Modern country traditionalist Cody Johnson crossed musical paths once again with Reba McEntire during June's 50th CMA Fest in Nashville, Tenn. The "'Til You Can't" hitmaker joined McEntire on the Nissan Stadium stage for her 1986 single "Whoever's in New England," as aired Wednesday (July 19) as part of ABC's annual CMA Fest primetime special.
Johnson's mastery of emotional ballads made him the right crooner to cover McEntire's hit. A crowd that listened silently and respectfully to Johnson's acoustic rendition woke up some when he paused briefly before the chorus. The audience got even louder when McEntire emerged in a leather jacket and black, fringed boots.
From there, Johnson made a statement by not being outshone by a world-class vocalist and entertainer.
Johnson and McEntire dueted in 2020 on the former's "Dear Rodeo." Johnson co-wrote the song with Dan Couch. It first appeared on Johnson's major label debut album, Ain't Nothin' To It (Warner Music Nashville).
"It was a thrill to get to sing 'Dear Rodeo' with Cody because we're both from the rodeo world," McEntire said in a statement. "I grew up in a rodeo family, I'm a third-generation rodeo brat. So the song means a lot to me because I did leave rodeo to be in the country music business. I sure miss it."
Though it certainly applies to that eight-second rush chased by not just Johnson but such country legends as Chris LeDoux and Moe Bandy, the song also addresses reflecting back amid a major life change.
"The story behind 'Dear Rodeo' is more a story about life and less about rodeo," Johnson says, as quoted by Rolling Stone Country. "I feel like everybody has their own 'Dear Rodeo' story and when I found out that Reba was impacted by this song enough to want to do a duet, it was probably one of the coolest things I've ever done in my career. Reba adds a certain level of authenticity to this song that makes it so special. I love it when people sing songs about rodeo and cowboys, but there's a little bit of a different feel when you know that somebody can walk the walk they're talking. Neither one of us has a problem saying 'Hey, this is where I come from, you can check the credentials, we've got the scars to prove it.' I think that the honesty is really going to speak to people, and hopefully we can help people with this song."
