Cody Johnson opened up about the “scary” ear injury that required “immediate surgery” and months of vocal rest and recovery.

Johnson joined Bobby Bones on a new BobbyCast episode that made its debut on Tuesday (February 10). Throughout the podcast, which is now available to watch on Netflix, the pair spoke about “the scariest kind of setback for a singer,” how there was an unexpected silver lining to the recovery period, getting back into the studio after the injury, his time working in a prison, the story behind his duet with Carrie Underwood, and more.

The Texas-born superstar said he “blew my ear drum last year, and it was scary. You know, whenever you make a living with your throat and your ears, that’s a really sensitive subject, you know? Any vocal trouble at all, you’re like ‘oh gosh,’ and any ear trouble at all.

“But everything happens for a reason, man. I was home for when my son was born, which I probably wouldn’t have been. So, I was very thankful for that,” Johnson continued. he and his wife, Brandi Johnson, welcomed Baby No. 3, son Jaycee Daniel, in October 2025. “(I) had a lot of time off to really just kind of get back to center, get back to getting ready for a huge year. And having that time off, I was able to really rest, really hone in back on my diet, on my workout program, you know, like mentally getting really focused and honed in on what’s to come. And, you know, really, in all reality, the vocal rest was amazing,” he said of the positive outlook on the experience. “I just did a week in the studio doing final vocals on my album that’s gonna be coming out this year, and I was locked in. I was like, ‘man, maybe that three months was like the best thing that ever happened to me.’”

Bobby asked the “Dirt Cheap” singer, “what happened to your ear, exactly?”

“So, they call it a diver’s burst because I had water in my ear, and it’s a lit of what diver’s do when they get water in their ears and they’re trying to come out of the water too quick, it’ll just burst,” Johnson explained. “And so, I blew like 40% of it.”

Johnson announced “with a very heavy heart” in October 2025, weeks before his son’s arrival, that he would have to cancel his remaining performances throughout the year because of the injury. “While battling a severe upper respiratory and sinus infection, I burst my ear drum. The severity of the rupture means I must undergo immediate surgery,” the singer-songwriter shared at the time. “The healing process will take many weeks, and it is not possible for me to sing during this time. Without the surgery my downtime could be months. I pray for full healing so I can get well and return to doing what I love. Thank you COJO Nation for the love and support now, and always.”

Hours later, Johnson shared another update after he’d returned home from his surgery in Houston, Texas. Johnson’s “doctor said the surgery went great. (I) should make a full recovery with the proper rehab. I’ve got a lot of follow up doctor’s appointments to go yet. I just wanted to say thanks for all the texts, the calls, the prayer requests, all the good wishes. I’ve really felt the love. So, I’m gonna do my best to recharge, and I can’t wait to see you guys in 2026.”

Find the full BobbyCast episode on iHeartRadio and on Netflix.