Talk about a throwback.
Bluegrass legend Tony Rice passed away on Christmas Day, 2020. As one of the most talented pickers in the history of bluegrass, his influence is widespread in the country music community.
This video (well, it’s only audio) was posted to YouTube by “The Professor” Jesse Wells, fiddle and guitar player for Tyler Childers. The performance features Wells alongside his former roommate, a guy named Chris Stapleton (ever heard of him?), along with JT Cure and BJ Swank, singing the Tony Rice and Ricky Skaggs hit “There’s More Pretty Girls Than One” way back in 1999.
According to Wells:
“I sure have enjoyed reminiscing Tony Rice’s memory and legacy with so many friends and the impact he continues to have.
An old buddy reminded me of a time long ago when my roommate Chris and I tried our best to sound like Skaggs and Rice. Tony was a virtuoso guitarist but he also had one of the most powerful and recognizable voices in all music.
Our favorite number to play was ‘More Pretty Girls Than One’. We encouraged each other to pick and sing. I would persuade him to flatpick the guitar at the beginning and he’d convince me to sing melody on the chorus, no matter how reluctant we both were.
Thanks for sharing these Steve Rigsby. And we can all be thankful Chris found the perfect singing and life partner in Morgane.”
After the kind of career Chris Stapleton has had, and still is having (fresh off the release of his 5th career album Higher), this footage needs to be in a museum somewhere.
Joining George Strait In 2024
King George and Chris Stapleton have officially extended their stadium tour to 2024, announcing nine new shows for next summer.
They went on a short but mighty run this past summer, along with openers Little Big Town, and will be stopping in nine new cities including Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Ames, Charlotte, East Rutherford, Salt Lake City, Detroit and Chicago next year.
In addition, Strait will also have a massive Strait to Vegas residency show with a December date at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium to mark the 37th installment of the NFR. He says it’s been a joy seeing all of the fans at the 2023 stadium shows, and he can’t wait to stop in new cities next year and give even more fans a chance to see the concert:
“I’ve always said we have the best fans in the world, and to see so many of them show up for these shows just makes us want to keep bringing them more.
I’ve also missed performing in Las Vegas during NFR, so I’m happy to see that show come together in 2024. See you soon!”
George Strait w/ Chris Stapleton & special guests Little Big Town 2024 Stadium Shows:
May 4, 2024 Indianapolis, Ind. || Lucas Oil Stadium
May 11, 2024 Jacksonville, Fla. || EverBank Stadium
May 25, 2024 Ames, Iowa || Jack Trice Stadium
June 1, 2024 Charlotte, N.C. || Bank of America Stadium
June 8, 2024 East Rutherford, N.J. || MetLife Stadium
June 29, 2024 Salt Lake City, Utah || Rice Eccles Stadium
July 13, 2024 Detroit, Mich. || Ford Field
July 20, 2024 Chicago, Ill. || Soldier Field
Dec. 7, 2024 Las Vegas, Nev. || Allegiant Stadium
I see a whole lotta this in my future… and I’m still waiting on that George/Chris collab to happen anytime now:
