While the path he’d been on was a little bumpy, it led Cody Johnson to his present — a chart-topping country artist who regularly sells out shows across the country.
Indeed, the sky is now the limit for the country music hitmaker. But in addition to his successful music career, there are actually several other facts that fans may find interesting about him. Keep on scrolling below to find out.
1. He’s a native of East Texas.
Born Cody Daniel Johnson on May 21, 1987, Johnson was raised in a musical family. He started singing and playing guitar at the age of twelve. Soon after, he began learning to play the drums and performed regularly at his church. He also joined the highly competitive Texas State Future Farmers of America talent contest through the encouragement of his freshman teacher – where he reportedly came in second place.
2. His father joined him in his band.
In 2006, Johnson formed the Cody Johnson Band with his father, Carl Johnson, playing bass and drummer Nathan Reedy. The trio collaborated on an album called Black and White Label, which provided travel and radio promotion funding. His father departed the band after the live CD they recorded, Live and Rocking, was published.
3. He’s a professional bull rider.
Johnson began riding bulls when he was fifteen. He soon made bull-riding a career and competed professionally. However, it was also the beginning of many physical injuries where he broke many bones, including multiple ribs. The immensely physical rodeo sport even caused him to develop a bone spur and a pinched nerve in his neck that began interfering with his ability to perform.
4. He used to work as a prison supervisor.
Ever wonder why Cody Johnson songs sound so real? It’s because they’re mostly based on real-life experiences. When he was eighteen, Johnson started working as a prison guard at the John Wynne Unit, a maximum-security men’s prison. While it may be a tough job for a teenager, Johnson has been around the prison system his entire life. It’s actually where his father worked for more than three decades. What’s even more interesting, it was the warden at the prison who encouraged him to quit and just focus on music.
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5. He’s a father of two.
We may know him as a concert-focused musician, selling out tens of thousands of tickets per show, but Johnson’s priorities will always be his wife Brandi and their two daughters. He takes pride in being a doting father to daughters: Clara Mae and Codi.
6. He’s a fitness freak.
Johnson actually used to be on a paleo diet, which means he only ate meat and vegetables. He’s also dedicated to the trendy CrossFit style of workouts.
7. He has released a documentary about his musical journey.
Johnson has turned his journey into a documentary called, Dear Rodeo: The Cody Johnson Story. The feature-length film follows Johnson’s journey from dusty rodeo arenas to some of the biggest musical stages. It was inspired by the duet he recorded with Reba McEntire, “Dear Rodeo.”
Indeed, these facts about Cody Johnson are enough to make us like him even more.
