Lifestyle

5 Texas Music Artists You Need to Know (or 5 Texas Music Artists My Little Sister Wants to Marry)

By  | 
Tony Maples Photography

 

Cody Johnson

Texas country music artist Cody Johnson on stage with crowd in the background

Photo: www.wideopencountry.com

When asked how he was able to transition from being a small town country boy to almost a rock star, Cody Johnson chuckles. “I don’t know about rock star…. It feels like it was just kinda always what I was supposed to do.” Having watched him on stage several times, my little sister and I agree. Cody Johnson was definitely supposed to do this. As the first musician to ever sell out the Humble Rodeo, a feat he accomplished just weeks ago, you’d be hard pressed to argue with us.

Born in small town Sebastopol, Texas, Cody spent his childhood doing all things a cowboy should do: hunt, fish, rope, ride. Yet (lucky for us) he somehow knew he was meant to do so much more. When his good friend and mentor Trent Willmon invited him to Nashville to do a couple of demos in 2011, Cody had no idea it would turn into his second album A Different Day. From there, the CoJo train really took off.

A New Male Vocalist of the Year award in 2011, a tour with fellow Texas music artist Kyle Park in 2012, and Entertainer of the Year in 2014 solidified Cody’s station in the Texas Music scene. Surprisingly, though, Cody says he is not that big of an extrovert and claims to still have stage fright sometimes. Hard to tell from the explosive live performance CoJo puts on, regardless of the size of the crowd. With his seventh album Gotta Be Me scheduled for release in Spring 2016, Cody is certain to sell out his concerts and continue his crazy climb up the Texas Music charts.

Aaron Einhouse

Texas country music artist Aaron Einhouse on state with his guitar
Photo:  www.thebluelightlive.com