Eric Church Debuts Heartfelt Song ‘Johnny’ Inspired by Tragic School Shooting at CRS 2025
At the Country Radio Seminar, Eric Church blew away the audience with ‘Johnny’, backed by a powerful choir. Church wrote the moving song just hours after the Nashville Covenant School shooting happened.
The shooting’s closeness to his kids’ school inspired this emotional piece. While the song takes cues from Charlie Daniels’ classic ‘The Devil Went Down to Georgia’, its message speaks to today’s struggles.
The CRS show gave everyone a peek at Church’s new musical direction. He’s now working in the studio with orchestra sounds and choir vocals, according to Whiskey Riff.
His new music takes a different turn. Big orchestras and powerful choirs now blend with his usual style. You can hear this new sound in “Darkest Hour,” where gospel meets his gritty edge.
Today’s issues still run deep in his songs. In ‘Johnny,’ he talks about violence while looking for hope. The lyrics mix modern-day messages with old-school country storytelling.
Coming out in 2025, the new album keeps his honest approach. But now it’s dressed up with rich musical arrangements that break new ground.
Church and Luke Combs both were honored with the 2025 Artist Humanitarian Award at CRS. They earned it for jumping in to help during North Carolina’s hurricane crisis.
