Cody Johnson Opens Up About His Enduring Friendship With Luke Combs: ‘Real Respects Real’
By Website Content Manager
“I hold nothing but respect for Luke…”
Cody Johnson and Luke Combs have shared a supportive friendship for years, with the Texas singer crediting Combs for helping him gain significant opportunities in his career. Johnson recently reflected on their bond, which stretches back to the early days when Combs was performing at small venues like tennis courts and steadily rising in the country music scene.
In a new episode of Bobby Bones Presents: The BobbyCast, now streaming on Netflix, Johnson spoke with the award-winning radio host about his friendship with Combs, his life before music, his upcoming album, and more.
When asked about opening for Combs despite being a headliner himself, Johnson said the experience only strengthened his admiration for the North Carolina native’s work ethic.
“I have nothing but respect for Luke, and I’ve been opening for him since he was playing tennis courts,” Johnson shared. “He played a tennis court to about 6,000 people. It wasn’t huge, and he was just starting to blow up, but real respects real. From the first time I met Luke, I could tell he was genuine—in the way he manages his team, handles his finances, records his music, and creates content. I had a lot of respect for that.”
Johnson didn’t hesitate when Combs invited him to join his 2023 World Tour overseas. He wanted to support his friend just as Combs had supported him early in his career.
“He’s opened a lot of doors for me. We went from playing tennis courts and pavilions to stadiums. I’m not a coattail rider, but when a good friend of that many years asks if you want to be direct support overseas, you say, ‘hell yes,’” Johnson explained.
Touring internationally also allowed Johnson to showcase his music to new audiences. The experience paid off: two years later, he returned to headline his own tour and sold out nearly every show.
Johnson takes opening for others seriously. Rather than merely trying to stay out of the headliner’s way, he aims to raise the performance level for everyone.
“He knows I’m coming out to give my all, and it elevates their game too. He told me, ‘I love having you open because it pushes us to a higher level.’ That’s a huge compliment coming from him,” Johnson said.
Beyond touring, the two country stars have been collaborating in the studio. Johnson recently revealed that his next album will include at least two collaborations: one with Brothers Osborne and another with Luke Combs.
“We’ll probably go into the studio in January to record vocals and aim to release the album next year. We just need some guest performances from Luke Combs and Brothers Osborne, and then we’ll be done,” he teased.
While the album hasn’t been officially announced, Johnson told Bobby Bones that it’s nearly finished, with a potential release sometime in 2026.
“I don’t like setting exact dates. I prefer to work organically. We also have new material ready so that when tracks release, like after ‘The Fall’ hopefully hits number one, we’ll have more songs ready to go,” he shared.