Hand injury forced Chris Stapleton to delay concerts
NASHVILLE — Country singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton announced Thursday night on social media that he had to postpone shows because of an injury to his hand.
In an open letter to fans on Instagram, Stapleton, 39, said he had a broken bone and detached tendon in his right index finger, which prevents him from playing guitar.
"The doctor is hopeful that with some physical therapy I will be playing guitar again soon," the singer wrote after thanking fans for their support. "Right now, I can't possibly give you guys the show you deserve. I always want to give you my very best. There is little in this world that I enjoy more than getting to make music with all of you night after night."
On Wednesday, Stapleton revealed he had to postpone the next three weeks of performances — including his CMA Music Festival appearance June 11, but no reason was given.
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Stapleton’s team is urging fans to hold on to their tickets while they work to reschedule tour dates spanning his Thursday concert in Fresno, Calif., to his June 17 show in Noblesville, Ind.
The concerts affected in June:
• June 1, Fresno, Calif.
• June 2, Mountain View, Calif.
• June 3, Wheatland, Calif.
• June 9, Southaven, Miss.
• June 10, Birmingham, Ala.
• June 11, CMA Music Fest, Nashville
• June 15, Charleston, W.Va.
• June 16, Cincinnati
• June 17, Noblesville, Ind.
Stapleton released his new album From a Room: Volume 1 last month, and with more than 218,000 first week album sales, it registered at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart. The album’s lead single Either Way is now on country radio.
Before his solo career, Stapleton was frontman for the bluegrass group The SteelDrivers and founded The Jompson Brothers, a Southern rock band. The son of an Appalachian coal miner from Staffordsville, Ky., released his debut solo album, Traveller, in 2015.
Stapleton will play Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Oct. 13 and 14.
Follow Cindy Watts on Twitter: @CindyNWatts