‘The Rock’ Wants You Listening to Sturgill, Cody Jinks, Tyler Childers
We live in an era where a performance on The Tonight Show is not nearly as valuable as the ringing endorsement of an important celebrity on social media, for a musician or anyone else. And with the way radio refuses to support many artists, including some with major label deals, these influencer endorsements can go a long way in securing the fans that artists need not only to sustain their careers, but that they deserve due to their talent. Meanwhile the public gets clued into the great music they’re missing.
Early endorsements by Joe Rogan helped put Sturgill Simpson on the map. Multiple wrestler personalities and actors getting behind the cause of Colter Wall is one of the reasons he’s been enjoying such success. And Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson helped put a huge boost behind Cody Jinks when he shouted out the Ft. Worth-based singer out in 2017.
When The Rock first endorsed Cody Jinks, the actor had some 82.5 million Instagram followers. Now he has nearly doubled that to 149 million, and gave yet another ringing endorsement to the stalwarts of non commercial country this Sunday (7-7).
“Good shit Sunday. As a lifelong fan of country (traditional/outlaw) music, I highly recommend one of my favorite artists, Sturgill Simpson,” Dwayne Johnson said in an Instagram post, with the cover of Sturgill’s mangum opus Metamodern Sounds in Country Music as the image. “Sturgill, Cody Jinks, Tyler Childers, Stapleton, Jamey Johnson are a few of my favs who would’ve made Jennings, Merle, Paycheck, Cash, Gosdin and the Possum himself very proud to keep the tradition going. If you know, you know. Now jump in that truck and turn em up. #goodshitsunday #lowerbroad”
A lifelong country fan, Dwayne Johnson was once cast to play country legend Charley Pride in a biopic film. In 2011, actor Terrence Howard backed out of the position and Johnson reportedly stepped in. However the Charley Pride film has been indefinitely delayed due to what is rumored to be rights issues with some of the film’s material.
The Rock has named dropped Cody Jinks, Sturgill Simpson, and Jamey Johnson before. But now he’s adding Tyler Childers to the list, just as the Kentucky native has signed a deal with RCA/Sony, and is getting ready to release his latest album Country Squire on August 2nd.
July 8, 2019 @ 10:59 am
I’m not a Dwayne Johnson groupie or anything, and I’m really not a fan of most of his films, but I find it hard not to really like this dude. Seems like a genuinely good guy, with great taste in music to boot. Now that pretty much any celebrity can run and win, some small goofy part of me really wants Dwayne Johnson to run for president.
Side note, Johnson playing Pride? A hulked out Samoan version? How would that work?
July 8, 2019 @ 11:33 am
I’m not political, so he’s have my vote just for his personality
July 8, 2019 @ 2:32 pm
When the Rock was attached to the Charley Pride movie it was during the time when he thought Hollywood wanted him to be smaller and he was around 220 (check him out during the Toothfairy) so it wouldn’t of been as hulked out. On another note the Rock can sing and learned to play guitar because he wanted to play Patsy Cline, which is beyond awesome in my book.
July 8, 2019 @ 2:40 pm
The Rock wanted to play Patsy Cline? Man’s got ambition.
July 9, 2019 @ 5:57 am
Haha, that too made me giggle. Rock as Charley Pride. Can’t wrap my brain around that one. Even with the knowledge Charley was a baseball player and athletic, still can’t picture that portrayal seriously. But now it’s got me thinkin…Honky Tonk Man as David Allan Coe, Rick Flair as Charlie Rich, Macho Man Randy Savage as Webb Pierce, oh the possibilities…
July 9, 2019 @ 8:10 am
The Rock as Charley Pride….hmmm.. guest starring Honky Tonk Man as Charlie Rich and Hulk Hogan as Porter Waggoner and Rowdy Roddy Piper as Willie Nelson. I like it. Wrasslin’ meets Country. I’d watch it!
July 8, 2019 @ 11:04 am
Hopefully the Charley Pride movie is made while Mr. Pride is still alive.
July 8, 2019 @ 11:32 am
If you know, you know.
July 8, 2019 @ 12:13 pm
the rock is a walking, talking clinic in marketing to the mainstream masses on a monumental scale . the guy has learned how to BE and SELL a product like few outside of Arnold . more power to him for the effort he puts into doing that. he’s a living action figure for the comic book times the younger generation has been seduced by . sure , for their sakes I’m happy that he ‘endorses’ the acts mentioned above and maybe some folks will be made aware of those options . but let’s hope they don’t buy in just cuz the rock says to . God forbid if the rock were an FGL , Rhett or Aldone fan . …..or president !
July 8, 2019 @ 12:30 pm
The Rock is a National Treasure
July 8, 2019 @ 5:30 pm
hmmmmm
I respect your feelings , but I don’t have a lot of friends who’d describe him in those terms .
In any case , if you honestly feel that way he’s certainly doing his job .
July 9, 2019 @ 1:01 pm
Agree, and he is Samoan and spent time in New Zealand and is very humble about where he came from and what his roots are. Also I promote stuff on my SM, if I purchase something that’s awesome or sustainable or go somewhere that’s got great service and good food I will give a shout out because supporting local bushiness is a huge deal. In my country small local businesses are the heart and soul and I love supporting them by letting others know about them. It’s just being part of a community. Also there’s nothing wrong with supporting someone’s art. Freedom of choice means you do what you want not based on what someone else posts. I see so many promotional posts by people I follow and I choose not to buy those products or read that book etc on a daily basis, it’s really not that hard.
July 8, 2019 @ 1:45 pm
I clicked on this just to see WHAT THE ROCK IS COOOOKING!”
July 8, 2019 @ 2:04 pm
Totally appreciate what Dwayne said about “the other side of Country” guys. My son is 27 and on the autism spectrum and adores Chris Stapleton & Sturgill. Having once been involved in traditional Country Radio – then Alternative/Americana – I have a special appreciation for who was mentioned here. The Rock digs Vern Gosdin? Now that’s cool! An aside: don’t forget the WOMEN who make all kinds of Country pop and sizzle. Trisha Yearwood just had plenty to say re: that to the BBC. Time for Radio to make some radical moves and assure equal time to powerful female singers. Mainstream and “other.”. Thanks. Rock! I’m a Jazz girl now but still love what’s GREAT about Country ????????
July 8, 2019 @ 5:07 pm
I smell what you’re cooking Dwayne.
And it smells fantastic.
July 9, 2019 @ 6:27 am
Just another reason to love The Rock.
July 9, 2019 @ 7:02 am
I had him pegged as a Nickleback fan.
July 10, 2019 @ 4:09 pm
Looks like The Rock has been hanging out with Stone Cold. Y’know, I’m starting to think that maybe these guys don’t hate each other as much as it looks like on TV.