Cody Johnson not only drew the largest crowd at Rodeo Houston, but also pulled off one helluva surprise for the audience. Last night Texas’ largest rodeo came to an end. Rodeo Houston is, of course, known for bringing together some of the best rodeo athletes to compete each year, but they are also known for their outstanding concert series as well. Each night, a famous face takes center stage at the iconic NRG Stadium and brings the house down. This year’s lineup included Megan Moroney, Riley Green, Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson, the Red Clay Strays, and more. To close out this year’s rodeo season in Houston, Cody Johnson, Jon Pardi and Randy Houser brought it home, breaking the record as the highest concert-only attendance in Rodeo Houston history. “HISTORY MADE! 80,203 guests showed out tonight at RODEOHOUSTON for an unforgettable performance by Cody Johnson, Jon Pardi and Randy Houser shattering the all-time concert-only attendance record.” What an amazing way to close out the night, and what a stellar headliner choice, with incredible special guests making it possible. View this post on Instagram But watching these three powerhouses of men take the stage was not the highlight of the night for many in the crowd. During Cody Johnson’s set, he surprised the crowd with the one and only Carrie Underwood for a duet of their hit song “I’m Gonna Love You.” The two released the single in 2024 as the lead single off Johnson’s deluxe edition of Leather. The track racked up an impressive 109 million streams on Spotify alone en route to a Top 10 spot on both of Billboard’s country charts, Hot Country Songs (#7) and Country Airplay (#3). Additionally, it’s received quite a bit of love at the award shows, scoring nominations for Music Event and Visual Media of the Year at the 60th ACM Awards, as well as Musical Event and Music Video of the Year at the 59th CMA Awards. Johnson recalled hearing the song and knew he wanted Carrie Underwood on the track with him, unaware that she had already been sent the tune. Johnson’s dream came true, and Johnson graciously signed on for the duet. The two sang the song live together in the studio in just one take, creating a magical cut of the track. That same magic took place last night when Underwood casually walked out on stage to join Johnson for the hit duet. The roar in NRG Stadium was unreal as the crowd welcomed her to the stage. With Underwood being the professional that she is, she didn’t waste a beat getting into the song, and the two laid down a performance that will go down in Rodeo Houston history. Check it out: @melissamonell5 Best concert ever and a surprise appearance!! #houstonrodeo #codyjohnson #carrieunderwood #countrymusictiktoks #houstonrodeo2026 ♬ original sound – UGCwithMel And check out another clip of their performance: @jazmin.rodriguez416 Cody Johnsn brings Carrie Underwood out at Houston Rodeo @Cody Johnson @Carrie Underwood #rodeohouston2026 #imgonnaloveyou #specialguest #carrieunderwood #cojonation ♬ original sound – Jazmin Rodriguez These two do not miss, and this live version of the song gives me chills. What a way to close out the rodeo. Next year’s closing performer has some big shoes to fill… Just for fun, be sure to give the studio version a listen before you go: The post Cody Johnson Surprises Record-Setting Rodeo Houston Crowd With Carrie Underwood For Incredible “I’m Gonna Love You” Duet first appeared on Whiskey Riff.