Cody Johnson Stops Concert To Share Tearful Moment With Young Fan Who Survived Bone Marrow Transplant
The unforgettable encounter with the fan brought Johnson to tears before singing his chart-topping hit, “‘Til You Can’t.”
Cody Johnson; Photo Courtesy of TikTok
Cody Johnson found himself flooded with emotion during his concert on Saturday (Jan. 20) when he spotted a young fan in the front row who shared that she had made it to his concert after just having survived a bone marrow transplant.
The show, which took place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, came to a sudden halt just as Johnson had gotten to the point in the night where he was about to deliver his multi-week chart-topping hit, “‘Til You Can’t.”
However, as his band was playing the opening instrumental, the Texas native made his way over to the side of the stage to get a closer look at the fan’s poster. With a shaky voice said, “I usually don’t do this, but this sign says, ‘I survived my bone marrow transplant to see Cojo.’”
Cheers erupted from the audience when Johnson put down his guitar, took off his hat and reached over the crowd to embrace the young girl in a tight hug and gift her with his guitar pick.
Johnson Breaks Down In Tears Before Delivering “‘Til You Can’t”
Once he made his way back onto the stage with tears in his eyes, the “That’s Texas” singer took a moment to compose himself and humbly let the audience know, “Y’all might have to give me a minute.”
After wiping the tears off his face, he stepped back up to the mic and asked fans to help him sing “’Till You Can’t,” a song that came into the set list at a near perfect time as it holds such a powerful message to live life to the fullest. The Texas native looked back over to the young fan one more time to make sure she knew this moment was dedicated to her strength. “You don’t ever give up, you understand? Don’t ever give up. Keep fighting strong,” he said, pointing to her.
Fans fulfilled Cody Johnson’s request for help as they sang every word of the tune along with him, letting the already powerful lyrics take on a whole new meaning that night.
“If you got a chance, take it, take it while you got a chance/ If you got a dream, chase it, ’cause a dream won’t chase you back/ If you’re gonna love somebody/ Hold ’em as long and as strong and as close as you can/ ‘Til you can’t,” Johnson delivers on the chorus.
One Concertgoer Felt Especially Moved By The Young Fan’s Story
A concertgoer named Steven McFadin, who was present for the evening’s events, later took to Instagram to share a photo of with the fan. In the post, he revealed that he too was so overcome with emotion that he decided to take off his own Resistol cowboy hat that was previously autographed by Johnson and give it to her as another keepsake from the show.
“I don’t know her name, but this brave girl survived a bone marrow transplant so she could see #cojo in person. My hat was already signed by Cody Johnson, so now my beloved Resistol is hers. Stay cowboy tough,” he wrote in the caption.
McFadin also told Music Mayhem that at the end of the night, Cody Johnson made his way back over to the fan and autographed the hat again. Johnson’s drummer was also kind enough to stop by and offer her one of his drumsticks.
Johnson Kicks Off His Leather Tour With Two Sold-Out Shows
This memorable night marked the second of two sold-out shows in California that kicked off Cody Johnson’s current headline trek. The Leather Tour is named after Johnson’s most recent album, Leather, which dropped in November 2023 and features fan favorites such as “Work Boots,” “Watching My Old Flame” and “That’s Texas.” Within the track list is also two collaborative tunes – “Whiskey Bent” feat. Jelly Roll and “Long Live Country Music” feat. Brooks & Dunn.
As he previously revealed to Country Now, this collection serves as the first half of a deluxe project that’s expected to be available this summer. The expanded version will include 12 additional songs, making for a total of 24 tracks.
Joining Johnson on the road for this trek are special guests Justin Moore, Dillon Carmichael and Chris Janson.
For a full list of upcoming dates, visit codyjohnsonmusic.com.
Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her masters degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Country Now, she has been published in American Songwriter, Music Mayhem, and Holler.Country. Madeleine O’Connell is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
You may also like
Country Next
Playlist
On Repeat
Get the latest country music news delivered straight to your inbox.
