WATCH: Texas Truck Driver Sings George Strait Duet With Luke Bryan On ‘American Idol’
“It’s a memory that I’m going to keep with me the rest of my life,” Cody Winkler says.
Cody Winkler, Luke Bryan; Photo by ABC, American Idol
Cody Winkler from Marion, Texas delivered one of the most memorable American Idol auditions of season 21.
The 25-year-old truck driver, who farms and raises cattle on the side, also decided to try his hand at singing two years ago.
Winkler walked into the audition room and admitted he was feeling “finer than frog hair.”
He then shared his backstory with the panel of judges.
“I’ve tried my whole life… Always been kind of shy and always thought I was never good enough to do anything. So I really [started] to pursue it two years ago and I’m just getting started,” he explained.
Winkler went on to deliver an a cappella rendition of Bill Green’s “Under A Neon Halo.”
Katy Perry and Luke Bryan could be seen snapping along, but ultimately, Perry told him,“I think you need some music.”
“Great job getting up there and doing it a cappella!” Bryan applauded.
Cody Winkler took it in stride and shared, “Hey listen, I appreciate it. It’s a little hard getting up here without a steel guitar and all that in there.”
“I feel like I wanted to hear it with some music to really understand it. Is there anything that y’all play?” Perry said looking at Bryan.
Luke Bryan got up to join Winkler on acoustic guitar to perform George Strait’s 1981 major label debut single, “Unwound.”
“Well, that woman that I had wrapped around my finger/ Just come unwound/ She kicked me out of the house and tonight I’m whiskey bound/ Yeah, I’m gonna be the drunkest fool in town/ ‘Cause that woman that I had wrapped around my finger/ Just come unwound,” they sang.
“You did good Cody,” Bryan told him following their impromptu duet.
“You done good!” Perry complimented.
While his dad waited in the hallway, Cody Winkler awaited his Idol fate.
“That done filled my bucket,” Perry joked before offering the Idol hopeful some wise words of advice. “Listen Cody, you are authentic as it comes… as authentic as a tumbleweed tumbles… Practice with a metronome, your timing just needs to be a little bit better and you know you can lock into some of those notes just a little bit better, but you are authentic as it gets.”
“Cody you remind me of a different man that doesn’t even deal with just any kind of proper notes. You just sing like himself,” Lionel Richie explained.
“Who’s that?” Perry questioned.
“Willie [Nelson],” Richie said. “He don’t hit notes, he just sings like he wants to sing. I don’t know where you all are going, but I’m just going to tell you I like him a lot and I just like him enough to say ‘yes.’”
“Willie Nelson… The legend,” Cody said with a smile.
Ultimately, the judges’ panel decided he was not ready to advance to Hollywood.
“Cody, I still think there’s some fertilizing to do, but you got something real authentic,” Perry said before quickly adding, “It’s a no for me.”
Even though he did not earn a golden ticket, Cody Winkler said his short-lived American Idol experience was worth it.
“Luke Bryan is just an amazing Country singer. I mean, how many people can say they got to sing with a Country legend like Luke Bryan? It’s a memory that I’m going to keep with me the rest of my life and cherish,” he shared.
This isn’t the first time Luke Bryan left his judges’ chair to duet with a contestant. In 2021, he famously joined contestant Alex Miller to perform Merle Haggard’s “Big City.” Miller, a native of Kentucky, was just 17 at the time and earned a golden ticket to Hollywood. Re-live the memorable moment HERE.
American Idol airs Sundays at 8/7c on ABC.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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