Award-winning country music hitmaker Cody Johnson will return to his first love when he headlines the 2023 American Rodeo on March 11.
In his documentary, Dear Rodeo: The Cody Johnson Story, Johnson opened up about his passion for the rodeo and the devastation he experienced when he realized he wasn’t cut out for that world. He originally turned to music to support his love of the rodeo, which he later realized was his true gift.
Johnson recently shared with Showbiz Cheat Sheet what it meant to headline the 2023 American Rodeo and reflected on how he ended up moving into the music spotlight.
Cody Johnson promises ‘nonstop’ music at the 2023 American Rodeo
Johnson acknowledged that it is still hard to not think about a career in rodeo. “I think it’s similar to the first time you play Rodeo Houston or like when I got to play the NFR in 2020. You look out at that arena and you think, ‘Man, that’s where I wanted to be when I was a little kid. That’s where I dreamed of being.’ But God had a different plan,” he said. “And I think that I’m right where I’m supposed to be. I’m the guy that gets to be in the country music industry. That gets to fly the cowboy flag and sing songs for our kind of people. So it means a lot. And I’m very thankful to be playing the American this year.”
He also shared what he has planned for his performance. “What I have planned for my performance at the American is very simple,” he said. “I’m going to try to cram as much material as I can into 30 minutes and make it heart-pounding, nonstop action. I don’t want anybody going to get popcorn during my show. It’s my job to keep everybody entertained. And I’m used to playing 90 minutes. I have 30 minutes, so I have 30 minutes to make everybody remember that I played. So that’s what you can expect from me.”
Cody reveals his wife encouraged him to pursue music
He also revealed that his wife, Brandi was the one who encouraged him to follow his dream of becoming a musician. “I grew up in a musical family. So in a way, I think I took music for granted. Like it was always going to be there,” he said. “But I didn’t really realize that it was real. That I could go play music until my wife really pushed me. We weren’t married at the time and she was the one that really pushed me to go chase this dream … This could be something.”
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In his documentary, he reflected on how confident he was in his bull riding skills and that music was initially just a side hustle. “And it’s funny how as untalented as I was at the sport of bull riding is immature and misguided as I was as a younger man. I thought, ‘Yeah, I’ll just go be a professional bull rider.’ But the thought of playing music professionally scared me,” he admitted. “It was intimidating. Looks like it worked out [laughs].”
How can fans purchase tickets to see Cody Johnson at the American Rodeo?
For as dynamic as Johnson is on stage, he revealed he’s an introvert off stage. “Something fans might be surprised to know about me. I am a complete social introvert,” he admitted. “I may seem pretty outgoing on stage. But when that switch gets turned off and I go home, I’m a recluse [laughs]. I barely leave my ranch, and being around people gives me anxiety.”
All tickets for The American Contender Tournament Finals on Thursday, March 9 will include the live post-event performance by Maren Morris, tickets for The American Performance Horseman on Friday, March 10 will include the live post-event performance by the Ghost Hounds, Sheryl Crow, and Darius Rucker and tickets for The American Rodeo on Saturday, March 11 will include Cody Johnson’s live performance. Performance tickets cannot be purchased separately.
For fans wanting to make this one-of-a-kind weekend even more memorable, VIP tickets are available for purchase. Guests can enjoy premium seating closest to the action, question-and-answer presentations, behind-the-scenes tours, and much more. For more information or to purchase VIP tickets and premium experiences, eventgoers can visit www.americanrodeo.com/tickets.
