“My dream already came true,” Johnson said. “All I ever wanted was to get to just ride around and sing country music. It’s cool when things happen along the way because those things I never thought I could achieve.”
Moving to Nashville in 2000, the Alabama-born Johnson ran his own construction company while performing in the city’s Music Row. His first recording contract was signed in 2005 and led to The Dollar.
His next album launched his career to new levels. That Lonesome Song, released in 2008, reached platinum in the U.S. on the strength of songs such as “In Color” and “High Cost of Living.” “In Color” was named Song of the Year by both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association.
“I chose this for me,” he told reporters. “I could be a lot bigger. There’s ways to go about becoming more popular. I don’t want to do that. That’s got nothing to do with writing songs, and it’s got nothing to do with traveling and singing or being me.”
— From The Joplin Globe