Chris Stapleton is one of country’s music’s greatest success stories. Stapleton had been a fixture of the Nashville community for years, but was really only known by his fellow artists. That’s because Stapleton was primarily a songwriter, and he gained popularity in Nashville by penning songs for popular stars such as Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan, and Thomas Rhett.
But in 2015, Stapleton made his solo debut as an artist with Traveller, and from that moment on, everything changed. He soared to superstar status following his history-making performance with Justin Timberlake at the CMA’s, which included his song “Tennessee Whiskey.”
Originally recorded by David Allan Coe and then George Jones, Stapleton brought “Tennessee Whiskey” back into the spotlight. Countless other stars and aspiring artists have covered the song since then, but one Georgia native recorded a cover that stood out from the crowd.
Originally from Monroe, Georgia, Jobe Fortner moved to Nashville to chase his dream of becoming a country artist. On his official Facebook page he cites his three greatest musical influences as pop artist John Mayer, country star Travis Tritt, and of course, Stapleton.
To honor his idol, Fortner recorded his own rendition of “Tennessee Whiskey,” and oh boy, is it a good one. Playing along on his acoustic guitar, Fortner showed off his spectacular range as he poured heart and soul into each note. His voice is similar in style to his idols Tritt and Stapleton, but is still unlike anything we’ve ever heard before.
Fortner managed to take “Tennessee Whiskey” and make it completely his own, which we applaud him for. Considering the success of the song, we know it isn’t an easy one to take on. But Fortner not only took it on, he knocked it out of the park! Check out his version in the video below.
What do y’all think? Could Fortner be the next Stapleton?
