When the outlaw of outlaws tips his hat to the new school, people stop and listen.
Jamey Johnson sat down on the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast and showed a side fans don’t always expect from him. The man who gave country music “In Color” and “High Cost of Living” is famous for carrying himself like a throwback to the days of Cash and Haggard, yet here he was talking about Morgan Wallen, Hardy, Ernest, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney, and more. And he was not rolling his eyes or trashing the airwaves, he was praising them.
“I love the music they are putting out too. A lot of these kids are just brilliant. Absolutely brilliant songwriters,” Johnson said. “If I’m out riding around town, I might put it on one of the contemporary country radio stations and listen for a while. Some of the songs they are putting out are great. And they’re writing some crap too. Not trying to blow them up too big.”
That’s Jamey in a nutshell. Honest, blunt, and unafraid to give credit where it’s due while still reminding folks not everything on country radio deserves a medal.
What really caught people’s attention, though, was when he started talking about Morgan Wallen. Johnson admitted he has never even met the biggest star in country music right now, but he still beams with pride when he sees him dominate the charts. “I wish I had gotten to meet Morgan Wallen. Never got to meet him. But I’m proud of him. Just beaming with joy for him.”
That’s not something you hear every day. For years, old-school traditionalists and modern chart-toppers have been painted as enemies. Jamey Johnson just proved it doesn’t have to be that way. He sees talent in Wallen and in plenty of others climbing the ladder, and he wants them to win.
It is not just talk, either. Johnson has been quietly serving as a mentor, or in his words, “Uncle Jesse,” to a new generation of artists. He has worked alongside Megan Moroney, Riley Green, Ella Langley, and even Oliver Anthony. He is not claiming to be a formal teacher, but he knows he has lived enough to offer advice, a laugh, or just inspiration.
“I feel like I’ve been there and done that in a town full of people that are coming up to do it. If I can help with some inspiration, or just some thoughts, that’s what I’m here for,” he explained.
That attitude is why his opinion of contemporary country matters. He has put in the work, he has written songs that stand the test of time, and he has carried the torch for traditionalists. If Jamey Johnson can find brilliance in a Hardy lyric or joy in Morgan Wallen’s rise, maybe the walls between old and new country are not as tall as some fans want to believe.
The truth is, Jamey Johnson has always been about songs first. He came up in Nashville writing and grinding before ever becoming the face of the “outlaw revival.” He knows what it takes to write something honest, which is why he is quick to praise when he hears that same spark from today’s stars.
So yes, Jamey Johnson flips on the radio sometimes. He hears the good, he hears the junk, and he calls it like he sees it. And when it comes to Morgan Wallen, he is nothing but proud.
If Uncle Jamey is cool with the new generation, maybe it’s time the rest of the world caught up.
