Country star Cody Johnson has had an incredible career, including performing on “American Idol” and dueting with judge Carrie Underwood, but in an interview with “The Kelleigh Bannen Show” on June 25, he opened up about a much darker time in his life.
Cody Johnson Discusses Past Challenges in His Life
The “‘Til You Can’t” singer revealed he has run-ins with the law before, and not many people know that he has been in jail. “I’ve been to jail, stuff like that. People don’t know that. I’ve been locked up a few times in jail. Just overnight. I didn’t get sentenced or anything,” he said on the show, Parade reports.
He continued, “There are parts of my life that people don’t know about and I’m like, ‘Y’all look at this Cody Johnson guy like I’m some kind of saint.’ I’m not. I am just like you, I have daily struggles with things that you do too. I have to really work up here a lot to get my brain disciplined to where I don’t think like that guy. Let’s be a better version of that guy. That kid’s got to grow up eventually.” The theme of being locked up in jail is something that Johnson sings about in his new song, “Time Bomb.”
Cody Johnson Releases New Music With Surprising Confessions
Discussing his past and being so open with fans will only endear Johnson to them more, but on his sixth studio album, “Banks of the Trinity,” released on June 26, there is a song called “Have.” Johnson shared that he worked really hard and get through a lot of dark times before he could get to where he is now. “Dude, there was a lot of very dark times to get to this sunshine and rainbow experience that I’m having now,” he said. “Sleazy hotel rooms and no money and tinkering with alcoholism or drug problems or whatever, anger issues, whatever it was.”
He continued, “It’s like I wanted people to know, ‘Hey, when you look at me, please don’t put me on a pedestal. I’m doing the best I can just like you. I’ve got parts figured out. I’ve got parts that I don’t have figured out.”
Cody Johnson’s Career Is on The Rise
GettyAs his career continues to reach new heights, including an Entertainer of the Year win at the 2026 ACM Awards in May, Johnson is expected to leave his mark on country music. When he won the award, he also showed his appreciation for his fellow country music artist, Luke Combs.
“There’s a man who was up for this award that I personally watched devote his life to country music,” he said, People reports. “I was there the night in Australia when his wife gave birth to one of their sons. And I watched the anguish, I watched the defeat on his face for not being there, because he was across the world playing music in a sold-out arena. The next night, right after, I watched him get on stage and absolutely murder the stage, and go on stage and play country music and preach the message of country music to a bunch of Australians across the world.”
