It’s the best advice I’ve ever heard when it comes to staying power and authenticity in the music industry.
Jamey Johnson is one of the best talents the country music genre has to offer, and of course, he’s also a very accomplished songwriter, who has written for artists like George Strait, Willie Nelson, Trace Adkins, Joe Nichols and more. He is probably best known in the mainstream for his Top 10 2009 hit “In Color,” which many will argue is one of the best country songs of all time.
Earlier in his career, Johnson was signed to MCA Nashville, and he went over 14 years without putting out a solo studio album, finally releasing a great on called in 2024 called Midnight Gasoline. While you won’t hear his music on mainstream radio, Jamey is a fixture in country music and as well respected and beloved as anyone because he has always stayed true to who he is as an artist.
And I think that some of the advice the great Willie Nelson gave him certainly helped him maintain that over the years, which he revealed on a recent episode of the Like A Farmer podcast. He said that Willie told him to never dwell on the opinions of “the suits” in this business, because they’re usually transient themselves, going from one label to another, and sometimes to a completely new career, and obviously, they come at music from a strictly business perspective.
In most cases, the music is not their first priority, it’s the bottom line they’re worried about, which is fine because it is a business, but that makes it all the more important for an artist to stick to their guns creatively and stay true to their artistry:
“It was Willie that told me one time not to really dwell on the opinions of the suits in this business. They’re going to be around for a short time, but he said, down the line, they’re all going to be selling used cars or furniture or insurance or something else.
They’re going to get into some other line of work, and you’re still going to have to get on your bus and get to Ohio, because you’ve got a show. He said, ‘You’re the one that’s gonna be here in the end. None of them are gonna be around.’ You sit and watch these labels, and they change hands, and they keep changing hands.
And the ones that used to be over here are over there, and the ones that are over there [are] in the medical field. They’re doing something completely different.”
It sounds simple, but it couldn’t be more true, and someone like Willie, who really fought the machine and made a career on being the outlaw proves that he certainly knows what he’s talking about. I think the longevity of Jamey’s career, despite putting out a relatively small amount of music over the years compared to others who churn out songs like it’s fast food (often times at fast food quality), speaks to the fact that Willie’s advice is true and timeless.
Unfortunately, business often does get in the way of great music, but Jamey is proof that you don’t have to kowtow to the “suits” in order to have a wonderful career and put out the music you really love.
I mean, it’s just always smart to listen to Willie when it comes to country music…
@likeafarmerpodcastSome of the realest advice you’ll ever hear in this business♬ original sound – Like a Farmer
The full podcast is available below.
Traveling Truebadour Tour Dates
Fri, May 8 | Hiawassee, GA | Anderson Music Hall
Fri, May 22 | Quapaw, OK | Downstream Casino Resort – Indoor Pavilion
Sat, May 23 | Richmond, MO | Branded Outdoor Theater
Wed, June 3 | Wheeling, WV | The Capitol Theatre*
Thurs, June 4 | Farmington, PA | Timber Rock Amphitheatre*
Fri, June 5 | Charlotte, NC | The TD Amp Ballantyne
Sat, June 6 | Paris, TN | Tennessee River Jam ^
Thurs, June 11 | Chesterfield, MO | The Chesterfield Amphitheater*
Fri, June 12 | Sheffield, IL | Psycho Silo Saloon*
Thurs, July 9 | Fort Loramie, OH | Country Concert At Hickory Hill Lakes•
Fri, July 10 | Bethlehem, PA | Wind Creek Event Center
Sat, July 11 | Danville, VA | The Pantheon at Caesars Virginia*
Sat, July 25 | Bowler, WI | North Star Mohican Casino*
Fri, July 31 | Lake Charles, LA | Golden Nugget Lake Charles*
Sat, August 1 | Bossier City, LA | Paradise Theater at Margaritaville Resort Casino*
Sat, August 8 | Detroit Lakes, MN | WE Fest•
Sun, August 9 | Vale, SD | Full Throttle Saloon^
Thurs, August 13 | Shipshewana, IN | Blue Gate Performing Arts Center*
Sat, August 15 | French Lick, IN | French Lick Resort
Fri, September 4 | Fort Worth, TX | Billy Bob’s Texas*
Sat, September 5 | Grant, OK | Choctaw Casino Stage 271*
Fri, September 11 | New Haven, KY | The Amp at Log Still*
Sat, September 12 | Petros, TN | Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary
Sat, September 19 | Effingham, IL | Effingham Performance Center*
Sun, September 20 | Marion, IL | Marion Cultural and Civic Center*
Fri, October 2 | Gautier, MS | The Sound Amphitheater *
Sat, October 3 | Pine Bluff, AR | Saracen Event Center at Saracen Casino Resort %
Thurs, October 8 | Bristol, VA | Hard Rock Live Bristol*
Fri, October 9 | Charles Town, WV | The Event Center at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races*
Sat, October 10 | Atlantic City, NJ | Tropicana Atlantic City – Tropicana Showroom*
Sun, October 11 | Verona, NY | Turning Stone Resort Casino – Event Center*
* On Sale Friday, April 17 at 10 a.m. local time
• Festival
^ Free Event
% On Sale Date TBD
