Chris Stapleton shook up country music in March 2015 when he released his debut solo album, Traveller. A few months later at the CMA Awards he joined Justin Timberlake on stage for a medley that has since earned the distinction as one of the greatest performances in the show’s history. It was also the performance that catapulted Stapleton into instant fame.
Suddenly, this relatively unknown artist who just released his first album was scooping up all the awards at every ceremony, had a chart-topping album, and was being named as the headliner at major venues. For country fans, it seemed that Stapleton came out of nowhere to become one of the biggest names in music.
But those in the country music community always knew differently. For years, Stapleton had been one of the most in-demand songwriters in the business. He penned hits for Kenny Chesney, Darius Rucker, and George Strait, in addition to one big hit for Luke Bryan…”Drink a Beer.”
In fact, Stapleton shared the stage with Bryan when he debuted “Drink a Beer” on the 2013 CMA Awards, just two years before Stapleton would have his breakout moment on the show. However, when Bryan performed “Drink a Beer,” Stapleton was simply that guy with the long beard sitting on the stool and singing backup. Almost no one knew who he was, but Bryan made it clear that people would soon.
After four of Bryan’s singles hit number one, including “Drink a Beer,” he had a party on June 5, 2014 to celebrate with all of the songwriters. Stapleton was there as well, and Bryan made sure to acknowledge his genius during a press conference at the party.
Bryan not only recognized Stapleton as a songwriter, but made sure to note how talented he is as a vocalist as well. “And this guy is the best singer on planet Earth,” Bryan said, pointing to Stapleton.
The way that Stapleton reacted to Bryan’s big compliment speaks volumes about him. He didn’t look up at the camera and smile, but simply nodded his head in a gesture of gratitude. This just goes to show how humble Stapleton is, which is a huge part of the reason why he’s so deserving of all the success he’s experienced.
Bryan’s compliment was spot on, because the following year the rest of the world realized exactly what he was talking about. Now, there are plenty of people who would agree that Stapleton has one incredible voice.
You can watch the video below of the moment that Bryan basically predicted Stapleton’s future, and his humble reaction.