A small-town Kentucky boy who grew up on bluegrass, Chris Stapleton writes songs with a lot of heart but no gimmicks. His straight-talking style nods to classic country songcraft, and some of Nashville's biggest stars—Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker—have sought him out for that rare combination of maturity and authenticity. As for Stapleton's earthy, unvarnished voice—well, he might be a writer, but he certainly doesn't sing like one.