Growing up in Sebastapol, Texas, Cody Johnson heard music from the honky tonks across the Trinity River. He learned drums and guitar and started writing songs while still in junior high. A teacher encouraged Johnson to form a band, and they finished first runner-up in a Texas State Future Farmers of America talent contest.

Much like one of his heroes, the late Chris LeDoux, Johnson hit the rodeo circuit and made his first album during that time, selling self-financed CDs from his pickup as he chased the elusive eight-second dream. But broken bones and the cost of competition took their toll, and he eventually ditched life as a rodeo pro who played music on his off days to become a prison guard in Huntsville who played clubs on the weekends. The crowds began to grow, and he pieced together a string of hits on the Texas music charts. Plus, he snagged the Texas Regional Radio Music Award as Male Vocalist of the Year. His wife, Brandi, shocked him when she agreed he should go after music as a fulltime job.