Chris Stapleton never wanted to be famous. He just wanted to make music that mattered.
When the Kentucky-born powerhouse sat down with Dax Shepard for a deep dive on the Armchair Expert podcast, he opened up in a way that only someone like Shepard can get people to do. Chris Stapleton, known for his grit, soul, and smoky voice, laid it out plain and simple. The career is a blessing, but the attention is not something he ever aimed for.
“I did have anxiety around the amount of attention,” Stapleton confessed. “My goal in making that record was to get to make another record.”
That record, of course, was Traveller, the 2015 album that changed everything. Before that, Stapleton had spent years writing hits for other artists and flying under the radar. He was no overnight success. He had paid his dues and was content being the guy behind the curtain. But then Traveller happened, and the curtain got pulled back hard.
Now, nearly a decade later, Stapleton is one of the most recognizable names in country music. The problem is that he never dreamed of being a household name. He dreamed of writing songs that moved people, playing guitar, and singing his stories. The fame that followed was never part of what he pictured.
“What I didn’t get to practice for was people driving up to your house or a tour bus coming by,” he told Shepard. “And that was very hard for me. I don’t enjoy that. I don’t really enjoy it for my children.”
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For a man as grounded as Stapleton, the thought of strangers rolling past your front lawn while you are playing ball with your kids hits a little too close. And yes, he is grateful. You can hear it in every word. The gratitude runs deep, especially for the fans. But the loss of privacy and the pressure of it all has never sat easy with him.
He even joked that he had an escape plan. “Shaving my beard, that’s my retirement plan,” he said. That beard, along with his long hair, is as iconic as his voice. Strip it away, and he could blend into a crowd without a second glance.
Shepard joked that he should have gone the KISS route and worn makeup to hide in plain sight. Stapleton laughed and said, “Those guys had it figured out. Those guys were marketing geniuses.”
But the discomfort is real, and it shows up in his music. “Nashville, Tennessee,” the last track on his Starting Over album, was written during a time when the spotlight was shining a little too bright. It was about the bus tours, the strangers in the driveway, and the longing to get back to something quieter.
Stapleton is not bitter, and he does not complain. He just tells the truth. In a world that is obsessed with fame, that honesty is part of why fans love him. He is in this for the music, not the headlines. If the day comes when he steps out of the spotlight and into a quieter life, do not be surprised.
That was never an exit. That was always the plan.
