It's rare to see Cody Johnson without a cowboy hat. Johnson, who is also a rancher, started releasing music and playing in his home state of Texas when Nashville record label executives started to take an interest in him and his music.
Videos by Wide Open Country
But when the first offers of a record deal came in, with income security and a chance to take his music to a national level, Johnson balked, for one very important reason.
"They were like, 'The cowboy hat doesn't work, and you need to change your sound, and you're gonna have to play the game,'" Johnson recalls to The Line of Best Fit. "Basically, you're gonna have to sign your life away if you want a record deal. And I wasn't willing to do that."
"I'd rather go to bed with my integrity than with millions of dollars," he adds.
Johnson understands that even true cowboys don't always wear their trademark hat. But it's a principle Johnson proudly stands behind.
"Cowboys have a tendency to be like, 'Well, they don't need a cowboy hat on. He's not a real cowboy,'" Johnson concedes. "But what's the difference between that and me wearing my Michael Jordan jersey? When I see other people wearing their hats, I'm like, 'That means that I'm doing something right.'
Cody Johnson's Life On His Texas Ranch
Johnson's busy music career admittedly doesn't leave him plenty of free time. The 37-year-old has a Top 5 hit at radio with "I'm Gonna Love You," his duet with Carrie Underwood. He's also currently headlining his Leather Deluxe Tour, which wraps up in August. But when he is home, the father of two is very, very present with his wife and children — and very busy.
"I breed Braford cows, which (you get from) a Hereford bull and Brahman cows. And I think we're fixing to get into the black Angus business a little bit for some more beef-type cattle," Johnson tells Country Top 40.
"And that's when I go home and flip the switch off," he continues. "I mean, I'm not Cody Johnson, the singer. I'm the rancher, the husband, the dad. I take my kids hunting and fishing and all that. And then whenever I get to come out here (to Nashville), I flip the switch and turn into this guy."
