\n<\/p>\n
The song, penned by Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove, was originally recorded by\u00a0David Allan Coe\u00a0in 1981<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\tChris Stapleton<\/a>\u2019s inescapable rendition of \u201cTennessee Whiskey<\/a>\u201d has become the first country song to gain a double diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). <\/p>\n \n\tThe organization announced the news on Monday, revealing that the track has sold more than 20 million units. Only two other songs have been recognized as double diamond including Bruno Mars\u2019 2010 hit track \u201cJust The Way You Are\u201d and 2018\u2019s \u201cSunflower\u201d by Swae Lee and Post Malone.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cChris\u00a0Stapleton\u2019s undeniable vocal grit and storytelling have connected deeply \u2014 driving chart successes, earning major awards and most importantly, resonating with fans,\u201d said Mitch Glazier, RIAA CEO, in a statement.\u00a0\u201cRIAA is proud to celebrate him alongside MCA as \u2018Tennessee Whiskey\u2019 today makes history, becoming the first country single ever to earn a Double Diamond certification with 20 million units in the U.S. alone. It\u2019s a remarkable achievement and another defining moment in\u00a0Stapleton\u2019s career.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tThe song traces its roots to 1980 at the Bluebird Cafe, where Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove met and that same night penned \u201cTennessee Whiskey\u201d in about an hour. The song would soon find its way to country singer David Allan Coe, who saw it become a modest country hit in 1981, and a few years later, to George Jones, whose more produced version reached Number Two on the Hot Country Singles chart.<\/p>\n \n\tYet it was Stapleton\u2019s intoxicating resurrection, which borrows the melody from Etta James\u2019 1967 song \u201cI\u2019d Rather Go Blind,\u201d that has cemented \u201cTennessee Whiskey\u201d as one of the greatest songs of the 21st century<\/a>. His 2015 performance at the CMA Awards with his wife, Morgane, and Justin Timberlake was a landmark moment for Stapleton and the song, catapulting it back onto the charts, reaching Number One this time around. <\/p>\n