Chris Stapleton: Everything We Know About His Injury, Recovery and Tour Dates
UPDATE: Chris Stapleton will perform his first concert since being sidelined by an injury to his right index finger. The Grammy-winning country artist is set to resume his All-American Road Show Tour in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 22nd. He teased the return to the stage via a photo of his finger in a splint, writing, “On my way to Tulsa where this will come OFF & it will be ON!”
In a most unfortunate bit of timing, Chris Stapleton’s injured hand has halted one of the most anticipated tours of the summer. On Wednesday, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter announced the postponement of eight concerts on his All-American Road Show Tour, and the cancellation of his CMA Music Festival appearance on June 11th in Nashville. Since then, Stapleton has shared some info about the injury that sidelined him and the rescheduled concert dates.
Stapleton’s injury is to his right hand.
His right index finger, to be specific. Stapleton, who hasn’t revealed how the injury occurred, has a broken bone and a detached tendon. He’s currently sporting a brace that covers his finger and part of his palm. “After seeing a specialist, I have some information to share. I’m on the road to recovery from a broken bone & a detached tendon in my right index finger,” he wrote in an online post. “The doctor is hopeful that with some physical therapy I will be playing guitar again soon.”
While Stapleton technically could stand onstage and just sing, his guitar playing is a vital element of his live sound.
After James Hetfield’s near incineration on Metallica’s 1992 tour, he limited himself to singing, while an added player handled his guitar parts. But Stapleton is his lean band’s only guitarist, and his idiosyncratic style, which relies heavily on choppy, rhythmic chords, would be hard to duplicate. His solos, meanwhile – like the one-note display he tears up in “Second One to Know” – are simple and spontaneous in their feel. To Stapleton, improvisation is key.
Two of the opening acts affected by the postponed shows – Brothers Osborne and Lucie Silvas – get some rare time off the road.
“We got the weekend off, which allowed us to head to Florida for our nephew’s graduation,” says John Osborne, who is married to the buzzed-about British singer-songwriter Silvas. Upon hearing the news of Stapleton’s injury, the BROS tweeted “Get better soon, brother. We’ll lend you an index finger if you need it.” Anderson East and Brent Cobb were also set to play the affected shows.
Brothers Osborne will help fill Stapleton’s void on the main stage of CMA Music Festival on June 11th.
Stapleton was one of the most anticipated performers of CMA Music Festival in Nashville, scheduled to play Nissan Stadium’s massive stage on June 11th. That’s since been canceled: Brothers Osborne, who’ve been opening Stapleton’s All-American Road Show, take his 9:30 to 10:00 p.m. slot.
The All-American Road Show is set to resume June 22nd.
As of right now, Stapleton returns to the road with a concert at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Anderson East and Brent Cobb are set to open.
Stapleton has announced the rescheduled dates for the postponed shows:
August 31 – Fresno, California @ Save Mart Center
September 1 – Mt. View, California @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
September 2 – Wheatland, California @ Toyota Amphitheatre
September 8 – Cincinnati, Ohio @ Riverbend Music Center
September 9 – Noblesville, Indiana @ Klipsch Music Center
September 15 – Southaven, Mississippi @ Bankplus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove
September 16 – Birmingham, Alabama @ Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
November 2 – Charleston, West Virginia @ Charleston Civic Center
Chris Stapleton has postponed three weeks of concerts on his All-American Road Show Tour, and canceled his appearance at CMA Music Festival. Watch here.