In the current music industry, there are only a handful of musicians performing at the high level Chris Stapleton is both musically and commercially. In recent years, musical quality and commercial success haven’t melded in the best of ways. However, Chris Stapleton continues to prove that they still can, and he did so most recently by performing a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” at a show in Philadelphia.
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Ever since Chris Stapleton’s solo career struck gold in 2015, the musician has been on a tear ever since. Recently, Stapleton won the Male Artist of the Year Award at the ACM Awards for the second year in a row. Though he seemingly took little to no time to celebrate the victory, as he hit the road after the win and opened for George Strait just days after in Philadelphia.
How Chris Stapleton Employs “Free Bird” Into His Setlist
Over the weekend, Chris Stapleton took the stage at Lincoln Financial Field and gave every fan the dream they’ve so often asked for. After all, isn’t “Free Bird” likely the most requested song in America? It’s fair to assume that answer as true, and that being so, Stapleton made that dream come true when he covered Lynyrd Skynyrd’s biggest all-time hit.
Well, Stapleton made that dream come true halfway, as he teased fans by not playing the entire song. This tactic is not a new phenomenon, given that Stapleton has covered the single a handful of times and typically uses it when pivoting into his 2015 track, “The Devil Named Music.” In addition to this performance, Stapleton has covered “Free Bird” in Los Angeles, Vancouver, Las Vegas, and most notably at Austin City Limits in Austin, Texas, just this last fall in 2024.
If it has a country twang to it, Chris Stapleton can play it. Hence, it comes as no surprise that Stapleton’s cover of “Free Bird” rivals Skynyrd’s original rendition. One day, Stapleton just might set aside some time in his setlist to perform the nine-minute song in full, but for now, the short snippets of verse and chorus are all we’ve got.
Photo by Adam Hagy/Getty Images for ABA
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