NASHVILLE, Tennessee- In September of 2023, my brother sent me a video of a country song called “If Daddy Didn’t Have a Truck” by Cody Webb. At the time, TikTok wouldn’t play it because of “sensitive religious content.” That naturally made me want to listen and find out what about the song was so offensive.
For inexplicable reasons, the lyrics I’da never known Jesus loves me/ Fell in love with kicking up dirt/ I’da never known how forgiveness or a carburetor works/ Only the good Lord knows how a good ol’ boy like me mighta wound up/ If Mama didn’t have a Bible/ And Daddy didn’t have a truck were not permissible to the general public.
After hearing Webb’s name mentioned a few more times, I knew it was time to track him down and learn more about this gifted singer/songwriter.
Webb hails from Ridge Spring, South Carolina, where a musical family surrounded him. His mother was the music minister at his hometown church, and his father was a singer-songwriter and musician. His childhood consisted of hunting, fishing, sports, and music.
He said, “I was surrounded by music. My dad had a little a southern rock kind of band and had written a bunch of songs when I was a kid.”
And he, like many children of music ministers, was forced to take piano lessons whether he wanted to or not. But shortly thereafter, he also began taking guitar lessons from his dad’s friend, and by age 12, when he picked up the guitar again, he was rehearsing with his dad’s band.
In high school, Webb played basketball and football. He then attended Clemson and got a degree in mechanical engineering. During this time, he also played acoustic sets with his dad on many weekends.
“I always wanted to do something with music but I didn’t know what that meant. I had never been exposed to the music business. I just knew that you go and book and play shows and try to write songs. I didn’t know how to put any of it together until I visited Nashville in 2011, during my senior year at Clemson. It just kind of blew me away and I knew that I had to be there,” he recalled.
But after graduating from Clemson with an engineering degree and completing two summer internships, Webb never pursued it as a career. He played as many shows as possible and saved his money so he could move to Nashville.
In 2014, Webb got married and officially moved to Music City where he got a writing deal with an independent publishing company. He continued playing shows and writing music. In 2015 Webb co-wrote a song with Luke Combs “Memories Are Made Of” that ended up being on Comb’s deluxe album in 2018.
Webb shared, “At the time, Luke Combs was doing the same thing we were. Nobody knew who he was and, we were just a couple buddies writing some songs together.”
The song did quite well and helped the South Carolina singer maintain some momentum. It proved to him that making a living as a country music artist was possible.
Since then, Webb has opened for Charlie Daniels, Morgan Wallen, Cole Swindell, Riley Green, and Eastern Corbin, to name a few. When he played a show at Whiskey Jam in Nashville, a lady was recruiting talent for the 2019 NFL draft and he just happened to be at the right place at the right time. She was impressed, and he got booked to perform at the draft, which was viewed by millions of people.
“We got all kinds of brand partnerships out of it like Natural Light and Chevrolet that came out of nowhere and definitely opened a lot of doors as well,” Webb said.
In 2019, Webb released the fishing boat party song “Jon Boat” which is a salute to the searing South Carolina summers. The song had millions of streams.
By 2023, the singer/songwriter had written and released three more personal songs. ‘If Daddy Didn’t Have a Truck” is a tribute to his parents, “Crazy On Me” is a love song about his wife, and “Don’t Grow Up Too Fast” is a song he wrote for his daughter that originally he never intended to release.
“It got up to number 13 on the iTunes Country Charts, the highest I have ever had a song get up to and it’s just kind of been the first song I’ve ever had that went viral. We had one video that got, I think, 23 million views or something like that and it’s been a lot of fun to watch. A lot of people can relate to that song,” he explained.
In 2024, Webb released “Fishin’ With Jesus” a song that points out that being on the lake alone with nature and your thoughts can be just as much a spiritual experience as attending a church service.
Today, Webb released his next heartfelt song, “Daddy Did,” a song that is a thank-you note to his father. From the intro of the pedal steel, the song pulls you in as he fondly remembers all the things his dad did for him.
When you hear the lyrics Now it’s my time to take the wheel/ I got some big ol’ shoes to fill/Ten-foot tall shot gun ridin’/taggin’ along with my Red Rider/ Now my little girl’s learning to drive that Ford/ Daddy taught me, now I’m payin’ it forward/ Front porch hand me down pocket knife wisdom/ Hold your mouth right whenever you’re fishin’/ I didn’t realize he was teaching me all about life/ But Daddy did… hopefully it will bring back fond memories, but if it doesn’t, it will make you want to be a better parent.
Webb said, “I believe what I do, starts with a song and that a song is the foundation of what we do in the music business. As an artist, I’ve always wanted to take writing very seriously. I don’t want to put my style in a box; I just want to always release great songs that make me feel something.”
He will continue to tell his truths with new music coming out every month or two. When you hear his music, it is authentic and relatable because it comes from a very real place deep within. That alongside his honey-soaked vocals makes this Carolina crooner one to keep on your radar.
You can follow Webb on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and all streaming services.
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Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram, and X(Twitter).
