He doesn’t miss.
Last year, plenty of country stars took the stage for Willie Nelson’s 90th birthday celebration, including the great Chris Stapleton.
And he sang two of my all-time favorite songs, “Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning” and “Always On My Mind,” which were both spectacular (obviously), and he delivers the entire song with such sincerity and heart that make each one some of the best versions I’ve ever heard.
I actually didn’t realize until today that Chris had also performed “Last Thing I Needed,” because it was never included in the final cut they did for DCD and in movie theaters, and it the whole celebration happened over two nights so maybe he only did it for one evening… I’m not really sure.
Either way, I was so excited to stumble on it because while Chris has actually covered it in the studio, as it was included on his 2016 second studio album, From A Room: Volume 1, there’s just something about hearing it live and raw that hits even harder.
His version has since been certified Gold by the RIAA, which means it has moved over 500,000 units since he released it in 2016. Quite an impressive feat, to say the least, especially considering that there were only two singles from From A Room: Volume 1 pushed out to country radio, which included “Either Way” and “Broken Halos.”
It’s rare to find a cover, especially of such a classic, that does the original justice, but Chris is such a generational talent with a voice that is second to none… I can’t get enough. Talk about a stone cold country classic… do yourself a favor and check it out:
Here’s the film cut of “Always On My Mind”:
The studio cut of “Last Thing I Needed”:
