Sturgill Simpson released The Ballad of Dood & Juanita back in August of last year and blew us all away. Sturgill based the western concept album on the story of his grandparents. He expanded on their love and turned their tale into a traditional country epic.
Vinyl shortages have made it hard for independent artists to release proper records. As a result, Sturgill Simpson originally released The Ballad of Dood & Juanita on CD and digital. We had to wait until late February to hear the whole story on vinyl. It was well worth the wait and Simpson’s fans across the nation would have to agree.
When The Ballad of Dood & Juanita came out on vinyl, it gave Sturgill Simpson one more feather in his hat. The record debuted at number 3 on the Billboard album sales chart. This was better than its initial debut at number 6. Additionally, it was the biggest-selling vinyl LP of the first week of March.
This week’s top-selling vinyl albums:
— billboard charts (@billboardcharts) March 8, 2022
1. #SturgillSimpson The Ballad of Dood & Juanita
2. @tearsforfears The Tipping Point
3. @Pokemon 25: The Album
4. @oliviarodrigo Sour
5. @machinegunkelly Tickets To My Downfall
According to Billboard, Sturgill Simpson fans bought a little over 13,000 copies of The Ballad of Dood & Juanita on vinyl. Overall, the record sold just over 14,000 copies that week.
The Ballad of Dood & Juanita: Sturgill Simpson’s Final Album
It’s great to see The Ballad of Dood & Juanita doing so well. It isn’t just a killer concept album that tells an epic and touching story. It’s also Sturgill’s final solo album. At least, that’s what he said. There’s a good chance that he could come back as part of a band. He told Rolling Stone that he wanted to form a “proper band” at some point. So, that’s something to look forward to.
On the other hand, Simpson could decide to be a full-time producer. After all, he produced most of his own albums as well as the Tyler Childers albums Country Squire and Purgatory. Sturgill also has production credits on Margo Price’s That’s How Rumors Get Started, Lillie Mae’s Other Girls, and more.
Going Out with a Bang
Sturgill Simpson grabbed some chart success with The Ballad of Dood & Juanita. However, the success doesn’t stop there. He’s currently up for two Grammy Awards. Dood & Juanita was nominated for Best Country Album. Cuttin’ Grass Vol. 1 is up for Best Bluegrass Album. So, Sturgill might be hanging up his solo artist spurs, but he’s definitely going out on a high note.
We’ll have to wait until April to see if Sturgill can take both of those Grammy Awards home. Even if he doesn’t the nominations and success of these records are the icing on top of a stellar solo career.
