It has already been a banner yr for nation famous person Cody Johnson. His “Leather-based Deluxe Tour” is in full swing with dates throughout america. The Texan landed a primary hit alongside Carrie Underwood with “I’m Gonna Love You.” They carried out the music through the American Idol finale with Prime 5 finalist Slater Nalley. Johnson marks one other milestone when he co-hosts ABC’s CMA Fest live performance particular on June 26 with the returning Ashley McBryde.
The occasion, filmed in Nashville through the 52nd Annual CMA Fest, incorporates a star-studded lineup of high names. Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Lainey Wilson, ZZ Prime, Hint Adkins, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Jelly Roll, Keith City, Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker, Rascal Flatts and Megan Moroney to call a number of. Johnson will pull double obligation taking the stage for “The Fall” and “She Hurts Like Tequila” with Carín León. McBryde additionally entertains the followers with “Rattlesnake Preacher.”
Right here Johnson opens up concerning the CMA Fest particular, appearing aspirations, highway life, and extra.
Earlier than we get into CMA Fest, you made a shock look through the American Idol finale final month. How do you mirror on that evening?
Cody Johnson: That wasn’t my first time to be a shock visitor on there, however this time it was a bit extra fulfilling. The primary time I did it was final yr, and we flew in from South Dakota to Los Angeles, landed at like 4 a.m. with soundcheck at 7 as a result of I used to be doing a secret soundcheck with the present that night. It was type of a whirlwind. This time our schedule was a bit extra cush. I obtained to fly in and benefit from the experience. I obtained to be there for a very easy afternoon soundcheck. Watching Slater’s face was fairly good, seeing how shocked he was and speaking to him. Simply listening to the admiration he had for me and my music, it was an honor to do it. After all, Carrie is at all times Carrie. She reveals up and is a professional.
CMA FEST – ABC’s “CMA Fest offered by SoFi” hosted by Ashley McBryde and Cody Johnson. (Disney/Robby Klein)
I feel inside nation music, perhaps greater than another style, we regularly see these cool collaborations. I do know there’s a enjoyable one on the CMA present. What’s it wish to have these duets?
They’re cool. It’s not one thing I did an entire lot earlier in my profession. Clearly, being from Texas, there’s a entire totally different sub style of music in Texas. I might do duets with a few of my pals who opened the door for me. Once more, that was then giving me the rub and never the opposite approach round. These guys let me open up for them in bars and golf equipment and festivals and requested me to be on their data. Now while you’re moving into the higher echelon of the style, it’s cool to be included and a type of guys just like the duet you talked about with Carin León. I reached out to him. I used to be sitting on this Mexican restaurant and heard this voice, this sound. I requested the waitress who it was, and he or she responded that it was Carin León. I instantly downloaded his albums, went again to the home. I can’t perceive a phrase he’s saying, however I knew his music made me really feel good. There was one thing about it that was totally different from the everyday Tejano music.
I wished to write down a music with this dude and do a global collaboration. He’s enormous in Mexico. He desires to be in nation music, so why not. I might like to play a offered out present, so why not. We’ve talked about him inviting me to the Latin Grammys. I had him out at CMA Fest. I feel the duet with Reba McEntire “Pricey Rodeo” type of spawned me into calling Jelly Roll and doing a collab with him. That type of spawned reaching out for Carrie Underwood. Now for my subsequent report, there’s speak of me and Luke Combs doing a music collectively or me and Lainey Wilson doing a music collectively. Jay Buchanan from the rock band Rival Sons, we’re collaborating on a observe proper now. There are all these various things. I feel it reveals the flexibility in nation music of the artist when you may put two collectively and there’s this distinctive feeling about it.
CODY JOHNSON, CARRIE UNDERWOOD, SLATER NALLEY (Disney/Christopher Willard)
How would your describe your first time internet hosting the CMA Fest?
You speak about collabs. Ashley had already executed CMA Fest earlier than. Getting the prospect to do it together with her this time felt like a collab on a music. You don’t wish to overstep on the opposite artist. You wish to complement the opposite artist. You wish to have enjoyable and be your self. I’ve at all times been fairly charismatic. I really feel extra at dwelling in entrance of a giant crowd. I’ve at all times been that approach. For me, internet hosting I didn’t want a lot to organize apart from doing script reads, making some adjustments and saying within the manufacturing conferences, “You realize guys. I wouldn’t say it like that.” I might say the road the best way I might say them or perhaps a mixture of what they wanted to get in and what I might say. [EP] Robert Deaton and the manufacturing crew did a very nice job of transposing these and ensuring when it hit the teleprompter it was the appropriate pace, font dimension and it was my language versus what that they had on the script. It actually made it very easy.
What would you say are a few of the efficiency highlights at this yr’s occasion as a fan? What ought to viewers look out for?
I do know the Brooks & Dunn set was one of many few I obtained to sit down round and watch. The remainder of them, we had been backstage and discovering out the following place to go and type of catching items. Brooks & Dunn had Lainey Wilson and Marcus King, that are two of my favorites. Jelly Roll and Brandon Lake did “Exhausting Fought Hallelujah.” I believed that was actually nice and becoming. It wasn’t an enormous manufacturing. It was simply a few guitars, which actually stands out when you will have 50,000 individuals in a stadium and everybody goes for the large hearth, confetti balls and issues like that. Each time you may go on the market with only a guitar and get 50,000 individuals to singalong. That’s unimaginable.
CMA Fest in Nashville has been round for thus a few years. Do you will have any favourite recollections that actually sum up what this occasion means to you and the followers?
I’ve to be egocentric in I may decide different recollections about seeing different artists and speak about how Keith City has carried out 10 consecutive years. That’s so fairly darn unimaginable. I’ve to be egocentric and say every time Reba McEntire comes out on stage with me. We did “Whoever’s in New England,” and it was probably the most electrical moments as a result of no person had a clue. I’d cowl that music I feel solely on my YouTube channel with simply me and a guitar. It was a enjoyable course of as a result of no person knew about it however the producers, myself and Reba. We spent a couple of week and two going again on the cellphone with me FaceTiming her and enjoying the music to the place I may do it in my automobile and transition and her key.
I needed to get on the cellphone together with her guitar participant and ask methods to transition from the place I’m enjoying to this key with out it sounding bizarre. So, he walked me by way of with a tutorial. Once I was enjoying my guitar in entrance of fifty,000 individuals and Reba McEntire walked out, I couldn’t hear something. The gang was so deafening. It was like Elvis got here again from the useless. It was unimaginable. The hair on my physique stood up. Reba is an efficient buddy of mine. She is all the pieces you need your heroes to be, so I used to be honored to share that second together with her. After she thanked me a lot and stated it was a lot enjoyable. I’m pondering, “Thanks!”
You talked about Reba. There are such a lot of nation superstars which have transitioned to appearing. Is that one thing you wish to pursue?
I do. It has been an possibility earlier than. I virtually did a Yellowstone cameo, and we couldn’t make it work with my schedule. Taylor Sheridan is an efficient buddy. He despatched me a script for the sequence 1883, and I learn it highlighted in my areas of what half I’ll play. I liked it. It’s one among my favourite sequence. I really like western films too, being a cowboy myself. I simply couldn’t make it work. I’ve not too long ago sat down with my label, administration and publicists and stated, “Look, I actually wish to take these alternatives however now we have to plan forward. We’ve got to determine tasks I can get on.”
For me, I can’t disappoint followers and cancel reveals they already spent their hard-earned greenback on to report a film, even when it’s one thing I actually wish to do. I did a one-act play in highschool. I received finest actor one yr. I take pleasure in it as a result of appearing will not be that a lot totally different than acting on stage. You go into character mode and immerse your self in no matter half that’s, whether or not it’s a quick, upbeat and energetic music the place you wish to set the stadium on hearth. Or if it’s actually quiet and needs to make individuals assume, it’s not that a lot totally different than being on digicam.
Cody Johnson and Brandi Johnson attend the sixtieth Academy of Nation Music Awards at Omni Frisco Lodge at The Star on Might 08, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
What has the tour been like? Summer time is a good time to go to reveals.
It has been loopy. I’ve been enjoying for 20 years. I spent over a decade as an unbiased artist and being an unbiased artist is de facto tough since you’re enjoying in a van, trailer and enjoying some cash grabs within the morning to rush up and drive six or seven hours to a dance corridor. I used to be promoting my very own merch, driving, it was so strenuous on me. There have been so many occasions I considered giving up as a result of there was no traction. I made a decision there was no backup plan and let’s go and stored going. I feel the cool factor about this yr for me is the dates I’m enjoying are larger. All of the crowds are offered out. It’s bizarre now we’re operating 4 buses and 5 semis and fixing to go to 5 buses and 6 semis and an entire safety crew. It’s loopy. Typically I’ve to pinch myself every time I stroll into the sector. It has that feeling of, “Nicely, I’m positive I caught it out within the van.” Bought out my first stadium in Arlington, Texas, which was enormous. Lots of people had been reserved concerning the thought of me enjoying there. We’re not doing extra stadium reveals subsequent yr.
One of many coolest issues to occur to me on tour was the group response like on American Idol. You surprise if they will skim over me. Am I essential as the opposite friends which can be right here as a result of there have been some fairly friends on that present with an even bigger standing. However when the group goes loopy, you’re going holy crap I’m a type of individuals now. It’s laborious work paying off. It’s the identical after we performed Scotland, Eire, London, and 4 reveals in Australia and a present in New Zealand. Each present except New Zealand was offered out. The gang was insane. Whenever you go to Glasgow and individuals are shedding their minds and know each phrase to each music. I’m positive again then within the van I didn’t surrender.
Is there a go-to watch on the highway or present you want binge-watching proper now?
I don’t watch an entire lot of TV on the highway, protecting fairly busy. I sustain on rodeo as a result of it’s the life I stay, being a cattle rancher, crew roper and ex-bull rider. Rodeo is essential to me. At dwelling, it’s bizarre as a result of lots of occasions we’ll put our youngsters to mattress about 9 or 9:30. My spouse is pregnant proper now, so she could also be up till 2 a.m. or 9 o’clock. Dad right here is on a highway schedule and I don’t go on stage until late and nonetheless hyped on that power. It’s not an unusual factor to be up until 2 within the morning. I’ll simply activate Netflix then and discover an attention-grabbing documentary or crime sequence and binge it. Individuals will say it took me weeks to look at that sequence, and I inform them it took me two days. Watching these do nice while you’re going to mattress and your desires [laughs].
CMA Fest, June 26, 8/7c, ABC