Cody Johnson’s acoustic cover of Don Williams’ classic “If Hollywood Don’t Need You” has drawn more than 400,000 views on Instagram since its release on July 28th, reigniting fan calls for a full covers album.
Johnson posted the stripped-down performance — filmed by his regular photographer and videographer JT Colston — as a straightforward tribute to a song he has been performing for at least eight years. “Always loved this old Don Williams tune. Written by Bob McDill,” Johnson wrote in the caption. The cover arrives during an active stretch for the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year, who released his tenth studio album, Banks of the Trinity, just a month earlier on June 26th, 2026.
A Song With Deep Country Roots
“If Hollywood Don’t Need You (Honey I Still Do)” was written by acclaimed songwriter Bob McDill and released by Williams in November 1982. It became the 13th number-one hit of Williams’ career and maintained its popularity well into the following year, landing at number 23 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs year-end chart for 1983. Johnson’s longstanding connection to both Williams and McDill — fellow Texans — comes through clearly in the performance.
The response in the comments was immediate and consistent — fans are pushing hard for Johnson to take the material into a proper recording session. Among the reactions: “So when do we get an album of stripped down covers like this?”, “Cody can we please get a full album of these old covers!”, and “You need to record this and drop it.” It is not the first time Johnson has drawn this kind of reaction with a cover; over the years he has also performed or recorded “Whoever’s In New England,” “Travelin’ Soldier,” “If We Make It Through December,” and “The Chair.”
Banks of the Trinity Anchors a Busy Year
Banks of the Trinity, Johnson’s tenth studio album, arrived June 26th, 2026, and contains no covers — instead featuring collaborations with Luke Combs and Brothers Osborne alongside originals including “Horseback,” “I Want You,” “Kissing a Married Woman,” and “Bible for a Boy (for Jaycee).” The album takes its name from the Trinity River in Texas, where Johnson grew up in Sebastopol in Trinity County. Its cover art features Lawrence’s Grocery Store, a place Johnson visited regularly as a child. “As a kid, I used to ride my bike two miles down an old dirt road just to get a cream soda and a Blue Bell ice cream bar,” he said of the album’s inspiration. “This record is my way of going back to those dirt roads.”
With Banks of the Trinity still fresh and fan appetite for a covers project clearly growing, Johnson’s audience will be watching closely to see whether that acoustic direction turns into something more formal.
