Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media, Inc.
“CMT Presents: A Cody Johnson Christmas” is scheduled to air on Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 9 PM/8 C on CMT.
“Cody Johnson Unveils Family’s Texas Cowboy Christmas on CMT in ‘CMT Presents: A Cody Johnson Christmas'”
Cody Johnson is set to share his family’s Texas cowboy Christmas traditions through a new Christmas special.
“CMT PRESENTS: A CODY JOHNSON CHRISTMAS” is scheduled to air at 9 PM/8 C on Wednesday, Dec. 13, on CMT.
Viewers will get an intimate glimpse into Johnson’s family traditions, hear about their cherished holiday memories, and enjoy Johnson’s performances of classic Christmas songs.
Executive Producers for “CMT Presents: A Cody Johnson Christmas” include CMT’s Margaret Comeaux and Taillight TV’s Tom Forrest. Jackie Barba and Heather D. Graffagnino are Executives in Charge of Production, and Leslie Fram is the Executive in Charge of Talent.
This Christmas special follows Johnson’s recent surprise release of his third major label studio album, “Leather,” which came out last month and caught his Warner Music Nashville team, producer Trent Willmon, and engineer Jack Clark off guard.
Cody Johnson, renowned for hits like “Til You Can’t,” “On My Way To You,” and “Human,” shared that he experienced a year and a half of creative freedom without constraints from record labels or radio agendas, leading to the creation of his latest album, “Leather.” This period allowed him to explore his artistic inclinations independently. The album features tracks such as the current single “The Painter,” which holds sentimental value for Johnson as it brings to mind his wife, Brandi. Other notable songs include “Long Live Country Music” (feat. Brooks & Dunn), “Whiskey Bent” (feat. Jelly Roll), the titular track, and “Watching My Old Flame,” a deeply country song that evokes the spirit of the classic George Jones tune, “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”
One standout track, “Watching My Old Flame,” written by Kat Higgins, Wynn Varble, and Clint Daniels, draws inspiration from Daniels’ personal experience with divorce. Johnson explained that Daniels and his ex-wife attempted to maintain civility by living together during the divorce proceedings, even as she had already started seeing someone new. Johnson expressed admiration for the authenticity of the song, noting, “Whoa, that is serious. You can’t make that up. That’s real country music.”
Cody Johnson’s album, “Leather,” isn’t solely filled with heartbreakers. Although he recorded more than 12 songs for the project, he chose to release 12 initially, with plans to unveil the rest later. The selection of these dozen tracks is based on their representation of his current creative sentiments.
“I want to be able to sing songs that make me feel good … like ‘Work Boots,'” Johnson explained.
He continued, expressing his desire to evoke different emotions with each song: “I want to sing a song that makes you want to pour a glass of whiskey, like ‘Double Down.’ I want to take you back to where I come from in Texas with ‘Dirt Cheap.’ I want you to understand how I feel about being a rancher. ‘Jesus Loves You’ is dark, a place that I’ve never really showed anybody that I have. ‘Whiskey Bent’ is still in that same vein, and I got to share that song with my new friend Jelly Roll, which is awesome.”
According to Johnson, “Leather” carries the essence of a cowboy song that he believes George Strait might have recorded in 1995. He described “People In The Back” as a track for his live audience, highlighted that “Long Live Country Music” encapsulates his sentiments about the genre, and mentioned that “Make Me a Mop” serves as a prayer he anticipates saying every day for the rest of his life.
“This is where Cody Johnson is in his life personally and creatively,” he remarked. “Now, next year, you’re going to get the second half, and it’s going to be the deluxe edition. We’ll talk about that Cody then.”