Meet country's newest outlaw (Updated March 20, 2013)

In artist years, he is still a relative newcomer to the country music scene. In reality, Jamey Johnson is a grizzled veteran representing a bygone era, carrying the torch for the fading traditional sound of a genre oft-leaning to a much more modern era.

Forget the ripped t-shirts, muscle tanks and the skin tight jeans of the men currently at the top of the country charts. Upon laying eyes on Johnson, it's evident he's the antithesis of the Kenny Chesneys and Luke Bryans of Nashville, opting instead for a graying, unkempt beard, unruly hair and a basic wardrobe of a plain black shirt and worn jeans. He prefers honkey tonks and watering holes to arenas and amphitheaters, can be as surly as he can be personable and holds a red Dixie cup longer than he holds the truly rapt attention of his audience some nights. Still, Johnson has been one of the most sought-after tickets in all of country music.

It's a shock to the system of some of Johnson's most die-hard fans that he's the same man responsible for penning the cheeky Trace Adkins' hit "Honkey Tonk Badonkadonk," holds a co-write on the No. 1 George Strait single "Give it Away" and had a video directed by Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey in which the actor also starred as a dancing gorilla. In fact, Johnson's focus since the 2008 hit "In Color" seems to have been a re-dedication to ruggedness. His 2010 Grammy nominated album "The Guitar Song" was followed by "Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran" in 2012, in which Johnson paired with acts like Ray Price and Merle Haggard.

It's obvious with Johnson that what you see (and hear) is what you get, and most of the time it's a blend of tribute songs and original tunes that make up Johnson's nightly playlist. In 2013, you can find him crawling the bars and saloons that have become a true home away from home to one of country's most venerable artists.

Jamey Johnson Tickets - Talk About Some Gritty Country Music!

Move over, Willie Nelson (not really -- Willie, we love you). Here is this Alabama native and former Marine by the name of Jamey Johnson, a singer and songwriter that literally climbed up the music food chain through tons of hard work. As he worked hard to land a good contract, it became clear that the year of 2008 was a monumental year for Johnson as Mercury Records offered him a contract to catapult him toward the stars.

Jamey Johnson Tickets - The Music of Johnson

He however was already on his way even before the record signing -- his debut was called The Dollar, released back in 2006, under a different label. Things changed when Mercury signed on, releasing the album That Lonesome Song in 2008 with the first single 'In Color' hitting the Billboard Country chart with a bang. The second single 'The High Cost of Living' also came out with fury, pushing the album to gold status. There wasn't any doubt that Johnson had something going when the 2009 Country Music Association Awards presented Johnson with 'Song of the Year' for 'In Color.'

Jamey Johnson Tickets - The Sound and Style of Johnson

He had a refined sound, slow and sweet. There are two words: country ballad. And Jamey Johnson epitomizes it. 'In Color' specifically has that taste and quality to it that aims to put the country ballad at the top of the music list for the world.