Backstage Country: Guest Host

Parker McCollum: Cody Johnson Is ‘So Good For Country Music’

Author Lauren Hoffman

April 4th 4:16 PM

If there’s one thing to know about Parker McCollum, it’s that he truly cares about country music.

From being “obsessed” with the genre as a kid to becoming a multi-platinum-selling singer-songwriter, McCollum is now preparing to play on the main stage at CMA Fest this summer. The country star will hit the stage at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee on Friday, June 7.

RELATED: Parker McCollum: My Baby Boy Has To ‘Earn It’

It just so happens McCollum is scheduled to perform the same night as fellow Texan and country star, Cody Johnson. Kelly Ford broke the news to the 31-year-old while hosting Backstage Country saying it makes him “way more excited” to take part in the show now that he knows the “Dirt Cheap” singer will be there.

“I tell people this all the time like Cody makes me, when I hear him play, when I watch him play, see him play, I’m like, dude, I got to go home and practice. He is so good for country music and dedicated to being a true talent at playing and singing like that. My level of respect for him is very high,” McCollum told Ford.

He continued, “It all goes back to how you were raised, and how you attack any business and the music business is no different. Cody’s done it so well, so deserving of the level he’s at. I don’t think I would have as much success in this town as I do if he hadn’t gone through what he had gone through up here first.”

Johnson recently celebrated “The Painter,” the lead single to his 2023 album, Leather, going No. 1. Everyone’s favorite cowboy is also currently out on the road for his headlining ‘The Leather Tour’ through August.

As for McCollum, he’s in the midst of his 2024 Burn It Down Tour with special guests Corey Kent, Larry Fleet, George Birge, and Catie Offerman. He will also perform his current single, “Burn It Down,” at this weekend’s CMT Awards live from Austin, Texas.

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5 Cody Johnson Songs That Made Him A Star

"On My Way to You" (2018)
This was Johnson’s first song released by his then-new label home, Warner Nashville. The song cracked the top 15, peaking at number 13 on the Billboard Hot Country Song chart. The lyrics include, “All the stars I’ve seen/ All the songs I’ve sung / All the beers I’ve drank / All the damage done / I was just passin’ time / Kinda just passin’ through / On my way to you.”
"'Til You Can't" (2021)
This amazing song won the Country Music Association Award for Single of the Year and Video of the Year at the 56th Annual Country Music Association Awards in 2022 and the Grammy Award for Best Country Song at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in 2023. Johnson did not write the song but told the message in it, “In our world today, we could use more positivity.”
"Human" (2022)
While Johnson did not write this song either, he said that it is his most autobiographical song. It was released in 2011 and made the Billboard Country Airplay chart’s top ten, peaking at eight. It is also the title track to his double Human album, which was also released in 2021.
"Dear Rodeo" featuring Reba McEntire (2020)
Cody teamed up with Reba McEntire for a duet version of his song “Dear Rodeo.” Johnson wrote the song as a very personal tribute to his previous career in bull riding, which struck a chord with Reba, who grew up on a family ranch competing in barrel racing.

Reba said then, “It was a thrill to sing ‘Dear Rodeo’ with Cody because we’re both from the rodeo world. I grew up in a rodeo family; I’m a third-generation rodeo brat. So, the song means a lot to me because I did leave rodeo to be in the country music business. I sure miss it.”
"The Painter" (2023)
This song is bound to be a big hit. Even though Johnson did not write the song himself, it’s about his marriage. He said, “My favorite lyric in ‘The Painter’ is ‘For every wall I built, she saw a canvas.’ If there’s anything that describes my marriage with my wife, Brandi, it’s that line. And that’s why we’ve been together for 15 years.”

Johnson added, “I hope my fans are encouraged to take the time to appreciate the people they have around them. The ones who make their life beautiful and bring all the beautiful colors to their world when it could just be black and white and dark. Remember them and tell them you love them.”