Chris Stapleton entered the Nashville scene in the late 1990s as a songwriter, not a performer, which meant he was used to taking on a background role in the industry. His solo debut album, Traveller, changed all of that in 2015. Suddenly, Stapleton was no longer just a songwriter or one half of the bluegrass duo, the SteelDrivers. The country soul singer was now in the spotlight, front and center.
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But even after establishing his newfound celebrity, people struggled to recognize Stapleton. Well, we should say they did recognize him…just not as “Chris Stapleton.”
People Often Mix Chris Stapleton Up With Another Country Star
During a May 2024 appearance on the Jennifer Hudson Show, Chris Stapleton revealed that he doesn’t encounter many problems with people recognizing him in public. The “Tennessee Whiskey” singer said, for the most part, fans keep their distance. Stapleton attributed this to his “not friendly” demeanor (much to Hudson’s surprise) and the fact that most people don’t actually realize Stapleton is who he is when they see him in public. “I get a lot of like, ‘Is that him’ looks,” he said.
Stapleton said that another common occurrence is that people mistake him for fellow country artist Jamey Johnson. “He and I used to joke with each other like, ‘Hey, did anybody think that you were me today?’ You know, anytime we see each other. It’s happened to me a bunch in, you know, Nashville, in particular. People that are fans of his are also fans of mine. I’ve had people have whole conversations [thinking I was the wrong person].”
The singer found himself in a similar situation at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, where his bluegrass duo, the SteelDrivers, were being nominated for the first time for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. “Some guy just starts losing his mind, like, ‘Man, I love your music so much,’” Stapleton said. “Nobody knew who [the SteelDrivers] were at the moment, and he just kept going on and on. I was like, ‘Man, you don’t even know who I am, do you?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, you’re in Lynyrd Skynyrd, aren’t you?’ And I’m like, ‘No, it’s not me. But thank you.’ And I went on.”
The Two Lookalikes Have Collaborated On Multiple Occasions
With his long hair, full beard, and Western style, we can’t say we blame the anonymous Grammy attendee who thought Chris Stapleton was a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd. In the right light, Stapleton could easily pass as another Van Zant brother. But it’s even less surprising that strangers would confuse Stapleton with Jamey Johnson, especially before most of the latter country star’s hair turned grey. Moreover, Johnson and Stapleton have collaborated on multiple occasions, strengthening the public connection between the two.
The two musicians have performed together several times, covering classic country and folk-rock cuts from Waylon Jennings, Bob Dylan, and Don Williams. When the Academy of Country Music nominated Stapleton as their ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Year, Johnson performed Stapleton’s “Whiskey & You” in his honor. So, we doubt these mix-ups between Stapleton and Jameson will stop anytime soon. But hey, they can probably use it to their advantage—if they don’t feel like being Chris or Jamey, they can just pretend to be the other one for a few minutes the next time a fan confuses the two.
Photo by Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images
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