Luke Bryan is singing the praises of Cody Johnson. It's Bryan who presented Johnson with the ACM Spirit Award at the recent ACM Honors. Bryan, who also performed "'Til You Can't" in tribute to Johnson, says Johnson is more than worthy of the honor.
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"Cody is an incredible artist and a singer who always brings his A game whenever he takes the stage," Bryan boasts (via Country Now). "And I'm going to go off script because there's been a lot of times I've been on the road watching all the social stuff that we're watching, watching Cody uplift America, and the soldiers and the families. [I] watch his passion. [I think] he's going to blow his voice out doing that, but he never does.
"But man, congratulations on this award," he continues. "So glad that you and I have gotten to connect and know each other over the past couple of years. And it's my honor to present the ACM Spirit Award to my buddy."
What Cody Johnson Says About Receiving The Spirit Award
Johnson thanked Bryan for presenting him with the Spirit Award. He also thanked his "Lord and Savior" for the opportunity, before sharing his thoughts on receiving the ACM Spirit Award. The award is inspired by Merle Haggard and his legendary career.
"When I found out that this award had something to do with Merle Haggard, I automatically was kind of tearing up," Johnson says. "Because Merle has always been one of my heroes. And when I read that this award was based on Merle Haggard, because it was someone that went their own way to country music that could be commended in a lot of ways to say, 'Man, he did it his way.'"
Like Haggard, Johnson also is determined to do things his way, even if it isn't always easy.
"I turned down so many record deals because it wasn't right for me," Johnson reveals. "It wasn't what I wanted. It would've required me to sacrifice what I considered the integrity of my music. And I want you to know that I'm doing this completely unrehearsed, just like my shows. If you see me live...when you're watching it on social media, that's really me and I appreciate the fact that I get to do something that I love every night."
