Though never officially released to radio as a single, the song became a global phenomenon following Stapleton's electrifying duet with at the 2015 CMA Awards.
: After the performance, sales for the album Traveller jumped 6,000%, propelling both the album and song to No. 1 on the Billboard country charts.
: Stapleton first sang his version on a whim during a soundcheck in Charlottesville, Virginia. Chris Stapleton - Tennessee Whiskey (Audio)
: As of 2026, the song has achieved Double Diamond status (20x Platinum), making it one of only a handful of songs in American music history to reach this milestone.
Chris Stapleton's rendition of is a genre-blurring anthem that transformed a 1980s country standard into a modern classic. Originally recorded by David Allan Coe (1981) and later popularized by George Jones (1983), Stapleton’s version fused classic country storytelling with a soulful, bluesy R&B groove. The Story Behind the Song Though never officially released to radio as a
: The arrangement famously borrowed its slow-burning melody from Etta James’ soul classic, "I'd Rather Go Blind".
The track was written by Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove at 4:00 AM after meeting at Nashville's Bluebird Cafe. While earlier versions followed a traditional country style, Stapleton's version was born almost by accident. : Stapleton first sang his version on a
: During the recording of his debut album Traveller , engineer Vance Powell pressed "record" while the band was just warming up with the song; that spontaneous take is what ended up on the album. The 2015 Breakout Moment