The country music business is definitely intensely competitive. Even so, however, there are stars with the closest of friendships. Rivalry takes a back seat to their meaningful bonds. That seems to be the case with two popular young stars of the genre - Cody Johnson and Luke Combs.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Their career trajectories have been steadily upward - and they have had each other's backs all the way. It's heartwarming to hear Johnson discuss their professional and personal regard for each other. CoJo did so recently when he was on Bobby Bones Presents: The BobbyCast. These are two authentic dudes who really like and care about each other.
Johnson's Affection and Respect for Combs Is Clear
Cody Johnson made his feelings for Luke Combs very clear to Bobby Bones. The host wondered if Johnson was okay to be opening for Combs when the latter was touring overseas three years ago. Johnson was already a headliner himself. Did it feel strange to be opening for someone else?
He graciously said of the "Ain't No Love in Oklahoma" singer, "I have nothing but respect for Luke, and I've been opening for Luke Combs since he was playing tennis courts. He played a tennis court and it was like 6,000 people. It wasn't a huge show, and of course he was blowing up at the time, but I think real respects real. And whenever I saw Luke for the first time, I went, that's real."
Johnson admiringly added, "The way he handles his camp, the way he handles his finances, the way he records his records, the content that he's putting out, I had a lot of respect."
"He's Opened a Lot of Doors for Me"
Johnson was truly delighted to open for Combs on his tour, he emphasized. As he told Bones, "He's opened a lot of doors for me. Like I said, we went from opening for him from tennis courts and pavilions to stadiums, and I'm not a coattail rider, but whenever a good friend of that many years says, 'Hey, do you want to go be direct support for me overseas?' You say, 'hell yes I do.'"
