CoJo’s version of the Michael Jordan flu game.
2026 has been nothing short of a career year for Cody Johnson. Riding the highs of his first-ever Male Vocalist of the Year award at the CMAs back in November, he would follow that up with even more hardware — an ACM Male Artist of the Year AND his first-ever Entertainer of the Year win earlier this month at the 61st annual ACM Awards. Couple that with a few successful, somewhat controversial hunting trips and the recent release of his tenth studio album, Banks of the Trinity, this past Friday, everything’s been coming up CoJo lately.
Out of all the career accomplishments this year, however, arguably the most special for the “Dirt Cheap” singer was none other than his record-breaking night at Rodeo Houston on March 22nd.
In case you missed it, Johnson set Rodeo Houston’s concert-only attendance record, performing to a crowd of over 80,000. This would subsequently break George Strait’s record of 80,020 at the event, which was set back on March 17, 2019.
“HISTORY MADE! 80,203 guests showed out tonight at RODEOHOUSTON for an unforgettable performance by Cody Johnson, Jon Pardi and Randy Houser shattering the all-time concert-only attendance record.”
Beyond being a Texas native, the accomplishment was particularly important for Johnson, given the fact that he passed one of his heroes, George Strait, in the process. In a powerful speech during the show, the 39-year-old singer/songwriter would invite the King back to the rodeo to reclaim the record.
“Tonight is a very momentous occasion for me and you, every one of you. Tonight, we’re family. You buying a ticket to the rodeo tonight helped me accomplish a goal that I’ve been wanting to accomplish my entire life. You are sitting smack dab in the middle of the largest sell-out in Houston Rodeo in NRG Stadium history. Somebody, please tell George Strait that, so he’ll come back and try to break my record, ’cause I’m getting a front row seat, baby.”
As it turns out, Johnson gritted out the record-breaking performance that night thanks to some help from the Houston Texans’ medical team.
During a recent conversation with Spotify after the release of Banks of the Trinity, Johnson revealed that he woke up that morning without much of a voice. Thankfully for the “Blame Texas” singer, however, the Texans’ medical staff let him use the team’s facilities, allowing him to use their 200-degree sauna and their red-light therapy machine.
“I felt fine until the morning I woke up, and my voice was absolutely horrible. The Houston Texans’ sports medicine team did a great job. They allowed me to go sit 15 minutes at 200 degrees in the sauna. I did red light therapy.”
Luckily for Johnson, the Texans’ team did a hell of a job and got him back healthy throughout the day. Wrapping up, he’d note that he knew he was going to deliver a “performance of a lifetime,” remarking that it was “probably” the greatest one of his career.
“By the time I walked out on stage, I knew I’m about to deliver the performance of a lifetime. And it seemed like it lasted five minutes. I wished I could have stayed up there three hours — probably the greatest day in my career as far as performance.”
If there’s one thing about CoJo, it’s the fact that he’s not going to inflate anything, especially when it comes to his concert performances. Last year, he revealed that he watches his shows back, much in the vein of athletes watching film, to further perfect his live performances. In other words, he’s not going to sugarcoat a weak performance, and there’s no doubt that he left it all on stage that night in Houston, calling upon the likes of Carrie Underwood and Carin León, as well as performing smash hits like “‘Til You Can’t,” “The Fall,” “Dirt Cheap” and more.
Watch here:
Cody Johnson Tour Dates
July 11 – Cavendish, Prince Edward Island – Cavendish Beach Music Festival
July 17 – Columbus, Ohio – Nationwide Arena
July 18 – Columbus, Ohio – Nationwide Arena
July 25 – Jacksonville, Florida – Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena
August 8 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Paycom Center
August 22 – Knoxville, Tennessee – Food City Center
August 29 – Saint Paul, Minnesota – Grand Casinoa Arena
September 12 – Tacoma, Washington – Tacoma Dome
