“Be Still”: Cody Johnson Reveals The Best Advice He’s Received From Reba McEntire

Timely advice from Reba.

It’s been nothing short of a wild six months for Cody Johnson. If you recall, back in October, the Texas native suffered a huge blow when he blew out his eardrum. Just a month later, however, the “Dirt Cheap” singer would shock the country music world by taking home his first-ever CMA Male Vocalist of the Year award, snapping Chris Stapleton’s four-year winning streak.

Despite the huge night in Nashville during the CMAs, the burst eardrum didn’t come without its consequences. With the emergency surgery, multiple different shows were rescheduled, including stops in Pittsburgh, Birmingham and Las Vegas, as well as his scheduled performance at Boots in the Bayou in Gonzales, Louisiana and his highly-anticipated appearance at Hondo Rodeo in Phoenix, Arizona, in which he was scheduled to not only perform but compete at the show’s events.

Luckily for Johnson, his recovery process has been nothing short of a success, going as far as to say it’s the fastest his doctors have seen an eardrum heal, and he’s ready to get back out on the road throughout the year in 2026.

If you recall, shortly after the announcement and cancellation of his 2025 shows due to the burst eardrum, Johnson would confirm new dates for Pittsburgh and Birmingham and add an additional six new stops across the country throughout 2026

Earlier in the week, however, he added even more to his plate, adding an extra eight shows across the country to end the tour from July through September. Additionally, he’d set the likes of Kip Moore, Clint Black, Randy Houser, Jon Pardi, Carter Faith, Scotty McCreery, Ian Munsick and more as openers through the lengthy 23-show tour.

Simply put, it’s looking to be another incredibly busy year for Johnson, and he’s sharing some advice he got from none other than Reba to better handle it.

Appearing on Apple Music’s Today’s Country Radio with Brandon Lake, fresh off the release of the highly-anticipated “When a Cowboy Prays,” the Texas native would discuss everything from the virality of the song before he recorded the duet, the aftermath of his eardrum surgery and more.

Later in the interview, Johnson would reflect on how unexpectedly rewarding his time off as of late has been, thanks to the surgery. As he views it, it’s been an incredible opportunity to be with his newborn son, Jaycee, who was born on October 21st, as well as his wife and two daughters.

“It’s been some of the best three months I could have asked for. Somehow, it didn’t burden me financially. I didn’t have to fire anybody. Everything was fine… I’ve been able to be home for the first two months of my son’s life that I wouldn’t have normally been here for. I spent more time with my daughters. I spent more time with clarity being in a deer stand or working with my horses or just being at home with my wife and kids.”

He’d then go on to note Reba’s favorite phrase/piece of advice she gave to him, which helped him slow down and be in the moment while he recovered and planned ahead for 2026.

“Reba McEntire told me one time that her favorite word is ‘be still.’ And, you know, I’m being still, and I’m not mad about it. I’m happy about it. I have a lot of gratitude for the funny little accidents that happen in your life where God’s like, ‘I just wanted you to slow down for a minute.’

Because here we are in January now, looking at 2026. 2026 is going to be a whirlwind, and I’m really grateful these things have happened that slowed me down before this whirlwind happens.”

While it seems cliché to say, it looks like the burst eardrum, which could have been a career derailment, was ultimately a blessing in disguise for the “Human” singer.

Cody Johnson Tour Dates

February 6-7 – Birmingham, Alabama – Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex with Ian Munsick & Emily Ann Roberts

February 13 – Champaign, Illinois – State Farm Center with Randy Houser & Carter Faith 

February 14 – Louisville, Kentucky – KFC Yum! Center with Scotty McCreery & Carter Faith 

February 27 – Winston-Salem, North Carolina – LJVM Coliseum with Carter Faith

February 28 – Columbia, South Carolina – Colonial Life Arena with Clint Back & Carter Faith

March 6 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – PPG Paints Arena with Kip Moore & Walker Montgomery

March 7 – Baltimore, Maryland – CGF Bank Arena with Kip Moore & Walker Montgomery

March 22 – Houston, Texas – Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo with Jon Pardi & Randy Houser

March 28 – Little Rock, Arkansas – Simmons Bank Arena with Kip Moore & Carter Faith

April 10 – Bossier City, Louisiana – Brookshire Grocery Arena with Kip Moore

April 24 – Indio, California – Stagecoach

May 2 – Clemson, South Carolina – Death Valley (Clemson Stadium)

May 9 – Des Moines, Iowa – Casey’s Corner

May 30 – Rosemont, Illinois – Allstate Center

July 11 – Cavendish, Prince Edward Island – Cavendish Beach Music Festival

July 17 – Columbus, Ohio – Nationwide Arena with Drew Baldridge

July 18 – Columbus, Ohio – Nationwide Arena with Ian Munsick & Walker Montgomery

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 DomeThe post “Be Still”: Cody Johnson Reveals The Best Advice He’s Received From Reba McEntire first appeared on Whiskey Riff.