The moment you hear Chris Stapleton’s “Amanda,” it will definitely have you craving for more.
During the 2012 ASCAP Awards, the country music star paid the ultimate tribute to all the songwriters and composers of any music genre – together with his lovely and equally talented wife, Morgane.
Just like most of Chris Stapleton songs, the singer-songwriter showed off his incredible vocals, captivating fans with his resounding talent and excellent vocal skills. Morgane, on the other hand, showed she’d got the same power as she lent her unique vocals to back her husband’s chorus. The performance was indeed a heavy dose of a remarkable gift. It then earned cheers and standing ovations from their fellow artists.
The song was written by Bob McDill, who also received the ASCAP Golden Note Award that night.
Story Behind The Song
McDill described “Amanda” as an “apology to my wife.” It was originally recorded and released by Don Williams in 1973, whose version reached No. 33 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
Waylon Jennings heard it on the radio and immediately gave McDill a call. “That’s the story of my life, Hoss. Why didn’t you give me that song?” the singer said, adding that he would surely someday be recording the country ballad. And he did just that – within just a few months after.
Jennings made sure to include “Amanda” in his 1974 album The Ramblin’ Man. However, it wasn’t released as a single.
Five years later, Jennings was finally able to release it off his first compilation album called Greatest Hits. Jennings’ version reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and even fared modestly on the pop charts, peaking at No. 54 on Billboard Hot 100.
In 2017, Stapleton also chose to record the revealing ballad on the tribute album to Don Williams called Gentle Giants: The Songs of Don Williams – which featured a range of country artists performing Williams’ greatest hits, including Alison Krauss and Trisha Yearwood.
You can listen to “Amanda” by Chris Stapleton in the video below. The mind-blowing performance absolutely brought the heartbreaking ballad to life.
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