Cody Belew

Country singer-songwriter Cody Belew spent his childhood in Arkansas learning to fish, ride horses and hunting down lightning bugs with a mason jar in hand. His love of the deep rooted history of Southern music and the various styles and cultures it encapsulates is clearly reflected in the gritty/soulful textures that make him a standout in contemporary country music.
To listen to Cody Belew is to be taken on a journey through Southern Louisiana's Cajun music, the soulful sounds of Memphis' Beale Street Blues, Kentucky Bluegrass music, and Nashville's Country.
== Early life ==
Cody Belew was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, growing up in the town of Beebe, Arkansas. He is the son of Stephen and Lisa Belew and has one brother, James Casey Belew. He graduated from Beebe High School before attending Arkansas Tech University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Musical performance and a minor in Theatre. 
Cody’s childhood was a combination of rough and tumble and heavy musical influences; his father was a bull rider and his mother sang in the church choir. As a kid growing up in a small town, he quickly gained local recognition from his peers as a talented and well-versed singer. He frequently sang at local churches and performed the The Star-Spangled Banner at various local rodeos and other sporting events. 
In 2002, Cody auditioned with Stevie Wonder’s “Once in My Life” and won Arkansas Idol for a local Fox Broadcasting Company. They flew him out to Los Angeles, California to the season finale of American Idol (season 1)|American Idol (Season 1).
== Career ==
In 2010, Cody wrote and recorded a 7-song EP entitled Paradise.
In 2011, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee to advance his career in country music. In December of 2011, Cody was invited to audition for The Voice (American season 3) (the first season to win an Emmy Awards). He spent a year on the show being coached by CeeLo Green.
In 2013, Cody wrote and recorded a 12-song album called What You’re Looking For, engineered, mixed, and produced by Dustin Ransom. He followed it up with a 2016 5-song EP titled Love Drunk Crazy, produced by multi-Grammy Awards winning producer and engineer Chad Carlson (Trisha Yearwood, Taylor Swift, Josh Gallagher, and more).
2019 saw the release of a single called “The Choice (A Lonely Heart Makes),” which was later featured in the popular show on The CW Network called Roswell, New Mexico (TV series). Later that year, he released another single, “Crimes,” produced by Justin Tocket (Marc Broussard, Sean McConnell, and others).
In 2020, Cody released a cover track of “A Thousand Miles from Nowhere” by Dwight Yoakam, which was produced by Skyler Wilson. In December of that year, he released an original holiday track, “Hang Your Hat on My Christmas Tree,” produced by Skyler Wilson. The track was featured on Paramount Network (international) Dashing in December.
=== Collaborations ===
In 2012, Cody joined notable artists such as Rod Stewart, Eric Benét, as well as his fellow cast members from The Voice (American TV series)|The Voice to perform alongside Cee Lo Green for his holiday television special, “Cee Lo & Friends,” with The Muppets. While on The Voice in 2012, Cody performed alongside “Changed (song)|Changed” with Rascal Flatts.
In 2013, Cody performed alongside Florida Georgia Line and Dierks Bentley at RiverFest in Little Rock, Arkansas. 
In 2020, Peppermint (entertainer) from RuPaul's Drag Race released a dance rendition of Cody’s 2013 title track “What You’re Looking For.”
== Personal life ==
Cody has done charity work with Heifer International, a global nonprofit working to eradicate poverty and hunger through sustainable, values-based holistic community development. Cody recorded a song called “Say Love” with all of the song proceeds going to the non-profit.
A supporter of the Democratic Party (United States), in 2019, Cody performed for a benefit concert in Nashville for the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign. He is very outspoken about social equity and inclusion for all minorities, and continues to work with and for the LGBT community throughout his endeavors. In 2020, he spoke with OUT LOUD: LGBT Stories of Faith and in the summer of 2021, he took part in Ty Herndon and CMT (American TV channel)|CMT's Concert For Love & Acceptance.
== Discography ==
* 2010 – Paradise (EP)
* 2013 – What You’re Looking For (album)
* 2016 – Love Drunk Crazy (album)
* 2019 – “The Choice (A Lonely Heart Makes)” (single)
* 2019 – "Crimes" (single)
* 2020 – “A Thousand Miles from Nowhere” (single)
* 2020 – “Hang Your Hat on My Christmas Tree” (single)
*2021 – The Eastside Covers (EP)
Category:People from Little Rock, Arkansas
Category:Arkansas Tech University alumni
Category:American singer-songwriters