Cody Johnson has come a long way from his origins as an independent country artist in the mid-00s.

After starting out balancing band life with his day job as a prison guard, Cody eventually quit his job and self-released six albums before getting his big break in 2016 with the release of his number-one indie record Gotta Be Me, and his first charting single ‘With You I Am’.
Two years later, Cody – or CoJo as he is familiarly known – was signed to Nashville’s Warner Records and readying himself for his first signed release and bigger and bigger hits soon followed.

Here’s everything you need to know about the self-made star who will soon be hopping across the pond to perform at C2C 2025…

How old is Cody Johnson?

Cody Johnson was born on May 21, 1987, in Sebastopol, Texas. The country star is now 37 years old.

How did Cody Johnson get started in music?

Cody was first introduced to music through his parents Sheila and Carl Johnson, who played several instruments and often sang and performed at their church.

But the ‘Wild as You’ singer claims he only really began to seriously learn to play music when he got to high school and realised it might help him grab the attention of some girls!

“That’s why everybody starts playing – for girls and beer,” CoJo jokingly told Westworld magazine in 2017.

Was Cody Johnson in the military?

No, prior to beginning his career in music, Cody Johnson was not a part of the US military.

However, the 37-year-old was once an officer of another kind until he chose to take the risk to try and pursue a career as a musician.

Before becoming a singer-songwriter, Cody worked as a prison officer at the John Wynne maximum-security men’s prison in Huntsville, Texas where his father also worked.

Reflecting on that early period in his life, Cody told Westworld: “When you grow up in a small town like Huntsville, you do what Daddy did…

“It was a steady paycheck and there was always a job there. You grow up quickly when you’re eighteen and working in the prison system.”

Cody credits one of the wardens at the John Wynne Unit for giving him the confidence to quit working as a prison guard when he was 19 and try out music-making full time.

“He said that I could always go back there if I fell flat on my face,” the Country Music Association (CMA) award-winner recalled.

And while this was never necessary, it’s clear from what CoJo’s recalled of his past that he is grateful for the start he got working at the prison.

What are Cody Johnson’s most popular songs?

Cody Johson released his debut album, Black and White Label, in 2006. Since then, the Texan musician has released eight more albums.

His latest, 2023’s Leather, won the CMA award for Album of the Year in November 2024.