A band of triplets from Jonesboro, Arkansas is heading to the Grand Ole Opry stage.
Earlier in the semester, country artist and Belmont alumnus Josh Turner held a virtual, campus-wide contest for the chance to open a few select shows for his "King Size Manger" tour.
After 26,000 views on their TikTok video entry, JD, Chaz and Treyson Stafford are the winners of the contest.
The brothers will play at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts Thursday night and the Grand Ole Opry on Dec. 15.
Trippp, as the three are called, got its start by playing at different events in their home state of Arkansas.
“We kind of came out of the womb playing music together,” JD said.
Growing up, their father managed several country radio stations in Arkansas.
“We have been really exposed to Josh’s music from a very young age, growing up listening to him on the radio,” JD said. “And we just thought ‘what a cool opportunity not only to share a stage with him, but also get to play on one of the greatest stages in the history of country music.’”
The group has played roughly 250 shows in the past four years. They each have a variety of different interests.
JD, a sophomore, is studying songwriting. Treyson? A Biblical studies major. And Chaz? Well, he works at Gibson Guitars.
The trio’s musical influences include Chris Stapleton, Johnny Cash and The Eagles.
Trippp has released seven songs since getting its Nashville start in 2018. Their self-titled, four-track EP was released in 2020 with the addition of three new singles within the last year and a half.
When writing new songs, the brothers brainstorm and bounce new ideas around with each other.
“We kind of just collaborate together,” Chaz said.
But the three don’t just work alone.
They love the Belmont community and are always open to collaborating with other artists.
“As a songwriter being at Belmont, I’d love to co-write, and we co-write with just about anybody and everybody,” JD said. “And that’s been one of our favorite parts about Belmont, is the relationships that we’ve built through co-writing on campus.”
The group plans to hit the studio and record new singles in January 2023.
“Hopefully at the end of the year, we’ll have enough that we can all throw together and put on an album,” JD said.
Trippp won the Young Artist of the Year award at the Arkansas Country Music Awards in 2021.
“That was kind of a pivotal moment for us for sure, being recognized amongst our peers, for what we do and getting credit for that. And so that was a really motivating award for us," JD added.
The group has won various other awards but focus mostly on their music, JD said.
“We don’t really like to count up awards, especially our local Arkansas awards."
The three have not yet been inside the Fisher Center but are excited to perform there with addition to the Opry.
“We don’t want to screw it up. That’s at the top of the list,” JD said.
“I went there (Grand Ole Opry) and took a backstage tour not too long ago, and I got to stand in the circle. So, to actually get to play in the circle now is pretty cool,” Treyson said. “This has been a really cool journey, and I am excited for where this next part takes us.”
Trippp will perform some originals, country covers and a few Christmas songs.
“Obviously, this is a huge opportunity just for us to be seen and share our art with the Belmont community, and just Nashville in general,” JD said. This article was written by Elisabeth Gage