Essie Country’s
Real Country Music
Song of the Week
May 17-23, 2026
Midnight Cowboy
Released 09/13/2024
by John Haywood
(Source Spotify)
Intro by Gene Johns
I’m always looking for “real” country music—and it appears John Haywood is too. His song “Midnight Cowboy” tells the story of a search for traditional country sounds that Nashville seems to ignore.
With Nashville bars playing the same ole “fake” country heard on the radio, he searches for a DJ he calls the “Midnight Cowboy,” playing the sounds of Willie, Waylon, and Haggard. Instead, he finds empty dance floors and closed honky-tonks—places where that music once lived.
This up-tempo chronicle of real country music’s decline offers a refreshing look at where the genre stands today. This song has energy, creative insight, and a memorable melody, all coming together in a well-crafted song.
John may not have found his Midnight Cowboy—but Essie Country has. “Midnight Cowboy” by John Haywood is this week’s Essie Country’s Real Country Song of the Week. You can find it by clicking the link below:
Midnight Cowboy
by John Haywood
⬇️
https://youtu.be/roDAaIiYNqk?si=fc90e2mjaRnmxKty
