Johnson quit college after two years and served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve for eight years. While in the Marines, he began playing country music in various bars in the Montgomery area; one of his first gigs was opening for David Allan Coe. By 2000, Johnson had moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a career in country music. One of his first connections was with Greg Perkins, a fiddler who had played for Tanya Tucker, Tammy Wynette, and other artists. Perkins invited Johnson to sing as a duet partner with Gretchen Wilson on a demo tape. Songs for which Johnson sang demos include "Songs About Me" (cut by Trace Adkins) and "That's How They Do It in Dixie" (cut by Hank Williams, Jr. with Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson, and Van Zant).