If you walk into a record store today and ask for Jamey Johnson, they’ll point you to the double-album masterpiece The Guitar Song or maybe the gritty, platinum-selling That Lonesome Song. But there is a ghost in his discography. A project most fans have never actually held in their hands. I’m talking about the Jamey Johnson They Call Me Country CD, a self-released relic from 2002 that basically predates the beard, the outlaw legend status, and the Nashville machine.
It’s the rawest version of Jamey you’ll ever hear. No big-budget Nashville polish. Just a guy who had recently traded a Marine Corps uniform for a guitar, trying to figure out if his stories were worth more than the paper he wrote them on.
The 2002 Secret: What Really Is "They Call Me Country"?
Most folks think The Dollar (2006) was Jamey’s debut. Technically? For the industry, yeah. But the Jamey Johnson They Call Me Country CD is the true origin story. He self-released this thing in 2002 under "Jamey Johnson Entertainment."
He wasn't famous. He was playing the honky-tonks on Lower Broadway—places like Tootsie’s and Legends Corner—trying to catch a break. He recorded most of it in Dave Brainard's apartment. Can you imagine that? One of the most powerful voices in country music history, tracking vocals in a living room while probably trying not to annoy the neighbors.
The production reflects that. It's thin compared to his later work, but the soul is there. You can hear the hunger. Honestly, it’s a time capsule of a man who hadn't been beaten down by the industry yet, but was already writing about "Hard Times."
The Tracklist: 12 Songs That Started Everything
The CD contains 12 tracks. Some of these songs disappeared into the ether, while others became the foundation of his live sets for decades.
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- Letter To Mama
- Hard Times
- They Call Me Country
- Old Faded Diamond
- The Beer Song
- Betty On The Line
- Sweet Beulah Land
- Forty Years Ago
- Is It Raining
- The Rebel
- Old Maple Guitar
- Alabama
You see that track "Old Maple Guitar"? That’s an ode to his Epiphone EJ-200, the one he bought in Montgomery back in ’95. He calls it "Ole Maple." It’s the same guitar that’s now covered in signatures from legends like Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard. Hearing him sing about it in 2002, before those signatures were even there, is kinda surreal.
Then there’s "The Rebel." It’s a mission statement. Even back then, Jamey wasn't going to play the "pretty boy" country game. He was already leaning into that Waylon Jennings-esque defiance that would eventually make him an icon.
Why Collectors Are Obsessed With This CD
Trying to find an original copy of the Jamey Johnson They Call Me Country CD is like hunting for a unicorn in a camo hat. It’s rare. Very rare.
On sites like Discogs, the median price for a physical copy usually hovers around $120, but I’ve seen them listed for upwards of $200. Why? Because Jamey doesn't really talk about it. It’s not on Spotify in its original form. It isn't getting a 25th-anniversary vinyl reissue anytime soon.
It’s the ultimate "I was a fan before he was cool" badge of honor.
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The Sound: Real Country vs. Radio Country
If you’re expecting the deep, gravelly baritone of 2026 Jamey Johnson, you might be surprised. His voice on this CD is a bit higher, a bit cleaner. He sounds younger—mostly because he was younger.
But the songwriting? That’s where the expert-level craft shows up early. "Is It Raining" was co-written by the legendary Hank Cochran and Vern Gosdin. For a kid to be getting cuts with those guys in his early twenties tells you everything you need to know about his talent.
It's "hillbilly" in the best way. It’s fiddle-heavy. It’s got that swing that Nashville started abandoning in the early 2000s in favor of pop-country crossovers. Jamey went the other way. He stayed in the dirt.
How "They Call Me Country" Paved the Way for "The Dollar"
By 2005, Jamey finally landed a deal with BNA Records. They took some of that early momentum and polished it up. But the industry is a fickle beast. BNA dropped him after his first major album didn't "perform" the way they wanted.
That rejection is what actually turned Jamey into the legend we know. He lost the deal, lost his marriage, and moved into a friend's house. He stopped shaving. He started writing the songs that became That Lonesome Song.
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But if you listen to the Jamey Johnson They Call Me Country CD, you realize that "Outlaw Jamey" wasn't a character he created to sell records after getting dropped. He was always that guy. He just hadn't grown the beard yet.
Key Takeaways for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive into this specific era of Jamey's career, keep these things in mind:
- Check the Credits: The CD was mastered by Jerry Gowen and features Chris Tompkins on piano. These guys are Nashville staples now, but back then, they were just Jamey’s buddies.
- Verify the Label: Genuine copies will say "Jamey Johnson Entertainment" or sometimes "YMH1226." If it looks like a cheap bootleg with a blurry photo, it probably is.
- The Hidden Gems: Don't sleep on "Sweet Beulah Land." It’s a gospel classic, and Jamey’s version is hauntingly beautiful. It shows a side of him that doesn't always make it onto the "beer and whiskey" playlists.
- The Rarity Factor: Because it was "made-on-demand" or sold out of the back of a truck, there aren't thousands of these sitting in a warehouse. If you see one at a garage sale for five bucks, grab it and run.
Is It Worth the Hunt?
Honestly? Yeah.
If you're a casual listener who just likes "In Color," you might find the production on this early CD a bit dated. It sounds like 2002. It sounds like an indie project.
But if you want to understand the DNA of a Grand Ole Opry member, you have to go back to the beginning. The Jamey Johnson They Call Me Country CD isn't just an album; it’s a testament to staying true to yourself before anyone else believes in you.
Before the Grammy nominations and the platinum plaques, there was just a guy from Alabama with an "Old Maple Guitar" and a story to tell.
To track down a copy of this piece of country music history, start by scouring secondary marketplaces like Discogs or eBay specifically for the 2002 self-release version. Be sure to verify the tracklist against the original 12-song run to avoid later compilations. If you can't find a physical disc, look for high-quality archival uploads on fan forums—it’s the only way to hear the raw, apartment-recorded origins of one of the genre’s most authentic voices.