Never skip a Stapleton cover.
It’s hard to understate just how much of a force to be reckoned with Chris Stapleton has become throughout his music career. With 12 Grammys, 19 CMA Awards, 11 ACM Awards and a plethora of other hardware from the likes of Billboard, the Americana Music Association, ASCAP and more, the Kentucky native is arguably the biggest and most critically-acclaimed country artist this century.
Of course, there’s so much to talk about when discussing Stapleton’s career as a whole. From his iconic breakout during the 2015 CMA Awards that signaled the death of bro-country, to his laundry list of hits, to his long history as a songwriter in Nashville before his fame as a solo artist, the Chris Stapleton lore runs incredibly deep.
One thing that often gets overlooked, especially considering how deep his discography is, is the fact that the “Broken Halos” singer has delivered some of the greatest covers of all time. From bringing Garth Brooks to tears with his “Shameless” performance and delivering a stellar cover of Lonestar’s “Amazed” all the way back in 1999 to his long history of covering Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tom Petty and more, Stapleton has never failed to deliver over the years.
In particular, Stapleton has really shone when covering the living legend himself, Willie Nelson. In addition to releasing Willie’s 1982 Top 5 hit, “Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning,” on From A Room: Volume 1 in 2016, the 12x Grammy winner has also delivered phenomenal live performances of “Always on My Mind,” “Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground,” “Seven Spanish Angels” and more over the last decade.
The “White Horse” singer kept his tradition of phenomenal Willie covers going once again last night during an appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, performing “Living in the Promiseland” with none other than the “On the Road Again” singer’s long-time harmonica player, Mickey Raphael.
Released on Nelson’s 34th studio album, The Promiseland, “Living in the Promiseland” served as its lead single and became his 12th #1 hit. Over the years, the track has become a pro-immigrant anthem due to its incredibly blatant themes of acceptance and multiculturalism, which are best highlighted in the song’s opening verse. Written by David Lynn Jones, the opening line actually borrows from the inscription on the Statue of Liberty.
Of course, the timing of this performance is hard to ignore due to the ongoing debates and protests over immigration and border patrol. It would appear that Chris is making a statement with the song choice. With that being said, however, regardless of your political stance, it’s hard not to appreciate Stapleton’s performance here on The Late Show. As always, his vocals are off the charts, and they’re only made better by the stripped-back production featuring just his guitar and Raphael’s world-class harmonica.
Watch here:
Chris Stapleton Tour Dates
May 23 – Nashville, Tennessee – Nissan Stadium with Lainey Wilson & Allen Stone
June 11 – Jacksonville, Florida – Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena with Allen Stone
June 13 – Tampa, Florida – Raymond James Stadium with Lainey Wilson & Allen Stone
June 17 – Burgettstown, Pennsylvania – The Pavilion at Star Lake with Allen Stone
June 20 – Charlotte, North Carolina – Bank of America Stadium with Lainey Wilson & Allen Stone
June 24 – Hershey, Pennsylvania – Hersheypark Stadium with Grace Potter
June 26 – North Charleston, South Carolina – North Charleston Coliseum with Grace Potter
July 8 – Mountain View, California – Shoreline Amphitheater with Molly Tuttle
July 10 – Chula Vista, California – North Island Credit Union Amphitheater with Molly Tuttle
July 17 – Portland, Oregon – Providence Park with Grace Potter
July 22 – Vancouver, British Columbia – Rogers Arena with The Teskey Brothers
July 24 – George, Washington – The Gorge with Grace Potter
July 29 – Shakopee, Minnesota – Mystic Lake Amphitheater with Allen Stone
August 1 – Cincinnati, Ohio – Paycor Stadium with Lainey Wilson & Allen Stone
August 6 – Toronto, Ontario – Rogers Stadium with Zach Top & Allen Stone
August 8 – Detroit, Michigan – Ford Field with Lainey Wilson & Allen Stone
August 14 – Boston, Massachusetts – Fenway Park with Zach Top & Allen Stone
August 18 – Virginia Beach, Virginia – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater with Maggie Rose
August 21 – Atlanta, Georgia – Mercedes-Benz Stadium with Lainey Wilson & Ashley McBryde
August 26 – Wantagh, New York – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater with Carter Faith
August 28 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion with Carter Faith
October 2 – Bristow, Virginia – Jiffy Lube Live with Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs
October 7 – Lincoln, Nebraska – Pinnacle Bank Arena with Nikki Lane
October 9 – Kansas City, Missouri – Morton Amphitheater with Nikki Lane
