A few years ago I got to talk about my hero, Waylon Jennings, with this guy. I had followed a guy named Chris from Kentucky for several years. From playing bars with the Jompson Brothers to writing songs in Nashville, Chris was my generation's nod to the former Waylon outlaws of country music. The system didn't matter, only the music mattered. He was already successful in his own world, but the world had yet to hear him. We took this photo at his first solo album release show. It was free and no more than a hundred people showed up to hear Chris that day. That album, Traveller, went under the radar for months...but a moment on a stage changed everything and Traveller went on to win critical acclaim including multiple Grammys. This photo will always remind me that a boy from Kentucky who holds true to his roots can make it in this world. Thanks, Chris Stapleton. You are a legend.
By the way, Chris put out a new album today: From A Room: Volume II. Go check it out and support a Kentucky boy.
