Cody Johnson is unapologetically himself. The country star recently revealed that he once walked away from a record deal after executives suggested he swap his cowboy hat for a baseball cap. For Johnson, that suggestion meant changing who he was in order to make it in the music industry. That didn't sit right with him.
Videos by Wide Open Country
"They wanted a baseball cap, which I have nothing against, but it was the approach. It was the 'you're great, but once we change you, you'll make it.' And it pissed me off," Johnson recalled during an interview with "CBS Mornings." "I tipped my hat and said, 'Thank you for your time.'"
You've got to give him credit; Johnson knows who he is and clearly isn't willing to compromise that in search of success.
What followed for Johnson was nearly a decade of building his career on his own terms. He spent countless nights playing in bars before eventually breaking into the industry. Now, he's one of country music's biggest stars. Of course, his decision to do things his way didn't come without challenges.
"The pressure of knowing that you don't know how to pay your water bill, and you've just been on the road for a month and haven't seen your wife or your child, and you have nothing to show for it," Johnson explained. "That's tough to look in the mirror."
Cody Johnson Refused To Give Up on Himself
It's been said that if you want to achieve your dreams, you've got to be both delusional and incredibly driven. As it turns out, it was that mindset that gave Johnson the courage to keep pursuing his dreams, no matter how tough things got.
"I think that I just had decided at that point that no matter what, no matter how hard, no matter how high the mountain, I will not back down," he said. "I will not quit."
Of course, everything worked out well in the end. Johnson has sold out arenas and has built a rabid following throughout the United States. He did things his way, and that meant being himself. There's a lesson in there that we can all learn from.
