burning questions about his favorite country album, singing to his wife, and getting into the performance mentality.
C&I: What’s the one thing you always bring on tour?
Chris Stapleton: The things I bring aren’t as important as the mindset. It’s kind of a game-day mentality, to use a sports analogy. The mindset for me is that I have the entire day dedicated to playing the show. I bring the mentality that my job is to do whatever I can to make the show as good as it can possibly be.
C&I: What album would you want if you were stranded on a desert island?
Stapleton: Easy. Tom Petty’s Wildflowers.
C&I: What would you be doing if not for country music?
Stapleton: When I was in high school, I played football. I loved football. And if I could have been a football player, I probably would have. I didn’t have the talent or the drive to do those things. So, thankfully, my body is much happier with my current job.
C&I: What is your favorite pair of boots?
Stapleton: The Lucchese’s I got the first time I toured the factory in El Paso.
C&I: What’s your go-to song to sing with Morgane at home?
Stapleton: There’s a song we sing for our children at bedtime sometimes. It’s from a scene in The Jerk. It’s called “Tonight You Belong to Me.” That’s the one the kids ask for, so we will sing them to sleep with that.
C&I: What are you listening to?
Stapleton: When I have the opportunity for silence, that’s what I do. If I am by myself, I’ll listen to silence. I get a lot from silence. There’s a lot of opportunity to let in creative things and reflect when you can sit in silence. I rarely turn music on.
From our February/March 2024 issue.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of Andy Barron
