Speaking for all of us here. It’s hard to understate just how much of a force to be reckoned with Chris Stapleton has become throughout his music career. With 12 Grammys, 19 CMA Awards, 11 ACM Awards and a plethora of other hardware from the likes of Billboard, the Americana Music Association, ASCAP and more, the Kentucky native is arguably the biggest and most critically-acclaimed country artist this century. Among all the awards, back in January, Stapleton made history as the only artist to capture a double-diamond song from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as his cover of David Allan Coe’s “Tennessee Whiskey” officially sold over 20 million units in the U.S. Of course, there’s so much to talk about when discussing Stapleton’s career as a whole. From his iconic breakout during the 2015 CMA Awards that signaled the death of bro-country, to his laundry list of hits, to his long history as a songwriter in Nashville before his fame as a solo artist, the Chris Stapleton lore runs incredibly deep. Another artist who has run a similar, albeit much less high-profile path, would be none other than Jamey Johnson. Though Johnson has always flown under the radar and never really gotten the recognition he deserves, he’s cemented himself, like Stapleton, as one of those artists who serve to bridge the gap between the mainstream and alternative country scene. For Johnson, you see him making appearances with the likes of Riley Green, Ella Langley and Randy Houser while also teaming up with Kaitlin Butts, Marcus King, Lily Meola and more. The same goes for Stapleton , who has collaborated with seemingly everyone from Tyler Childers and Sturgill Simpson to Morgan Wallen, Miranda Lambert and Taylor Swift. It’s hard to ignore the similarities between the two, both as artists, writers and torchbearers of country music, and the “In Color” singer has nothing but respect and admiration for Stapleton. In a recent interview with the Like A Farmer podcast, Johnson was asked by host, Pat Spinosa how he felt hearing Stapleton sing for the first time. Speaking for just about everyone, the 50-year-old singer/songwriter would simply reply: “Blown away. Absolutely blown away.” Immediately after, Johnson would imply that Stapleton still doesn’t quite get the recognition he deserves for his impact on the genre over the past decade, adding that if the “White Horse” singer had 1,000 Grammys, it still wouldn’t be enough to express his influence. Additionally, the “High Cost of Living” singer would note just how intelligent he is on the business side of things and how loving of a father and husband he is. “If Chris Stapleton had a thousand Grammys, it wouldn’t be enough to express how really good he is as a singer and a songwriter and just a man. I mean, he’s a true intellectual and a hell of a businessman — but a hell of a family man. There ain’t much not to love about him.” It’s truly hard to disagree with anything Jamey said here. Though it’s slowly becoming a trend to say Stapleton is “overrated” or undeserving of all the love he’s shown at award shows such as the CMAs, ACMs and Grammys, his importance in the genre truly cannot be understated. As stated earlier, his massive night at the 2015 CMA Awards helped end one of the worst eras ever seen in the genre and helped usher in some of the greatest acts we’ve seen over the past decade. If you love the likes of Simpson, Childers, Zach Bryan, The Red Clay Strays or any other artist/group that doesn’t fit the stereotypical Nashville mold, there’s a good chance they wouldn’t be nearly as big if Stapleton didn’t force the genre to expand outside their comfort zone at the time. Watch the full podcast here: Chris Stapleton Tour Dates May 23 – Nashville, Tennessee – Nissan Stadium with Lainey Wilson & Allen Stone June 11 – Jacksonville, Florida – Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena with Allen Stone June 13 – Tampa, Florida – Raymond James Stadium with Lainey Wilson & Allen Stone June 17 – Burgettstown, Pennsylvania – The Pavilion at Star Lake with Allen Stone June 20 – Charlotte, North Carolina – Bank of America Stadium with Lainey Wilson & Allen Stone June 24 – Hershey, Pennsylvania – Hersheypark Stadium with Grace Potter June 26 – North Charleston, South Carolina – North Charleston Coliseum with Grace Potter July 8 – Mountain View, California – Shoreline Amphitheater with Molly Tuttle July 10 – Chula Vista, California – North Island Credit Union Amphitheater with Molly Tuttle July 17 – Portland, Oregon – Providence Park with Grace Potter July 22 – Vancouver, British Columbia – Rogers Arena with The Teskey Brothers July 24 – George, Washington – The Gorge with Grace Potter July 29 – Shakopee, Minnesota – Mystic Lake Amphitheater  with Allen Stone August 1 – Cincinnati, Ohio – Paycor Stadium with Lainey Wilson & Allen Stone August 6 – Toronto, Ontario – Rogers Stadium with Zach Top & Allen Stone August 8 – Detroit, Michigan – Ford Field with Lainey Wilson & Allen Stone August 14 – Boston, Massachusetts – Fenway Park with Zach Top & Allen Stone August 18 – Virginia Beach, Virginia – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater with Maggie Rose August 21 – Atlanta, Georgia – Mercedes-Benz Stadium with Lainey Wilson & Ashley McBryde August 26 – Wantagh, New York – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater with Carter Faith August 28 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion with Carter Faith October 2 – Bristow, Virginia – Jiffy Lube Live with Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs October 7 – Lincoln, Nebraska – Pinnacle Bank Arena with Nikki Lane October 9 – Kansas City, Missouri – Morton Amphitheater with Nikki LaneThe post Jamey Johnson Says He Was “Blown Away” Hearing Chris Stapleton Sing For The First Time — “Ain’t Much Not To Love About Him” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.