Singer-songwriter sensation Chappell Roan will take to the Leeds and Reading Festival stages – and fans are only just realising where the Hot to Go hitmaker got her name
Music fans are only just realising where singer sensation Chappell Roan got her name. The popstar won over audiences with hits like Hot to Go and Good Luck, Babe!, and is headlining both Leeds Festival and Reading Festival. Fans are only just realising where the Grammy Award winner got her stage name from.
A post to the r/ChappellRoan subreddit sheds some light on where The Subway songwriter got her name. Fans believe it’s both a tribute to a family member and a nod to one of their favourite artists. Roan, real name Kayleigh Amstutz, has been performing since 2013 and received her big break in 2023.
Her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, features those well-known hits that are sure to delight on the Leeds and Reading stages.
But curious fans are trying to uncover the origins of her stage name, and believe country singer Marty Robbins is to thank. One fan posting to the r/ChappellRoan Reddit page wrote: “Just learned where she got her stage name.”
Another fan explained: “Yes!! Her grandpa’s last name was Chappell and his favourite song was The Strawberry Roan!” The Strawberry Roan is a classic American cowboy song which features on Robbins’ album, Gunfight Ballads and Trail Songs.
The cover of Curley Fletcher’s track, which first released in 1915, was reportedly a favourite of Roan’s grandfather. She went on to honour her grandfather, Dennis K. Chappell, by using his surname and a word from the song.
Roan would later liken her stage name to a character, similar to Hannah Montana, which allows her to be “more open and confident” on stage than she would if performing under her birth name.
Chappell explained in a 2022 interview with student newspaper Cherwell: “I have never felt super connected to my real name Kayleigh. My grandfather’s name was Dennis K. Chappell, so I took Chappell in his honour.
“Before he passed away in 2016 due to brain cancer, I told him that I was going to be Chappell for him.”
Fans also discovered they had been pronouncing the stage name incorrectly. Those attending Chappell Roan’s gig at West Des Moines in the US on March 17, 2024, may have seen the Red Wine Supernova singer explain how to pronounce her name.
Footage of the concert has since been shared to Instagram. A clip of Roan explaining how to pronounce her name, has since gone viral, racking up over 120,000 likes.
The post is captioned: “Chappell Roan teaching you how to properly pronounce her name. March 17th, 2024.”
She can be heard saying: “If you’ve been saying ‘shappell rowe-anne,’ this is your final warning. It’s ‘Chappell Roan,’ babe.”
The name pronunciation has split members of the public, with some relieved Roan shared how to pronounce her stage name.