Has Chris Stapleton Cracked the Country Code?
The big news before Wednesday night’s Country Music Association Awards show, in Nashville, was that Justin Timberlake, a son of Memphis, would be dipping a toe into country music, in a live duet with the Kentucky-born singer and songwriter Chris Stapleton. Timberlake’s appearance may well be another signal of a mounting flirtation with the genre, but it turns out that the bigger news, and star, of the night was Stapleton, with his over-the-shoulder hair, outlaw beard, and hundred-proof rough-honey voice. He was the surprise winner of three awards, including best album and male vocalist of the year—all without having a hit on the radio, which remains country’s ultimate industry proving ground.