When Was Tennessee Whiskey Written? History & Meaning

The Late-Night Genesis of a Modern Classic

Long before it became a blues-soaked anthem for a new generation, “Tennessee Whiskey” was born out of a late-night collaboration in Nashville in the early 1980s.

The track was written by legendary country songwriters Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove. The story goes that Dillon, who was just beginning to make waves in the Nashville songwriting scene, went to watch Hargrove perform at a local venue. Afterward, the two hit it off, headed back to Hargrove’s house, and continued talking and writing. Fuelled by the creative energy of the late hours, they wrapped up writing the song around 4:00 AM.

The Rejections and Early Cuts

Like many great standard tracks, “Tennessee Whiskey” didn’t find its defining moment right away. Dillon initially pitched the tune to fellow rising country star George Strait. Strait, who was building his own iconic catalog at the time, passed on the track.

Dillon then offered it to outlaw country pioneer David Allan Coe, who recorded and released the first version in 1981 as the title track of his album Tennessee Whiskey. Coe’s rendition gave the song its debut, taking it to number 77 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.

Just two years later, in August 1983, legendary vocalist George Jones put his signature spin on it for his album Shine On. Jones’s version introduced a much richer, honky-tonk heartbreak feel, propelling the song all the way to number 2 on the charts. It quickly became a staple of Jones’s live performances.

The 2015 Revival

Though the song had a rich history in traditional country music, it faded from mainstream prominence for decades. That changed entirely in 2015 when singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton recorded a blues-infused, soulful cover for his breakthrough debut solo album, Traveller.

Stapleton and his band had casually jammed on the song during a soundcheck in Virginia as a warm-up exercise. Loving the swampy, grooving aesthetic they stumbled into, they decided to record it. Stapleton’s transcendent vocal delivery turned the track into a modern masterpiece, introducing Dillon and Hargrove’s 1980s composition to an entirely new global audience.