Cody Johnson just revealed a very personal story from when he was 14 years old, when his dad complimented him and whooped his butt all in the same moment — a moment that changed the trajectory of his life and musical career.
Johnson was a guest on the BobbyCast podcast, where he spoke about the evening that he snuck out of his parents’ house to play at a bar when he was underage.
The “Dirt Cheap” singer said, “The night I snuck out of my parents’ house to go play a bar, I think I was 14. I snuck out and hopped into a truck with a buddy that was 16, and we went down to the bar.”
The teenager was out among the drinking population when he wasn’t even old enough to drive or vote.
But he didn’t go to that honky-tonk with 100 people in it to attempt to drink underage. He went to show off his guitar and singing skills.
He continued, “The band let me jump up and play with them, and they said, ‘We’re gonna take a break, why don’t you play?'”
How Did Cody Johnson’s Dad React to His Musical Dreams?
Johnson got about three songs into his set when he looked into the crowd and saw his dad standing there watching, angry that he snuck out of the house to go to a bar.
“You wanna talk about an ‘oh sh-t,’ moment, that’s one of ’em,” he said.
But it was what his dad did next that changed everything for Johnson.
What Warning Did Cody Johnson’s Dad Give Him?
Johnson said, “I got whooped pretty good for that. My dad said, ‘You know, you play in these bars it’s gonna lead to a life of destruction, and you’re gonna wind up becoming a drug addict and an alcoholic.'”
But here’s where Johnson’s dad changed everything. He could have just whooped him and told him to never do that again. But his dad knew he had witnessed something that the masses would one day want to hear.
Johnson said after his butt whooping his dad looked him in the eye and said, “You actually sounded really good, just so you know.”
READ MORE: Here’s Why Kid Rock Sang Cody Johnson’s ”Til You Can’t’ at the Turning Point Halftime Show
That confidence from his father at such a young age showed Johnson that his dad could see past the fact that what he did was wrong, and he recognized his son’s talent that the whole world would soon love him for.
Let’s take a look at some of Johnson’s top songs in the gallery below:
Top 20 Cody Johnson Songs Adored by COJO Nation
Cody Johnson has a way of captivating his fans with his heartfelt delivery and powerful, rugged vocals. His ability to get a crowd fired up and also draw them in for a sentimental ballad is unmatched. Although most know him for his hits “Human” and “‘Til You Can’t,” Johnson has been rocking the stage for quite some time. Let’s take a look at his Top 20 songs.
13 Criminally Underrated Country Stars
We talk about ’80s ladies like Dolly and Reba. We’ll go on forever about the ’90s gals like Trisha, Faith, Shania and Martina, but what about Anne and Mary.
Anne Murray and Mary Chapin Carpenter were record setters and they’re just two of the great women found on this list of underrated country stars. Six solo men, five solo women, one duo and one country group are included. Who would you add?
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
