Hoping to finish out 2025 strong on his Leather (Deluxe) Tour , Cody Johnson suffered a health setback in October when he had to undergo emergency surgery for a ruptured eardrum. Unfortunately, this meant the end of the road for the “Dirt Cheap” crooner. After reluctantly canceling all remaining 2025 shows, Johnson, 38, is shedding some light on his recovery process.
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Previously, the four-time CMA Award winner explained that his eardrum burst following a sinus and upper respiratory infection last month. During a recent appearance on Taste of Country Nights, Johnson didn’t mince words about the toll this injury has taken on him.
“Everything kind of sounds a little funny right now,” CoJo said. “It has pissed me off, for lack of a better way of saying it.”
Johnson’s scrapped gigs included a planned performance at Wednesday’s (Nov. 19) CMA Awards, where he picked up his first Male Vocalist of the Year trophy.
“I’ve been so irritated because I know I wanna hear these things and I wanna be better,” he told Taste of Country Nights. “But it’s taught me a lot of patience.”
That’s fortunate, because as of now, the “‘Til You Can’t” hitmaker has no choice but to “sit back, wait, and let it heal.”
Cody Johnson Beats Out Chris Stapleton for CMA Male Vocalist of the Year
Objectively one of the greatest singers in country music history, many viewers expected Chris Stapleton to sang his ninth Male Vocalist of the Year trophy at this year’s CMA Awards. However, Cody Johnson bested the “Tennessee Whiskey” crooner this year, also beating out Luke Combs, Zach Top, and Morgan Wallen.
“I have all the respect in the world for that man and his abilities,” Johnson said of Stapleton during a post-show interview with Billboard.
For the father of three, though, his latest trophy is more about “job security” than fame or fortune.
“In my mind, biblically a man is supposed to go out and provide for his wife and his family,” Johnson said. “And thank God I get to do that.”
The Texas-born artist and wife Brandi welcomed their third child, son Jaycee Daniel, on Oct. 21. The couple also have two daughters, 10-year-old Clara Mae and Cori, 8.
Featured image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
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