Tom Petty has long been a beloved figure in country music circles, and a new tribute album will feature a bunch of country luminaries covering his songs. We’ve already posted Dolly Parton’s version of “Southern Accents,” the lead single from the forthcoming compilation Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration Of Tom Petty, and the record also has Petty covers from people like Willie Nelson, Luke Combs, Steve Earle, George Strait, Margo Price, Rhiannon Giddens, Jamey Johnson, and the Brothers Osborne. A bunch of Petty’s old Heartbreakers bandmates appear on the album, and it’s got Wynonna Judd and Lainey Wilson doing “Refugee” together. Today, we get to hear Chris Stapleton’s contribution.
In the last two weeks, the great leathery bellower Chris Stapleton has been done musical-guest duties on Saturday Night Live and joined Mavis Staples onstage at her 85th-birthday celebration. Now, Stapleton offers up his take on Tom Petty’s “I Should Have Known It.” That song was one of the singles from Petty’s 2010 album Mojo, and it was never a big hit, but it was a live favorite in the later years of Petty’s life. It’s a big-riff stomper, and Stapleton really leans into it, roaring and headbanging for all he’s worth. Below, listen to Stapleton’s version and check out the video for Petty’s original.
Another song from the Petty Country compilation, Dierks Bentley’s take on the classic “American Girl,” is now a rising hit on country radio. Here it is:
Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration Of Tom Petty is out 6/21 on Petty Legacy/Big Machine.
