Cody Johnson Says His Recent Ear Surgery Has Affected His Mental Health, “I Wanna Be Better”
on Nov 24, 2025
It’s been a challenging few months for Cody Johnson, mentally and physically.
In October, Johnson shared with his fans that he had to undergo emergency surgery on his eardrum after it ruptured due to a severe upper respiratory and sinus infection.
Recovery from a serious injury like this can be long. So, Johnson said he would have to put things on hold for a while. He also added that he would have to cancel the remaining shows on his 2025 tour.
Putting your career and life on hold for an uncertain amount of time can be incredibly difficult. Not to mention the physical pain Johnson has been dealing with, too.
In a recent interview with Taste of Country, the “‘Til You Can’t” singer opened up about how he’s feeling and shared how the experience has affected his mental health.
“Everything kind of sounds a little funny right now,” he said. “It has pissed me off, for lack of a better way of saying it.”
“I’ve been so irritated because I know I wanna hear these things and I wanna be better,” he added, “but it’s taught me a lot of patience.”
For now, there’s nothing Johnson can do but “sit back, wait, and let it heal.”
He does plan to get back on the road in February 2026, though. He recently announced additional tour dates to make up for his unexpected time off.
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Cody Johnson Was Named A Winner At The 59th Annual CMA Awards
Last week, the 2025 CMA Awards took place in Nashville, Tennessee.
Although Cody Johnson had to give up his spot in the performance lineup because of his recent surgery, he still attended the show since he was nominated in four categories.
He earned nods for Male Vocalist of the Year, Musical Event of the Year, Music Video of the Year, and the night’s biggest honor, Entertainer of the Year.
Johnson ended up taking home the Male Vocalist of the Year trophy, which marked his first win in the category.
