Doing whatever it takes to make his dream a reality. Cody Johnson knows the value of hard work, from both growing up working on a ranch and learning the cowboy way of life, and also from his early days trying to make a name for himself in country music. It requires an incredible amount of sacrifice and commitment, years of rejection and playing for tiny crowds of people, all without the guarantee that you’ll ever actually “make it” or not. You just have the hope that one day, if you work hard enough and stick with it, something might finally go your way and you can graduate to bigger venues and maybe even a record deal. And during a recent conversation with RFD-TV for an episode of On The Record, Cody recalled one specific time when he was driving from Mount Rushmore to Omaha, Nebraska to play another gig, and he only had $100 until the next gig. He had to make a choice between eating or putting gas in the tank to make the drive, and he chose the has. He pointed out that it was a reflection of much he loved country music, adding that he would “do it again in a minute”: “We drove from Mount Rushmore to Omaha, Nebraska to make the next gig. And I had $100 leftover from what we had been doing. I had a choice to either put the $100 in the gas tank, or get something to eat. So I chose the gas tank. That’s how much I love country music. From the very beginning, I wanted to be in front of people playing and sharing that piece of my soul. I’d do it again in a minute. I’d do it a hundred times over. It’s all about the getting there.” Interestingly, he also explained that he doesn’t actually have the desire to “make it,” because he’s afraid that if he does, that means the whole dream and journey is over. He is still driven and motivated by his country music dreams, and he wants it to be that way forever: “Everybody wants to make it, and I’m like, I hope I never make it. Because if I make it, then it’s over. I always want to have something else to strive for and bust your butt for.” From the outside looking in, I think most of us would say Cody is way beyond the “making it” phase of his career, but it’s this kind of attitude that has gotten him this far, and it’s clearly worked so I don’t think there’s any point in stopping now. It also must keep you humble to a certain extent, and I think that definitely translates with the fans and keeps them engaged with the music and Cody and his brand as a whole: View this post on Instagram The full episode is available below. The post Cody Johnson Recalls His Early Days In Country Music & Having To Pick Between Eating Or Putting Gas In His Tank To Get To The Next Venue first appeared on Whiskey Riff.