Chris Stapleton is riding high this month after receiving three nominations at this year's coming CMAs for Male Vocalist of the Year, New Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for his debut album Traveler. Now he's followed that up with a performance of "Nobody To Blame" on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
The new host is proving he's a country fan of all types and sizes. Last week he had Toby Keith on the show for the debut performance of "Rum Is The Reason," and this week Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp performed Nelson's 1965 track "Night Life."
Colbert joked about Stapleton's song titles at the beginning of the show when introducing him saying he's "The songwriter behind hits like 'Tennessee Whiskey,' 'Drink a Beer' and 'Whiskey and You' so you'll want to put down whatever your currently drinking and pick up whatever drink tonight's song is about."
While it's not as obvious from the title, "Nobody To Blame" is actually about drinking, just the darker side of it. It's about an alcoholic who ruined his life and his marriage in the process through excessive drinking.
"She built her a bonfire with my old six string/ Took all my good whiskey and poured it down the drain/ And I got nobody to blame but me," Stapleton sings on the song with a raspy twang.
Stapleton definitely represents a new swath of the country music scene, channeling a gritty, hardened traveler ethos that translates to his music.
Rolling Stone Country reports he performed with Willie Nelson's harmonica player Mickey Raphael, who replaced the usual pedal steel guitar on the song played by Robby Turner of Waylon Jennings fame. His wife Morgane Stapleton also joined the stage for some beautiful harmonies.
The parade of country artists on The Late Show continues next week with Don Henley on Monday. Watch Stapleton perform below.
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