Deep in the blues era of Chris Stapleton. Stumbling upon videos like this sometimes makes it hard to believe that talent like this was being showcased around Music City. Yet, Chris Stapleton would not have his breakout until two years later with his debut record, Traveller. Before he became one of country music’s most soulful voices, he was already a songwriting powerhouse behind the scenes in Nashville, and working with the bluegrass group, The SteelDrivers. After moving there from his hometown of Paintsville, Kentucky, in 2001, Stapleton signed a publishing deal with Sea Gayle Music, and it didn’t take long for him to start making his mark. In those early years, he wrote hundreds of songs for other artists, quietly becoming one of the most in-demand writers in town. Stapleton is responsible for crafting hits for big names like Kenny Chesney (“Never Wanted Nothing More”), George Strait (“Love’s Gonna Make It Alright”), and Darius Rucker (“Come Back Song”) — all before most people even knew his name. Stapleton was known for his raw, soulful writing style, often blending country storytelling with influences from blues and Southern rock. Even then, his peers recognized his rare combination of grit and heart, and they knew he was one of the best vocalists in the game. Dierks Bentley famously called him the “best singer in the world” way back in 2010. Of course, a decade after breaking out as a solo artist, we know Stapleton is still for his grit, heart, and vocals that chill you to the bone. There’s a reason he’s won Male Vocalist of the Year eight times, folks. While I love listening to songs from all parts of Stapleton’s catalog and music from his time with The Steeldrivers (or even the Jompson Brothers… if you know, you know), there is also something so powerful about going back and finding videos from before Stapleton’s welcome into the industry as a mainstream country act. As of late, I’ve found myself in a deep dive listening to Stapleton cover classic blues songs in the 2010s, and it’s a goldmine. I have honestly had his version of “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” which was performed in 2019, on repeat, but I think that fixation might be replaced by this stellar cover of B.B. King’s “The Thrill Is Gone” from 2013. “The Thrill Is Gone” was initially written and recorded by West Coast blues musician Roy Hawkins and Rick Darnell in 1951. However, B.B. King’s rendition of the song made the tune a mainstay in blues music, and Stapleton acknowledged the song as a B.B. King classic before firing it up. Performed at the historic Station Inn in Nashville, Stapleton evokes so much emotion as he delivers lyrics reflecting on a once-passionate, fiery love that has left the narrator in heartbreak. “The thrill is gone It’s gone away from me The thrill is gone, baby The thrill is gone away from me Although, I’ll still live on But so lonely I’ll be.” The soul that Stapleton possesses is truly incredible, and performances like this show that he genuinely is a multigenerational talent. Chris, if you’d like to pull a Hank Williams Jr. and put your country twangs on a blues cover record one of these days, please include “The Thrill Is Gone” and “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World.” Please and thank you. Check it out. The post Watch Chris Stapleton Put A Country Twist On Cover Of B.B. King’s “The Thrill Is Gone” Way Back In 2013 first appeared on Whiskey Riff.