Though he grew up with music, Cody Johnson didn't set out to be famous a country singer. To him, music was a way to support his other dream, becoming a rodeo champion. "The minute I went to my first high-school rodeo ... I fell in love with whole show, the whole thing," the star explained in "Dear Rodeo: The Cody Johnson Story." "I just wanted to be a part of it."
In high school, Johnson would drive from arena to arena to compete on the rodeo circuit, an endeavor that didn't come cheap. To keep up with expenses, he would play guitar in the back of his pick-up truck after the rodeo, selling home-made CDs for five dollars a pop. The arenas where he rode bulls even picked up on his musical talent, even playing one of his songs over the speakers while he competed. "It was me on drums, me on the bass, me on acoustic guitar and me singing," Johnson told The Boot about the tune he recorded in a garage. "I ended up riding a bull while my song was playing."
When his rodeo career came to an end, he was devastated, and turned to music to began a new dream. His song, "Dear Rodeo," is a post-break-up love letter written to his bull-riding days. "Every night since I've written it and that I've played it, I smile." He recorded the song both solo, and as a duet with Reba McEntire.
