Chris Stapleton And Zach Top Perform A Rowdy Duet Of An Outlaw Country Classic

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Chris Stapleton was joined onstage by Zach Top for a special, rowdy duet of "I Ain't Living Long Like This." (Photo credit: John Shearer / ACMA2019 / Getty Images for ACM, and Terry Wyatt / WireImage via Getty Images)

“I look for trouble and I found it, son / Straight down the barrel of a law man’s gun.”
– “I Ain’t Living Long Like This”

On Thursday, Aug. 6, Chris Stapleton surprised concertgoers in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, by bringing out Zach Top for a very special duet.

Performing a song that is suited to their strengths as artists who lean outlaw while appreciating traditional country, Stapleton and Top sang a lively rendition of “I Ain’t Living Long Like This.”

The song, which was a No. 1 hit for Waylon Jennings in 1979, continues to be an ode to life on the wild side, thanks in part to the likes of Stapleton and Top who have kept that spirit alive.

RELATED: Zach Top Gives Fans An Unplugged Preview Of His Catchy Next Single, “Good Girls & Cowgirls”

Watch Zach Top Join Chris Stapleton For A Lively Duet Of “I Ain’t Living Long Like This”

“Please welcome to stage Mr. Zach Top,” said Chris Stapleton partway through his set in Toronto.

Zach Top was the opener at this show on the Canadian leg of Stapleton’s ongoing All-American Road Show

Considering that Stapleton has an “Outlaw State of Mind,” and Top can admittedly say a statement like “Ain’t In It For My Health,” a song with the energy and message of “I Ain’t Living Long Like This” was more than fitting.

While the song was popularized in 1979 by Waylon Jennings, “I Ain’t Living Long Like This” was previously recorded by Gary Stewart in 1977 and Emmylou Harris in 1978.

Stapleton has famously performed this song live on several occasions, and has even performed it as a duet with other artists, including Marty Stuart, Marcus King, and more.

Watch Chris Stapleton perform it live with Zach Top, here:

@brianna.nie @Chris Stapleton @Zach Top obsessed w these two together #chrisstapleton #chrisstapletonmusic #chrisstapletonconcert #chrisstapletontour #rogersstadium ♬ original sound – bri 🙂

See another angle of the performance, here:

@much @Chris Stapleton brings out @Zach Top in Toronto! 💗 #chrisstapleton #concert #zachtop ♬ original sound – MuchMusic

Watch Waylon Jennings, who recorded the song in 1979, perform the song live at the inaugural Farm Aid in 1985, here:

Youtube video

Watch Emmylou Harris perform the song in 1978 on the Dutch music show TopPop, here:

Youtube video

RELATED: Chris Stapleton Joins Guns N’ Roses For Electric “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” Performance

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About the Author

Grant Bromley

Howdy, I’m Grant, a multimedia storyteller and lover of the arts. Whether it’s Copland’s ballet Rodeo or Peckinpah’s iconic Western Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, I have an appreciation for works that engage with the American mythos. Covering news, I help tell the stories that define our shared tomorrow.

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