One shared stage, one bad vibe, and a memory that stuck with her for years.
Gretchen Wilson is no stranger to speaking her mind, and during a recent interview with Taste of Country Nights, she let it fly when asked about her favorite current country artist. Without hesitation, she named Cody Johnson and called him “authentic” and “true to who he is.” However, what really raised eyebrows was what she admitted next. “What is funny is, we did not start out too good,” she said with a laugh. And that is putting it mildly.
The “Redneck Woman” singer opened up about a show they played together years ago, back when Johnson was still mostly known in Texas and she was standing tall at the peak of her mainstream success. It was one of those double-bill nights where egos get crowded and tour crews get territorial. “We had to share a stage and there were little arguments over who was gonna get to use the entirety of the stage and stuff,” Wilson recalled.
That kind of tension is not rare in this business. When you are both rising, that extra six feet of runway means more than the crowd ever realizes. Wilson, now 52, looks back at it with some embarrassment. “What ignorant stuff to be fighting over, but when you are first coming up, that little bit of stage matters,” she said honestly. It was not some drawn-out feud, and she clarified that it was not even between her and Johnson directly. “It was not he and me personally, it was our people,” she added and hinted that it was more of a behind-the-scenes scuffle than a face-to-face standoff.
Still, she remembered it for years. And she quietly wondered if Johnson did too.
For You
Fast forward to 2025, and the two ended up playing another show together. Only this time, Johnson is one of the biggest names in the genre, and he is riding a wave of momentum as a CMA Entertainer of the Year nominee alongside Lainey Wilson, Morgan Wallen, and others. Wilson said she was relieved when he showed up, watched her set, and spent time talking with her afterward. “He did not bring it up, so I do not think he remembers it,” she admitted and clearly felt thankful for the clean slate.
Now she counts him among her favorites and one of the few in today’s scene who still walks it like he talks it. And if anyone can spot the real from the fake, it is Gretchen Wilson.
The exchange speaks volumes about both artists. Wilson has always been candid, blunt, and unapologetically country. Johnson has earned a reputation for staying true to his roots, whether Nashville approved or not. So it makes sense that these two would eventually find respect for one another, even if it took a bumpy first ride to get there.
Wilson also made headlines recently with her take on today’s country men. In another part of her interview, she said women in the country are more “boisterous” than ever, while the men have become timid and overly cautious. She added that men seem to be standing around asking for permission. That is a bold claim, but one that fits her no-nonsense brand completely.
Which makes it even more telling that she now holds Cody Johnson in high regard. If there is one male artist in country who is not standing around waiting for approval, it is him. And maybe that is why, even after a rocky start, he made it onto Gretchen Wilson’s shortlist of artists worth praising.
