Chris Stapleton sat down with GQ to explain his “10 Things I Can’t Live Without” list.
In his recent interview with GQ, Chris Stapleton went over several important items to the country star and why he cherishes them. Among the essential elements in his life are his signature cowboy hat, a classic Jazzmaster electric guitar, and his late father’s collection of knives. Keep reading for a full list of items Chris Stapleton can’t live without!
Known for his soulful voice, powerful lyrics, and a blend of traditional and modern country sounds, Chris Stapleton has become a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. Stapleton’s authenticity and genuine storytelling have endeared him to fans, making him a respected and influential figure in the realm of country music.
Chris Stapleton’s Essentials
#1. His Guitar Playing Chair
This chair was the chair that was in my breakfast area growing up. But there were four of ’em originally, and they were kind of a yellow vinyl when I was a kid. My mother kind of recovered this one in the late 80s, I think, and has traveled around with me, kind of went to college with me or various living situations with me, but it’s always been with me. It’s been my guitar chair that I sit around and play guitar in. Every time I go make a record, the chair comes with me. And right now, I get to sit in the chair for a different reason, but that’s the story of the chair.
#2. His Electric Guitar (Gift From His Wife)
This is a 1964 Jazzmaster. This was the first nice, old guitar I ever got and it was a gift from my wife. When I received it, it looked very mint. I kept it that way for a while and then I started feeling bad. It’s a tool to me and it’s meant to be used, and so I’ve used it over the years and it’s played on a lot of things that I’ve recorded. You can see over the years it turned very not mint just from use, but that’s okay. This is all honest wear. It’s been a good tool and it has served me well.
#3. His Songwriting Acoustic Guitar
This is a 1950-something [chuckles] Gibson LG-2. It has a replaced neck on it and replaced tuners. I bought this guitar very early in my songwriting career and most songs that I’ve written have been on this guitar. I paid about $380 for this guitar. It took about $900 to make it work correctly, but it’s earned its keep beyond that. And I don’t know all the stories that made it look like this, but it’s certainly been with me for a lot of good ones.
#4. His Classic Jeep
The jeep that we’re gonna take a look at is a 1979 Jeep Cherokee that my wife purchased for me after my dad passed away. She caught me looking at it online and said, “Hey, let’s get outta here.” We flew to Phoenix, Arizona, and drove it back to Nashville. So, it’s a thing that I can get inside and once again, have lots of great memories. It’s special to me in a way that I could never get rid of it and hopefully never wreck in it. In this jeep, I wrote the song “Traveller.” So the jeep has significance in that way.
#5. His Father’s Knife Collection
It’s a knife roll. This one belonged to my dad. And where I grew up in Eastern Kentucky, knives would be given as a sign of respect. I didn’t really collect knives or anything like that, but I had inherited some from my grandfather. I think about them a lot. I think when I open these things up and touch them, I can feel connected to ’em in a way that maybe I’m not otherwise.
#6. His Grandfather’s Flag
This is my grandfather’s flag. He was a soldier in World War II. He was buried and this was the flag that was on his coffin and they handed over to the family at the end. He was a testament to hard work and was very, very particular in the things that he did. So all those things, you know, inform some of what I do, I’m sure.
#7. His Signature Cowboy Hat
This is a hat. My hat that I’ve worn for a long, long time. I always kinda loved crazy hats and the guys that wore them. The company that makes these hats is a company called Charlie 1 Horse. It’s been with me on everything that I’ve done. And when people think of what I do, I think they think of this hat, probably as much as they think of me.
#8. His Great-Grandmother’s Blanket
My great-grandmother made this blanket. She gave it to my dad when he went away to college and it sat around in chairs in my house growing up. It got worn to the point where the edges of it were kind of worn off and my mother actually kind of repaired some of it. So, it has that kind of touch to it too. If I was running out of a burning building, it’s the thing that I would grab in my house, you know?
#9. His Custom Boots
This is a pair of boots made for me custom by the Lucchese company. These were my everyday boot and I wore these everywhere and did everything in these boots. I love things that have genuine wear on ’em as well. I look at these boots and I think about things that we’ve done. A lot of those things happened in these boots. They’re special to me in that way.
#10. His Filson Jacket
I always have a Filson jacket running around with me somewhere. It’s this kind of wax cotton material. It’s just kind of all purpose. If it’s raining, if it’s windy, or if you just need a jacket, it works out for that. I don’t know, it’s just a nice utilitarian item and I have a lot of respect for things that work and this is a thing that works. It was a Filson jacket that I wore singing the national anthem for the Super Bowl. So, it works in that setting as well.
