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Before becoming a global superstar, Cody Johnson<\/a>\u00a0worked as a prison guard and corrections officer \u2014 a job he held a couple of decades ago. Now that his life looks very different, one question felt unavoidable: does he ever hear from any of the inmates he once watched over?<\/p>\n While speaking with Johnson on Taste of Country Nights<\/em><\/a>, I asked whether any of those former inmates have ever tried to contact him now that he\u2019s famous.<\/p>\n The \u201cDirt Cheap<\/span><\/span>\u201d singer giggled before answering simply, \u201cThey have.\u201d<\/p>\n When pressed for details about what they say \u2014 and how he responds \u2014 Johnson added, \u201cGenerally, we\u2019ll just have a beer and be like, \u2018Man, this is awkward.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Wait \u2014 did he just say he actually meets up with some of them?<\/p>\n Johnson said “Yea, oh yea, yea. You’re just like, ‘Well, didn’t ever think we’d be doing this, huh? Good job on getting out, bud, ya know?'”<\/p>\n Read More:<\/strong>\u00a0Cody Johnson Shares His Sneaky Strategy For Picking Songs to Record<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Cody Johnson<\/span><\/span> laughed hard at this one before offering a simple, two-word answer he gives those former inmates: \u201cStay out.\u201d<\/p>\n And honestly \u2014 can we take a moment to tip our caps to a real one here? Johnson doesn\u2019t have to take the time to talk with people he once watched over, let alone make plans to grab a beer with them. That says a lot about who he is.<\/p>\n Cody Johnson<\/span><\/span> worked as a prison guard in Texas in the early 2000s, shortly after finishing high school \u2014 a daunting job for a teenager, to say the least. He worked full-time as a corrections officer in Huntsville<\/span><\/span>, while also pursuing music on the side with his band.<\/p>\n Johnson ultimately left the prison job in the mid-2000s to focus on his music career full-time, after his local popularity and early album releases began gaining traction.<\/p>\n Curious what other country stars did before fame found them? Some of those early jobs might surprise you.<\/p>\n We all know country artists for being … well, country artists. But the reality is, they are regular people just like we are. Before fame, they, too, held regular jobs out in the wild. Let’s take a look at country artist’s last pre-fame regular jobs, and see what they were up to before playing to sold out crowds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Evan Rose<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\nWhat Advice Does Cody Johnson Give to Former Inmates Who Have Gotten Out of Jail?<\/h3>\n
When Was Cody Johnson a Prison Guard?<\/h3>\n
Country Artists’ Last Pre-Fame Regular Jobs \u2014 No. 5 Is UNEXPECTED!<\/h2>\n