Cody Johnson has proven himself as one of the biggest independent artists in country music. The Texas native sold out the NRG Stadium at RodeoHouston, making him the first independent artist to do so. And although this year's lineup is impressive, Johnson has outsold every artist at RodeoHouston 2018 except for Garth Brooks.
Hailing from the small town of Sebastopol, 30-year-old Johnson ambitiously self-released six studio albums, earning him loyal fans who love his music and respect his work ethic. The Houston Chronicle reports that 74,177 tickets were sold at NRG Stadium to see Johnson play his hits such as "Diamond In My Pocket," "Dear Rodeo," and "With You I Am."
Saturday night's show wasn't the first time Johnson captivated RodeoHouston audiences. In 2017, he took the place of Old Dominion when they suddenly lost a family member and needed to pull out of the show only a couple of days before the concert date.
Johnson seamlessly stepped in and put his stamp on RodeoHouston by riding a horse off of the stage instead of taking a truck. He chose the same exit option this year, showing that he's comfortable on horseback due to his experience with rodeos and working as a horseback guard at a correctional facility in Texas.
