Cody Alan, the host and executive producer of "CMT Radio," and host of CMT’s flagship music show, "Hot Twenty," has interviewed everyone from Taylor Swift to Dolly Parton, and won over millions with his dynamic, curious and engaging personality that keeps fans connected to the stars and music they love.
Alan is out with his book, "Hear’s the Thing: Lessons on Listening, Life & Love," which turns the tables and gives fans an all-access pass into his life. In it, he says that in our noise-filled world, where everyone is so quick to speak, the fine art of listening is often lost. For Cody, listening to other people is a crucial part of his job. However, he says honing his ability to hear the person he most needed to listen to -- himself -- ultimately led him to embrace his authentic self, in addition to strengthening his family, career and community relationships.
In 2017, Cody came out in a very public way and in turn has helped so many others. He is currently engaged to his fiancé Trea Smith. He also is father to two children -- a daughter Makayla and a son Landon -- from his marriage to his ex-wife, Teressa. The family recently spent Thanksgiving together and, in an exclusive excerpt from the new book, Cody shares with "Good Morning America" how they got to the point of being such a close-knit, blended family.
Just before I told Landon, I decided to include Trea in a family night out. This way, my son would have already experienced Trea’s kindness before having to process my big news. The other purpose was to introduce Trea to Terresa. We decided to go bowling, the perfect icebreaker. Makayla and her boyfriend joined us for safety in numbers, although Terresa jokingly referred to herself as the “fifth wheel.”
She had already written to Trea, who at this point was nameless and faceless to her. My ex had taken the time and trouble to compose a long, detailed email to my potential new life partner, full of sweet stories she felt Trea ought to know about who I was as a husband and father. It was a touching testimony of Terresa’s love for me as her person and soul mate, and it moved me to tears. When I shared it with Trea, he cried too. The final point of her message was this:
I am giving his heart to you, and I want you to take good care of it.
When it was finally time for us all to meet up in person, Terresa confided in me that she was so nervous she felt like she was going to throw up. When we all pulled up into the parking lot of the bowling alley at the same time, Trea walked straight up to Terresa, grabbed her by both hands, looked her in the eyes, and said: “I want you to know that I am going to take good care of him, and you don’t have to worry.”
Then he gave her a big hug and held her hand as we walked inside. That he would tackle a sensitive subject like that the moment he met her earned Terresa’s respect and gratitude. That was the real icebreaker. She was almost giddy as she got to know him and experience the warmth of his personality, not to mention his “drop-dead gorgeous” looks (her words, not mine). They talked all night, mostly dishing about me, like instant best friends.
Excerpt taken from "Hear's the Thing: Lessons on Listening, Life, and Love" by Cody Alan. Copyright © 2021 by Cody Alan. Used by permission of Harper Horizon.