Country singer Cody Johnson will never forget how he felt when he heard his latest single, “Dirt Cheap,” for the first time. Penned by songwriter Josh Phillips, the track was sent to Johnson’s producer Trent Willmon. Johnson was nearly brought to tears by Phillips’s emotional performance. He told ABC Audio that after he listened to the heartfelt track, he asked, “Where did this song come from?”
Released on his 2023 album, “Leather,” “Dirt Cheap” has since become a country radio darling, rocketing to the top spot on the charts. It’s now a favorite among fans of the Texas-born troubadour. But the song’s origin story begins in Tennessee, where Phillips and his wife bought a fixer-upper farmhouse they intended to sell after renovations.
