What’s the best song Chris Stapleton has ever written? It’s a pretty exhausting list, isn’t it?
Whether you like fun country songs like the Kenny Chesney hit “Never Wanted Nothing More,” emotional songs like “Maggie’s Song,” or “Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore,” heartbreakers like the Josh Turner hit “Another Try,” or powerful, thoughtful ones like “Fire Away,” Chris has no shortage of great material.
But if you ask me, a song called “Where Rainbows Never Die” tops the list.
If you’re not familiar, Stapleton got his start in bluegrass band called The SteelDrivers back in 2007, way before Stapleton’s breakout performance of “Tennessee Whiskey.” He also fronted a southern rock band called the Jompson Brothers, which you need to check out as well if you haven’t already.
But getting back to the song at hand…
Mike Henderson, a founding member of The SteelDrivers and longtime friend and collaborator of Chris Stapleton passed away recently, so it was only right that Chris honored his old friend with a touching performance.
Written by Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson, “Where Rainbows Never Die” was released on The SteelDrivers 2010 album Reckless, and has since become a fan favorite.
An emotional, yet comforting song about the afterlife, it tells the story of an old man coming to the end of his life, and embracing it, with this peaceful vision of Heaven.
As Chris says in the intro, they actually wrote it when Mike lost his father:
“I wrote this song with Mike after his dad passed away and I kind of feel, as far as music goes, Mike was my music dad. I wrote more songs with that man than I ever wrote with anybody.
I’m gonna miss him a great deal… this song is called ‘Where Rainbows Never Die.'”
A fitting tribute to a great friend.
Here’s a version from The SteelDrivers themselves, back in 2008:
