Cody Johnson Recalls A Near-Death Experience
Cody Johnson credits the power of prayer with saving his life after a plane he was on nearly crashed.
Country star Cody Johnson has built the kind of life many dream of. He gets to do what he loves by making music for a living, travels the world to perform for thousands of fans, and has a wonderful life outside the spotlight with his wife and kids.
But a few years ago, everything almost changed in an instant when a plane he was on suddenly dropped midair. Johnson recently appeared on Dale Brisby’s Rodeo Time podcast, where he recalled the terrifying moment.
He shared that he, his wife Brandi, and his management team were flying from Mississippi to Austin, Texas, because he was scheduled to perform the national anthem at the NASCAR Cup Series.
It was supposed to be a fun experience, especially since a private jet had been sent to pick him up. It was something far more luxurious than what he was used to.
But once the plane reached around 40,000 to 50,000 feet, alarms started going off, and the aircraft began dropping fast.
Johnson also added that the situation had a bit of irony. He said that as their plane was going down, they were in the same area where Lynyrd Skynyrd’s plane crashed nearly 40 years earlier.
For those unfamiliar, the band was on a flight in 1977 when their plane ran out of fuel and went down near Gillsburg, Mississippi. The crash killed several people, including lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist and vocalist Steve Gaines, backing vocalist Cassie Gaines, road manager Dean Kilpatrick, and both pilots.
How “The Power Of Prayer” Saved Johnson And His Loved Ones From A Plane Crash
Johnson went on to say that he walked up to the pilot and asked what was going on.
“He was white as a sheet,” Johnson remembers. “He looked at me and said, ‘You need to sit down and make yourself ready. We’re going down.’ And I said, ‘Where are we putting it down?’ He said, ‘We’re not putting it down, we’re going down.”
After hearing the news, Johnson and everyone on board started preparing for the worst. He says he sat back down next to his wife and they began looking at pictures of their kids on their phone, knowing it could possibly be the last time they’d see them.
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The plane continued dropping at a rapid speed. Johnson said that “panels were falling off the walls” from the force.
As it began to feel like the end, Brandi started a group prayer. This was the moment that Johnson truly believed had changed everything.
“She gathered us around that back table in the plane, and we held hands. She went to praying out loud, speaking over that plane… and at 10,000 feet, it leveled off.”
After that, everyone miraculously made it to their destination safely.
Looking back, Johnson is certain the whole situation was resolved through the “power of prayer.”
Not long after the near-death experience, he says the plane was checked. The diagnostics showed there was nothing wrong with the aircraft.
“I truly, to this day, believe she prayed that plane into the air,” says Johnson.
You can watch the singer share the incredible story in the video below.
