Cody Jinks Gives Unexpected Opportunity to Kentucky’s Jordan Foster

Many fans love to dote on the strong character of their favorite country music artists, but it’s stories like these that really help illustrate it.

Somerset, Kentucky-based singer and songwriter Jordan Foster was playing a show Saturday, July 20th at Champions Sports Bar & Grill in Richmond, Kentucky when no other than Cody Jinks walked in the door. Jinks was in town playing two sold out shows at the Eastern Kentucky University’s Center for the Arts only a couple of blocks from Champions, and stopped in after his performance for a drink.

A huge Cody Jinks fan, Jordan Foster was shocked when as he was singing the old Waylon Jennings standard “Don’t You Think This Outlaw Bit’s Done Got Out of Hand,” Cody Jinks emerged from the crowd, along with singer-songwriter Josh Morningstar, and started singing with him.

“It was just so cool that it was him that came in because he’s one of my favorites out there and he’s someone I’ve always thought has done everything right in a world where everyone’s doing it the wrong way,” Foster tells Saving Country Music.

Jinks stayed all the way until the end of Jordan’s show, and afterwards invited Jordan to hang out with him on the bus where Jinks requested to hear some of Jordan’s recorded material. Jinks took a particular shine to Jordan’s songs “Gypsy Blues,” “Crystal Clear,” and “The Bed I’m Laying” from his recent two albums. 

“He listened to them all several times and loved them,” Jordan says. “That meant so much to me to have someone I look up to so much love the songs I’ve written and sang. That’s something I’ll never forget!”

Cody Jinks was so impressed with the Jordan and his music, he invited him to open the show the next night with his band. Jordan took the stage Sunday (6-21) and performed “Whitehouse Road” by fellow Kentuckian Tyler Childers, and reprised his performance of Waylon’s “Outlaw Bit” with Cody Jinks and Josh Morningstar from the bar the night before.

“The crowd went crazy during all my songs and even gave us a standing ovation,” Jordan Foster says. “As I was was walking off the stage Cody was waiting on me and said, ‘Turn around man look, they’re standing up for you!’ It was an awesome experience.” 

From local country bands who perform three hours a night for beer and tips just hoping for a shot at the big time, to performers who’ve risen to be able to sell out theaters on multiple nights without any mainstream radio play, country music is still alive in the hearts of the performers and audiences big and small, and forever connected from the passion for the music.

Jordan Foster’s latest record ‘In Back & White’ was released in 2018. The new album from Cody Jinks, ‘After The Fire,’ will be released on October 4th.