Chris Stapleton is getting his own SiriusXM channel. Starting Thursday, May 23, at noon/E.T., Chris Stapleton Radio will debut on the satellite-radio giant on channel 63 and play a mix of songs all curated by Stapleton and his band members, including his wife and singing partner Morgane Stapleton.
“Chris Stapleton Radio gives people another way to connect with our music — where me and the rest of the guys in the band and Morgane are coming from. What our influences are,” the country singer said in a statement.
That Stapleton is giving his band members (the core members of the Honchos are bassist J.T. Cure, drummer Derek Mixon, guitarist Mike Eli LoPinto, pedal steel player Paul Franklin, and keyboardist Lee Pardini) a voice in the programming of the channel is typical of the Kentucky songwriter, who tends to shy away from the solo spotlight. “Knowing that when people come to watch a show, what they’re hearing is informed by the things that are on this channel. That’s probably the ultimate reason that I want to do this,” he said.
Among the artists listeners can expect to hear are classic country icons like George Jones and Merle Haggard, contemporary stars like Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson, and rock, folk, and soul legends like Tom Petty, John Prine, and Mavis Staples (Stapleton paired up with Staples in 2020 for Rolling Stone’s Musicians on Musicians feature).
Unlike some artist-branded SiriusXM channels, like the recent Taylor Swift station that signed off earlier this month, Chris Stapleton Radio is slated to be a year-round channel.
Stapleton delivered a rare surprise moment in the spoiler age of social media last week at the ACM Awards when he and guest Dua Lipa performed Stapleton’s single “Think I’m in Love With You.” The pair released the live recording of their duet this week.
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