CMT Blog: Archive

Before she got her record deal, Sarah Johns made ends meet in Nashville by teaching spin classes – a high-intensity workout on stationary bikes common in fitness clubs.

"I taught spin like four times a day. I mean, my legs were just huge," she says. "I taught that and I taught Body Pump and I taught a bunch of classes. I remember one time, I did kickboxing. Honey, let me tell you something, I could tell all those women in there were like, 'What the hell is this woman even doing? She doesn’t even know how to do it.' I was like, 'Kick. Kick,' because I thought I could make 30 bucks if I told them I knew how to do it. I had no idea. It was the worse class I’m sure any of them ever had."

Fortunately, she landed her record deal on RCA, and she’s spending the early part of 2008 promoting a new single, "He Hates Me," as well as opening concerts for fellow traditionalist George Strait. It’s certainly easy to munch on junk food on the bus, but Johns is determined to stay in shape while she’s criss-crossing the country.

"You just try not to eat all the bad stuff. They have full catering services out here and everything. I’m trying not to eat that bad and maybe walk the stairs and really watch I’m eating, more than anything," she says. "I went in there for lunch and they’ve got hamburgers and pasta and all of a sudden I was like, 'I’ll do a salad with fat-free ranch.' I hate fat free reach, I hate it. But I got it."

Since she doesn’t want to go back to her small Kentucky hometown, Johns says she’s determined to do everything she can to promote her singing career, which means she’ll inevitably work up an appetite. In that case, she’s certainly on the right tour.

"Tonight we’re supposed to have some good steak and you know George isn’t eating crappy steak," she says. "It’s the good stuff."