Cody Hibbard Talks About His Journey

Cody Hibbard’s rebellious spirit nearly cost him his life. In a recent interview with PEOPLE, the country music star revealed his lifelong tendency to do the opposite of what he’s told, a trait that has led him down some challenging paths.

Initially inspired to join the Marines, he later accepted an invitation to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. However, during his time there, a shoulder injury led to two surgeries and a subsequent dependency on prescription medication.

“I got on pain medication from the first surgery, and I got easily hooked,” Hibbard explained. “I wanted more and needed more and didn’t think something a doctor would give you would be that bad.”

Hibbard left the Naval Academy to attend another school, but his dependency on pain medication followed him. He soon realized he was addicted. “I was doing a lot of it behind people’s backs,” he said. “I was really good at hiding things. I remember waking up in the hospital. My friends had just dropped me off at the front steps of the emergency room. They must have got scared and drove off. I knew I had a problem.”

Amid his battle with addiction, Hibbard found an escape in music. He released his first EP, Memory and a Dirt Road, in January of 2020, followed by his self-titled EP, Cody Hibbard. He’s currently promoting his new project, Long Ride in a Short Bed, an album that delves deeply into his personal experiences, including his struggle with addiction and his crisis of faith.

“‘Kill the Messenger’ is my song about how I got so mad at my religion,” Hibbard says of Long Ride in a Short Bed. “I had spent most of my life following a pastor that ended up doing some really bad stuff, and so that’s where the symbolism comes in on that song. I had to really dig down deep and, in my mind, I wanted to ask myself if I wasted all that time going to Bible studies and church camps?”

Eventually, Hibbard “quit pills cold turkey” ten years ago when he found out his ex was pregnant with his first child, giving him a newfound purpose. “I took some pills, and I was drinking whatever I had. I was behind on every single bill. My ex had wanted to leave me. I was a young father, and I was trying to pay for whatever took care of our daughter. And I’ll admit it — I didn’t care. I lost my first house. I thought the repo man was after me. I thought the cops were after me because I was behind on my bills. I didn’t know how any of that worked.”