CMAIt’s been another big year for Chris Stapleton. Since he last played CMA Fest in Nashville, he and wife Morgane welcomed twin sons, and Chris had his first number one single with “Broken Halos.”
“You know, I’d written some number ones for other people, but never had one as an artist,” Chris told ABC Radio backstage at CMA Fest this past weekend. “And it meant so much to get to have that particular song go number one, because I wrote it with my dear friend Mike Henderson, who I was in the SteelDrivers with.”
“And he’s 64 years old and that’s his first number one song too, as a writer,” Chris explains. “So that was a good feeling all the way around on that song, to get that kind of accolade for it.”
“Broken Halos” is just one of the songs you’re sure to hear on this year’s incarnation of Chris’s All-American Road Show. But his favorite musical partner will be missing this summer, as Morgane stays home to take care of their little ones.
“Morgane’s gonna kind of go on maternity leave for this tour,” Chris reveals.
“[My producer] Dave Cobb‘s gonna come out with us, he continues. “We’re gonna maybe have some special guests throughout the year, have some different kinds of musical experiences out there. But we’ll let those babies get a little bit bigger before we get ’em roadworthy, I think.”
This weekend at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium, Chris gave CMA Fest fans a preview of what they’ll see during a summer that will also find him opening stadium dates for the Eagles.
“Any time you’re playing for fans it’s a wonderful thing,” the “Millionaire” singer said of the fan-focused gathering. “They allow us to do what most of us would probably do for free anyway… They allow us to make a living at it, so to get to come here and do things and see people smiling, enjoying what you do, it’s a real treat.”
Chris was literally playing for free on Saturday night: All the artists donate their time so the Country Music Association can give the proceeds to music education.
You can see Chris’s performance Wednesday, August 8, as the three-hour CMA Fest special airs at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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