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“I’ve Done Enough”: Chris Stapleton Reveals The Reason He May Retire Sooner Than You Think
Chris Stapleton is flirting with the idea of retirement.
That’s at least what it sounded like on Dax Shepard’s podcast: Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard. The actor is a household name thanks to some of his roles in TV shows like Parenthood and movies such as Without a Paddle and CHIPS. That being said, in recent years, the biggest thing he’s known for is undoubtedly his podcast, Armchair Expert, which he started in 2018.
Shepard’s show mainly focuses in on celebrity interviews, and the generally, he gets pretty deep on topics like family, mental health, struggles and shortcomings, and other more vulnerable points of conversation. The 51-year-old has previously shared that he has a passion for speaking with others, learning more about them, and hearing stories that could potentially help others in similar circumstances. He’s been at it for over six years, and Dax rarely ever passes on the opportunity to talk with someone interesting.
He’s been on somewhat of a roll as of late with country music artists as guests. Just last year, country music superstar Luke Combs sat down with Dax to talk about everything that’s going on in his life. And Jason Aldean was also a guest on the show, which ruffled the feathers of some liberal-leaning listeners. I guess Aldean will forever be a tad controversial because of the whole “Try That In A Small Town” thing, eh?
But anyways, the latest country artist to sit down with Dax is Chris Stapleton, and it was really interesting to hear everything that the country star had to say in the nearly two-hour interview. The “White Horse” singer was incredibly open and transparent about what he’s got going on, and the conversation ended with Stapleton somewhat pondering retirement.
Why? Because the country star feels like he’s achieved so much already, and he’s actively looking for the answer to this question: What’s next? Stapleton has played pretty much every venue you could think of – big and small – and won countless awards. There’s a feeling for him of “what will drive me forward?”
Chris Stapleton is 47-years-old, and will turn 48 in April of this year. He’s by no means at retirement age, but he’s definitely looking out at the horizon and trying to find something to fuel him to get there:
“I don’t know when I’m gonna make another record or write a new song, I’m probably not really in the mood. And that’s ok with me…. I don’t know how much longer I’ll even go play. I want to make a thoughtful decision… (my family) gave a lot for me to be sitting here with you and I owe them some things I think, some time in particular. I’ve done more than I’ve ever set out to do.”
Chris adds that after accomplishing everything he’s ever wanted, and everything he’s ever dreamed of, he needs to find a new dream:
“It’s important to find that. For me, fuel is the search. I’m gonna have to search for something. I’m gonna have to hunt for something. I don’t know what that is or where it’s going to come from… I’m not hanging up my spurs. I’m just saying I’m looking for the fire. I need the fire. And I want the fire to lead. Sometimes that’s more elusiveness now than it used to be.”
The good news is what he said right there: he’s not hanging up his spurs. That being said… it’s impossible to read that and not assume that a life after music is on his mind. He jokingly said that his “retirement plan” was to shave his beard and disappear into the crowd. And from how he handled the subject, Stapleton could be pulling out that razor sooner than fans would expect him to.
He concluded the retirement conservation with this:
“I do think that I’ve done enough. It’s not about doing something else. It’s about, for me, wanting to do something else. I think I owe it to the people that might listen to what I do or come see me play live that they get 100% of whatever I’ve got left in me. I feel very resolute in that, and if I don’t think I can deliver on that, I have to evaluate.”
It’s obvious that Chris Stapleton will never make a record just to cash a check and “stay on schedule” so to speak, but it’s clear that he would be content to never make another album if the inspiration doesn’t strike. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we hope he finds that fire sooner rather than later.
You can hear Chris Stapleton speak more on his thoughts about retirement in the interview below:
The post “I’ve Done Enough”: Chris Stapleton Reveals The Reason He May Retire Sooner Than You Think first appeared on Whiskey Riff.
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