Cody Johnson made his home state of Texas proud with a special tribute to the Lonestar State at 2024 CMA Fest.
The award-winning country superstar paid homage to his home state of Texas with a special performance of “That’s Texas.” Johnson, a future country music icon, strummed his guitar as he belted out the lyrics to the Leather track.
“That’s Texas, home of George Strait the king/ Ain’t no such thing as chili with beans/ That’s Texas, hot as a flattop griddle/ Ain’t got a band if ya ain’t got a fiddle
That’s Texas with a capital T/ If I can’t go to Heaven, I got a plan B/ And that’s Texas/ Yeah, that’s Texas,” Johnson sang on the tune’s chorus.
Co-written by Andy Sheridan, Erik Dylan and Wyatt McCubbin, “That’s Texas” is an authentic tune serves as a dedication to Texas and the country singers who are from The Lonestar State, including George Strait, Robert Earl Keen and more.
“That’s my roots. That’s where I cut my teeth. When I was growing up, I loved country music, but there was a sea in Texas of guys like Robert Earl Keen and Cory Morrow and Roger Creager and Kevin Fowler and Wade Bowen and Randy Rogers and all those guys that, you know, they did play outside the state of Texas, but they were very prideful of the fact that that’s where they came from. That’s where I set my goals to,” Johnson previously told Music Mayhem of the track during an interview in November of 2023.
Johnson added, “One of the first times I ever came to Nashville, they asked me to take my hat off, and I’m like, ‘That’s not me,’ and so I think the independent spirit that comes from that, I will always carry, and I’m finally at a place in my career where nobody’s saying ‘You’re just the guy from Texas’ anymore, so I thought ‘What better time to record a song called ‘That’s Texas.’”
“That’s Texas” appears on Cody Johnson’s latest album, Leather, which arrived on November 3, 2023, via Warner Music Nashville. The 12-track project, which flawlessly showcases the Texas native’s authenticity, also features the chart-topping hit “The Painter,” the fan-favorite tune, “Dirt Cheap,” as well as collaborations with Brooks & Dunn and Jelly Roll.
2024 CMA Fest
Dubbed “the Music Event of Summer,” the televised concert special featured 30+ performances and surprise collaborations from some of Country music’s hottest stars, including Clint Black, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Terri Clark, Jordan Davis, Jackson Dean, Billy Gibbons, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Little Big Town, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ashley McBryde, Parker McCollum, Craig Morgan, Megan Moroney, Old Dominion, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Post Malone, Shaboozey, Blake Shelton, Brittney Spencer, The War And Treaty, Thomas Rhett, Josh Turner, Keith Urban, Gretchen Wilson, Lainey Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman.
The CMA Fest ABC Special was filmed in Downtown Nashville at Nissan Stadium during the star-studded, four-day festival, which took place Thursday, June 6 through Sunday, June 9.
Co-hosted by Jelly Roll and Ashley McBryde, the three-hour CMA Fest special aired on ABC on Tuesday, June 25. The show will broadcast again on Wednesday, June 26 via Hulu.
