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Stapleton’s live performances were instrumental in building his fan base after the release of his first album.

Even more telling was that many in the audience left after Stapleton—the “opener”—finished his set, missingWilliams entirely. Stapleton was just getting started. With every tour date, more and more fans showed up for his set only. Boosted by his live performances, Traveller went on to sweep the country category at the Grammy Awards as well, winning for Best Country Album and Best Solo Performance. Stapleton was on fire. By the end of 2016, his debut album Traveller would become the fourth best-selling album of 2016 and went platinum in February, just after his Grammy win. Stapleton had found success as a solo artist—but it was more than 15 years in the making. A LONG ROAD TO TRAVEL Traveller may have been Stapleton’s first solo album, but it was far from his songwriting debut. In fact, Stapleton had spent more than a decade on Nashville’s Music Row, writing and selling songs for other established artists.

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chris stapleton