Cody Johnson spoke about the bond he has with Whitsitt Chapel star Jelly Roll when he took the historic Grand Ole Opry stage on Wednesday evening (June 5) in Nashville, Tennessee.

Johnson told the Opry crowd that he and Jelly Roll “struck up a conversation, exchanged phone numbers, and we’ve been some of the best friends ever since.” The two award-winning artists “talk about things from marriage, to trials, to life, to church, to music, to music business, to stuff that don’t have anything to do with nothing. He’s a really good friend of mine.”

Johnson previously told the story about his duet with Jelly Roll during an interview on The Bobby Bones Show. He teamed up with Jelly Roll on “Whiskey Bent,” one of 12 tracks to appear on his 2023 album, Leather. That project also includes hit singles “Dirt Cheap” and “The Painter,” among other highlights by the Texas-born singer-songwriter. Johnson introduced Jelly Roll to the Opry stage to perform their collaboration live. Both artists were part of the star-studded lineup on Wednesday, performing hits from their respective 2023 albums.

Earlier this year, Johnson teased the deluxe edition of Leather when he took the stage at the 2024 Country Radio Seminar (CRS) in Nashville. Though he said the deluxe edition will release this year, he has not confirmed a release date as of publication time.

Johnson kicked off his headlining “The Leather Tour”earlier this year, featuring special guests Justin Moore, Chris Janson and Dillon Carmichael. See the remaining dates below.

6-14 N. Lawrence, OH The Country Fest+

6-13 Bloomington, IL Tailgate N’ Tallboys+ (on sale now)

7-11 Ft. Loramie, OH Country Concert @ Hickory Hills Lakes+

7-13 Chicago, IL Windy City Smokeout+ (on sale now)

8-17 Denver, CO Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater

+Cody Festival dates