Cody Johnson is now a proud dad of three, revealing that he and his wife, Brandi, welcomed their first son in October. While co-hosting Country Countdown USA earlier this month, Johnson opened up about the decision not to make an official announcement revealing his son’s birth, explaining that he knew the news would get out at some point.
“My publicist asked how and when we were gonna announce it,” Johnson told co-host Lon Helton. “I said people will find out. There was no way if I did a call with Lon, and he asked about it, that I’m not gonna talk about it. With [the CMA Awards] coming up, someone’s gonna ask, so it’s gonna get out. He was born on October 21st.”
Johnson explained that for him, posting about his personal life isn’t something he’s too comfortable doing. “I’m a pretty private person, Brandi is too,” he said. “Some artists post all the time. Not me. When I’m on stage with the guitar, I interact with the world. But when I take my hat off, I’m very private.”
The country superstar did share a few details about his son’s arrival, recalling, “It was 1 a.m., couldn’t sleep, and about 2:30, Brandi said her water broke, I figured out her diesel truck tops out at about 125 miles an hour.” Now that Jaycee is here, Johnson shared that he “finally got my boy,” adding that Jaycee and Brandi are “happy and healthy, and it’s been a wonderful experience.”
Baby Jaycee joins big sisters Clara Mae and Cori, and Johnson told PEOPLE in May that he can’t wait to watch his daughters interact with their new brother. “My girls… you can’t beat my girls, I love my two girls with all my heart,” he said. “They’re 10 and 8, Clara and Cori, and I think I’m excited to watch them help raise this little boy.”
“I didn’t care if this one was a boy or a girl, but I was pretty happy when I saw the gender reveal,” Johnson added. He also shared that he feels “a lot better off now, as far as career and financially, than I was when we had [Clara and Cori]” and that his son is “gonna get a horse a little quicker than my kids did. He’s going to get to do some things a little quicker than my daughters did.”
Johnson is nominated for four trophies at the CMA Awards on November 19, including Entertainer of the Year, and he’s also scheduled to present at the ceremony. The singer had an opportunity to perform at the show but declined as he is still recovering from a burst eardrum, but he’s thrilled to be nominated for the night’s biggest award.
“You know my history, coming to Nashville and getting turned down,” he said on Country Countdown USA. “Entertainer is the gold buckle. I’ve dreamed of winning since I was a little kid, watching Reba McEntire win it. When the nominations came out, Luke Combs and Lainey Wilson texted me and congratulated me on it. It hit me in my heart.”
