We now know who one of the other headliners will be for the 12th annual Gulf Coast Jam Presented by Jim Beam, held May 30 to June 2 in Panama City Beach. Cody Johnson will headline the night on Saturday, June 1, joining Jelly Roll, who will headline Friday night, May 31, and Morgan Wallen who will close out the event on Sunday, June 2. The headliner for the opening night on May 30 has yet to be announced.
It’s fitting that Johnson will be part of the same event as Jelly Roll, since earlier this year, he hinted the two might have a collaboration in the works.
“We struggle with a lot of the same pressures of, we put so much pressure on ourselves to be the best husband, to try to be the best father, for our [bands], to try to be the best leader, to be the best performer…it’s almost like a blessing and a curse, because we put so much on ourselves,” Johnson says (via Taste of Country).
“I relate to him, and he relates to me,” he adds. “We’re so opposite; you got the cowboy hat and the face tattoos. I think it’s just an opposites attract kind of thing.”
The news of Johnson’s headlining role comes as his new single, “The Painter” was just released. The song, written by Benjy Davis, Kat Higgins and Ryan Larkins, is from his forthcoming new Leather album.
“My favorite lyric in ‘The Painter’ is ‘for every wall I built, she saw a canvas.’ If there’s anything that describes my marriage with my wife, Brandi, it’s that line,” Johnson says of the song. “And that’s why we’ve been together for 15 years.”
“I hope my fans are encouraged to take the time to appreciate the people they have around them,” he adds. “The ones who make their life beautiful and bring all the beautiful colors to their world when it could just be black and white and dark. Remember them and tell them you love them.”
Johnson hasn’t revealed many other details about Leather, but he did previously share that it also included a duet with Carrie Underwood.
“I love Carrie’s music, but she wasn’t like — I don’t have her poster on my wall,” Johnson says (via iHeartCountry). “But when I heard this song, I heard her voice, and I just knew that it was going to work out. We had never sung together, so when we get in the room and we start singing together, it’s like family harmonies. The only way I can describe it is kind of like the way it was growing up, singing with my mom. It just instantly fits and it meshes.
“It’s really interesting to me, because my voice and her voice are really drastically different,” he continues. “But put together, they make a very, very unique sound. So I’m excited for it to come out. I’m not sure when it is. We’re kind of holding the ace card close to the sleeve.”
More performers for the 12th Annual Gulf Coast Jam Presented by Jim Beam will be announced in the near future. Tickets are on sale now at GulfCoastJam.com.
