George Strait’s bond with Chris Stapleton goes far beyond touring, revealing a deeper connection rooted in respect, mentorship, and shared country soul.LC
George Strait and Chris Stapleton have been longtime touring partners with some of the most successful tours in the music business over 2023, 2024 and now 2025.
But the relationship between the two country stars dates back years prior to them first hooking up for a tour.
Before he became a superstar in his own right, Stapleton was one of Nashville’s hottest songwriters, co-writing six No. 1 country hits for artists including Kenny Chesney, Josh Turner and Strait.
Stapleton, who was a relative newcomer, first joined forces with Strait on the 2011 song “Love’s Gonna Make It Alright.” Stapleton cowrote the song with Al Anderson, known for the band NRBQ, that ended up on Strait’s album, Here for a Good Time.
Lucky for Stapleton, Strait has been open to recording material written by outside songwriters.
“I’ve always thought that whether I’m writing or not, I’ve gotta pick the best songs, whether or not they’re mine,” Strait once said. “I’m not gonna sing them just because I wrote them. I’ve gotta find the best songs to make the best record I can.”
After finding huge success touring together in 2023, Strait and Stapleton recorded “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame” together, a song that lives up to its name. Stapleton wrote the song with Jameson Clark and Timothy James.
The duo performed the song for the first time together on May 4, 2024, at Lucus Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. It was released in September of that year on Cowboys and Dreamers, Strait’s 59th album.
Strait and Stapleton continue their current tour on May 31 with a show at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. After stops in Buffalo, N.Y. on June 14, and Foxborough, Mass. on June 21, the tour is set to wrap at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. on July 19.
About the author
Craig Rosen is a trending news writer at Parade, covering the latest music and celebrity news, entertainment updates, and lifestyle trends. He’s the author of The Billboard Book of Number One Albums and R.E.M. Inside Out: The Stories Behind Every Song, and his writing has been published in AARP the Magazine, TIDAL, Yahoo! Music, Men’s Health, The Hollywood Reporter and the Los Angeles Times.
