Chris Stapleton: Garden & Gun Showed Bad Manners by Putting Him on Cover Over Haggard
Sturgill Simpson gave the country music pot a good healthy stir first thing Monday morning (8-29) when he posted a scathing letter against the ACM’s and their “meat parade” for co-opting Merle Haggard’s name for a new ‘Merle Haggard Spirit Award.’
And while he was at it, Sturgill decided to put the Southern contemporary culture magazine Garden & Gun in his crosshairs for disrespecting Merle earlier this year by deciding to put Chris Stapleton on the cover as opposed to Haggard who was ailing at the time. Merle died on April 6th—his 79th birthday. One of the last media pieces Merle participated in was the Garden & Gun feature that went to print shortly after his death.
Sturgill said in his statement on Monday:
He [Merle] was so excited about it … We spent the whole day of the interview visiting in his living room with our families and had a wonderful conversation with the journalist. Then we spent about two hours outside being photographed by a brilliant and highly respected photographer named David McClister until Merle had enough…he was still recovering from a recent bout of double pneumonia at the time and it was a bit cold that day on the ranch.
But then at the last minute, the magazine’s editor put Chris Stapleton on the cover without telling anyone until they had already gone to print. Don’t get me wrong, Chris had a great year and deserves a million magazine covers…but thats not the point.
Its about keeping your word and ethics.
Chris also knows this as he called me personally to express his disgust at the situation. Dude’s a class act.
Interestingly enough, Chris Stapleton addressed this very same issue back in April while being interviewed at the ACM Awards by The Band Perry of all people. The Perry trio, Brandy Clark, and Chris Stapleton all did an 11-minute interview together (see below), and the usually reserved Chris Stapleton had some choice words for Garden & Gun‘s decision to preempt Merle for him.
“You were just on the cover of Garden and Gun which is hands down my favorite magazine. So beautiful,” Kimberly Perry says in the interview.
“What was that like? I’m a photographer too and I love that side of things. So how was it shooting for the cover of that magazine?” Neil Perry asks.
Chris Stapleton responds,
“That’s a weird story. I’m not sure if I should tell it or not because their magazine’s supposed to be about manners and they don’t have any. They were literally supposed to put Merle Haggard and Sturgill Simpson on the cover, and they did a 30 minute interview with me and Will Smith for what was supposed to be the inside thing. And then they bought a photo off a guy that did a GQ shoot and put it on the cover. And I never knew anything about it. I never was told about it. And Merle was in the hospital when they did that. It wasn’t cool.”
Sturgill Simpson went on to say in Monday’s letter,
“The editor later claimed in a completely bullshit email apology to both Merle’s publicist and ours (Chris and I share the same publicist) that they didn’t get any good shots that day.
David McClister…2 hour shoot…no good photos…OK buddy..whatever you say. Anyway, Merle passed away right after it came out.”
Garden & Gun has commonly run profiles on independent country and roots artists, including Sturgill, Stapleton, and many others. In the same issue titled “Country Music’s New Outlaws,” they also included a list of new Outlaw artists. Though many of the artists included on the list are excellent music talents in the roots music scene, most except for Whitey Morgan would be hard to construe as Outlaws, while many of today’s true Outlaws were left off.
The Garden & Gun ‘New Outlaws’ issue seemed to illustrate the problem with many of today’s music periodicals that see the expanding interest in independent country music, but rely mostly on journalists and editors who only know country music from the outside looking in. The decision to call certain artists “Outlaws” and to put anyone on the cover instead of Merle Haggard during Merle’s final days, especially after it had been promised to him, was a decision that fundamentally cuts against the grain of country music culture, and may haunt the periodical for a while, at least in country music circles.
Saving Country Music reached out to Garden & Gun about the Sturgill Simpson and Chris Stapleton comments, but received no answer.
The Chris Stapleton comments can be seen at about the 9:45 mark.
August 29, 2016 @ 6:30 pm
The worst thing about this, as well as country music, is the celebrity of it all. Why in the hell would Will Smith be a part of this? This is the stuff that turns me off from award shows, magazines, and a lot of country music all together. Chris Stapleton wasn’t sufficient enough?
August 29, 2016 @ 10:38 pm
I’m pretty sure he said “at Wendell Smith’s”
http://gardenandgun.com/article/breakout-voice-chris-stapleton
August 29, 2016 @ 6:32 pm
Insufferable interview.
August 29, 2016 @ 6:57 pm
Gotta fast forward to 9:45. I had a paper bag on my knee watching it.
August 30, 2016 @ 6:32 am
Wow you aren’t kidding. Like a bad wreck though, I had to look before fast forwarding to the tolerable part that Trig pointed out. I don’t know if it’s her mannerisms that seem overdone or her apparent need to hog the spotlight, but thanks to Kim Perry my dislike of the band just increased (I wouldn’t have thought that was possible).
Whoever thought it was a good idea for these 2 1/2 idiots to handle interviews should be tar and feathered. (I say 2 1/2 because ponytail brother really didnt get too much of a chance to speak between Kim and the other dim wit). And I know its been asked a thousand times, but why are Kanye and Jay Z being referenced in a country music interview? Is this the only collaboration album thst moron could think of? Hey Kim, take your urban Valley Girl faux act and try it at the mtv awards. And take and the other 1.5 of the act with you.
August 29, 2016 @ 6:34 pm
I just want to say that I think Garden & Gun has done some good work on independent country artists over the years. It was a total jack move what they did to Merle and inexcusable, especially since everyone is in agreement Merle was promised the cover, and it was one of the reasons he expended himself like he did for the interview. But I also don’t want to portray them as a huge part of the problem in country music. There are much worse periodicals than ‘Garden & Gun.’ They just made a bad decision, and now it’s coming to roost.
August 30, 2016 @ 7:13 am
Isbell agrees with Sturgill about Garden & Gun on the very same day they feature Amanda Shires. These three (Isbell, Simpson, Stapleton) may be bringing the whole Nashville machine to it’s knees.
August 30, 2016 @ 8:52 am
I don’t know that I would characterize Garden & Gun as the “Nashville machine,” but it is quite uncanny that the “big 3” (so to speak) are all in solidarity on this issue. As a publisher myself, I can;t help but put myself in Garden & Gun’s shoes, but they have also made no effort to explain their side of the story.
August 30, 2016 @ 1:23 pm
It’s probably a good guess that their side of the story is “money.”
Haggard is on his last legs. Sturgill is too niche. This Stapleton guy, everyone’s talking about him, and he sure looks like a guy with a garden and a gun. Photogenic dude. He’ll sell more. Let’s go with him on the cover. Let any questions just blow over.
Easy.
August 31, 2016 @ 4:34 am
Of course it’s about money. Garden and Gun is one of two Southern magazines with great, classic Southern writers printed for the 3 people left who still care about things like Southern writers. In order to be able to survive financially they have to either appeal to the over educated hipster crowd who will spend money they don’t have because it’s cool South (Oxford American) or they appeal to the money crowd who pine for the plantation South (minus the unpleasantries). G&G targets the latter. Haggard on the cover is not going to appeal to the people who might pick up the magazine in the local fancy country bakery or upscale tack shop. They should never have told him that they were putting him on the cover, and who knows what transpired behind the corporate curtain there. But I don’t blame them for running with Stapleton. There’s less money in magazine sales than CDs these days. And I’d selfishly like to see G&G survive. The ‘Good Dog’ column by itself is worth the 6 bucks each month.
August 29, 2016 @ 6:35 pm
On another note, which I say because Cale Tyson was on the list (I wouldn’t consider him an outlaw, by the way), why doesn’t Cale Tyson and Caleb Caudle get more respect? These guys are awesome! Caleb Caudle had one of the best albums of this year and nobody is talking about it. I am looking at you SCM. Anyway, I recommend Carolina Ghost on vinyl. It looks and sounds awesome. Also, I recommend Boo Ray’s new album too. That is just my two cents.
August 29, 2016 @ 6:37 pm
Caleb Caudle’s is very good, it’s one of my top albums for this year. If you’re the real Hayes Carll, you’re album is pretty damn good too.
August 29, 2016 @ 6:40 pm
Haha, nice! I could only wish. Yeah, I really dig the new Hayes album too.
August 29, 2016 @ 6:55 pm
Look, props to Garden & Gun for shining a spotlight on artists like Cale Tyson and Caleb Caudle who are both worthy of more attention. But everyone on their ‘New Outlaws’ list was on there because they have labels, publicists, and/or managers. What I try to do is find the artists that nobody else is talking about, because nobody is sending out press releases or greasing palms for them, and shining a spotlight on those folks. That’s what I did with Sturgill Simpson when nobody else was talking about him. And that is what I try to do with many other artists like Justin Wells and Karen Jonas who I’ve featured recently and have little to no representation. If I had unlimited time and resources, ideally I could cover every worthy artist, but I don’t. So I try to cover the ones nobody knows about first. If you already know about Cale Tyson and Caleb Caudle, then the job is already done.
And by the way, I have mentioned Caleb’s new album in numerous lists this year, including the most anticipated and the Best of So Far. As for Cale Tyson, I’m waiting for him to put out a full-length, which is what I do for most artists. I’m sure both of them will get more coverage here in the future. I do the best I can, and always appreciate suggestions and feedback on who folks are listening to out there.
August 29, 2016 @ 6:58 pm
Good point. I must have missed the Caleb Caudle thing. I wasn’t attacking. It was more sarcasm. I love the site and look forward to the reviews.
August 30, 2016 @ 5:17 am
Just for the record, G&G didn’t cover me in that article or anything else…I’m definitely not an outlaw. I’d be no good at that sort of thing. I’m so glad Sturgill said something. It means a lot to guys like me. Above all it speaks for all good honest music that is being pushed to the side for some assholes to make money. Hope everyone has a good day. Keep fighting the good fight, our ears deserve better.
August 30, 2016 @ 8:57 am
Sorry Caleb, your name was brought up by another commenter in reference to that article and I didn’t double check to see if you were a part of it or not. I have not ruled out doing a dedicated feature on your article in the future, or anyone else’s. Like all of us are, I’m just trying to do the best I can with limited resources.
August 30, 2016 @ 7:23 am
Hey, Trigger – Caleb wasn’t on that list (I don’t think he’s ever gotten a G&G nod), and it isn’t exactly right to say he’s already getting sufficient attention because of “labels, managers, or publicists…” He’s got a tiny little label that scraps for every bit of attention it can get for artists doesn’t come close to having the resources to “grease anyone’s palms,” and is lucky enough sometimes to scrape together some other good folks to help. Not trying to split hairs, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank you again for the attention you’ve given to some of the folks we work with, but casting it as if he has the benefit of some big press push or insider-y deals just ain’t so – the attention Caleb has gotten has come because he made a damn great record, because a bunch of folks worked their tails off for little or nothing, and because he’s a real good dude who is trying to do things the right way. We always hope that can be enough to shine some light where it is deserved, but it often isn’t. We love lots of those folks who did make the list – Margo’s a gem, Andrew’s a great guy and a great talent, Aaron – well, that dude is a force of nature. And some of them – most of them, even – do have the kind of money and muscle behind them you’re talking about. But you are right, there are still a ton of people who should be recognized who don’t have that, and a few of them, like Caleb, have been able to garner some attention in spite of not having it, instead of because of it. Thanks for doing what you do to shine the light in those places.
August 30, 2016 @ 8:50 am
Hey Coop,
No disrespect was meant to Caleb Caudle or any of the artists mentioned in the Garden & Gun piece on the “new Outlaws.” Caleb’s name was brought up by a commenter, not me, in relation to the article and the article included a bunch of artists, so I assumed that was the context. I’m not saying anyone greased anyone’s palms to get Caleb Caudle the attention he’s received. All I was trying to do was explain the limitations I have as a one man operation, and how I can’t cover every single artist who may happen to release an album under the wide country music umbrella. I try to feature as many artists as I can, while sometimes prioritizing artists that have received no coverage whatsoever first. That said, I still have to know what words to say about ANY artist before I can write about them. Otherwise, I stare at a blank screen for hours. The artists I feature and don’t feature don’t always have something to do with who’s music I find most appealing, it’s about who I can find words for.
The only reason I put out the effort to explain all of this is because I’ve already resigned to the fact that I won’t be remembered for all the thousands of features that I wrote, but the few that I didn’t. Because I am constantly reminded by commenters and the like how poorly I’m doing my job (despite logging an average of 80 hours a week) because I haven’t covered this person or that person.
We’re all doing the best we can. We’re all dealing with limited resources. And unfortunately there just is not enough time and money for everything. So we do our best to prioritize, and hope eventually folks will understand, and our efforts make some modicum of positive difference for the music.
August 30, 2016 @ 9:01 am
No sweat, wasn’t trying to cause a stink. ?
August 30, 2016 @ 10:20 am
Hey Trig, no disrespect was intended at all. It is so hard to tell what tone people are taking on online. It was more just me being playful. I love the site and I really love what you are doing. It awesome that you provide this site for all of us, and we pay no cost. Nobody can complain about that, not to mention that fact that this is your site and nobody should tell you how to run it. Obviously, you can’t review every album. That would be impossible. I was more, or less, talking about the internet outlets as a collective, even Rolling Stone, not that we should expect much from them. Its just, everybody puts Margo, Stapleton, Sturgill, and Isbell in this elite category, which I agree with, but I guess I am just shocked that I don’t see these other guys even mention Caleb, who I think belongs in this category. That’s all. Much love to you and all you do. You’re doing a great job, not that you need to hear that from me.
August 30, 2016 @ 10:43 am
Well, I’m an a**. I just saw that Rolling Stone did do a little something on Caleb. I will shut up now. I just think this dude is awesome!
August 30, 2016 @ 2:00 pm
HayesCarl2323,
No need to apologize. Yes, it’s my website, but I also appreciate when folks give me feedback and suggestions, and I always take this information under advisement. This is not an autocracy and I appreciate to hear what readers think.
August 30, 2016 @ 10:14 am
Cale Tyson here. Just saw this on my Google Alerts. Thanks for the mention. Just wanted to clear something up – I’ve never had a label (outside the UK) or a manager. I had a publicist for 3 months back in 2010, but I don’t think that’s what got me on the 2016 G&G list.
Looking forward to sending you the full-length once I can. Peace!
August 29, 2016 @ 6:35 pm
Jason Isbell has made a quick remark on his Twitter agreeing with Sturgill.
August 29, 2016 @ 6:44 pm
So in short, Chris basically confirmed Sturgill’s phone call didn’t he?
August 29, 2016 @ 8:15 pm
Yes, and half a year before Sturgill mentioned it. Can’t get any more confirmed than that.
August 30, 2016 @ 7:27 am
I’m glad you posted this. If Chris had come out today I would have rolled my eyes and said, “well of COURSE he’s saying this now…” But six months ago? Can’t argue that. Well done, Chris.
August 30, 2016 @ 2:26 pm
Can’t get any more confirmed than that.
Well I mean Kim Kardashian could have secretly recorded it and released it on Snapchat
August 29, 2016 @ 6:52 pm
“Lukes good at killin’ stuff” at 6:21
Subliminal message??? I think so. LOL.
August 29, 2016 @ 6:58 pm
Stapleton is a class act. Super humble too. Great guy
August 29, 2016 @ 7:54 pm
Miranda sings about bathroom sinks, little red wagons and her vice’s! What kind of country is that?
August 29, 2016 @ 8:36 pm
Are you being sarcastic with the vices part cause I thought vices usually include things like drinking and sex and such which there are a lot of country songs about those topics.
August 29, 2016 @ 8:16 pm
I’m really glad to see that Simpson, Stapleton, & Isbell are standing together, or are at least seemingly in agreement on this. Gun & Garden need to be called out and exposed for the lying cowards they are, and who better to do it than the three undisputed leaders of the neo-outlaw movement that G&G is ” promoting.” Hopefully, some of Hag’s contemporaries like Willie or Billy Joe will take notice and jump on the dogpile…
August 29, 2016 @ 8:19 pm
canoodling with Will Smith..smh
August 29, 2016 @ 9:04 pm
I love Chris Stapleton, and believe that he has earned his “place in the sun” at this time. I hate to see him having to try and wrestle with something of which he had absolutely nothing to do with. Relative to Mr. Haggard, I firmly believe in Karma.
August 29, 2016 @ 9:56 pm
God, why did Kimberly Perry have to be born with vocal chords? The world would be a much better place if that part of her anatomy had been left out.
In all seriousness, though. Good on Chris Stapleton. Good on Sturgill. They both stuck up for Merle, and put Gun & Garden to task for their actions. Sturgill speaking up doesn’t surprise me, because he has nothing to lose. Chris, on the other hand, is under the mainstream’s good graces (as of now, anyway) and speaking out in defense of a legend instead of pimping endorsements is a ballsy move in his position. (It was still ballsy for Sturgill, don’t get me wrong).
Y’know, we talk about “Outlaws” and yes, Whitey Morgan is probably the biggest Outlaw around right now. But I think this gives Sturgill and Chris at least a little bit of Outlaw cred. Waylon was always outspoken about what he perceived as injustices to Country Music, and what Sturgill and Chris are doing is no different, regardless of how country or Outlaw their music is.
August 29, 2016 @ 11:10 pm
Wow watching that was Awkward as all hell as The Band Perry can’t do an interview at all, they kept harping on things that nobody cared about…Also I’d pay to see Brandy and Chris just sit and talk about their experiences, that would’ve been an interesting interview.
August 29, 2016 @ 11:57 pm
The interview was cringe-inducing as a whole, but we can surely give The Band Perry any little credit they’re due for setting up Chris Stapleton’s corroboration of Sturgill’s claims.
This matter is especially a heartbreak considering the timing of Haggard’s passing afterward! =(
August 30, 2016 @ 1:05 am
I dont car we all got ar oen probnlems all rite much a do bout nuthin dont remember no body bein out raged when merle punched me in that hottel room
August 30, 2016 @ 1:09 pm
You had it coming, Lil Dale. You just ain’t no good…
August 30, 2016 @ 9:11 am
Kids…just stay away from drugs……mmmmkay.. or you are gonna end up like exhibit A ” no body to blam…”
August 30, 2016 @ 4:23 pm
Chris is a class act all the way. I watched this interview when it first came out on You Tube, but I totally forgot about the Gardens and Guns reference until I saw it again today on this article, as well as reading the article you did today on Sturgill.
I know Chris is the “it” factor now in the music business, and I am a fan of Chris’s, but it would’ve been nice to have seen Merle on that cover.