Bandit Lites and Lighting Designer Richard “Wookie” Whitley Bring Cody Johnson’s Vision to Life on the Road

KNOXVILLE, TN – For Lighting Designer Richard “Wookie” Whitley, his work with Cody Johnson almost didn’t happen.

In January 2023, Wookie received a phone call from the lighting designer he was set to replace. A longtime friend, the outgoing designer asked if Wookie was interested in taking over the role. The timing could not have been more unexpected. Wookie was already preparing to leave the touring industry, having accepted a regular job and was in the process of responding to the offer when the phone call came through.

“I was actually almost out of the business – like, I was done,” Wookie recalls. “I had a regular job planned out. I was literally replying to the email on my phone and they had offered me the salary, told me the whole deal when I would start, and I was about to hit send and my screen changed. It was him and he told me everything. I was like, you have no idea how close you were.”

That phone call changed the trajectory of Wookie’s career and began what he describes as an “uphill ride” with Cody Johnson. More than three years later, Wookie remains at the helm of the artist’s lighting design, helping shape a production that has grown considerably in scale and ambition.

For the first two years, the design was intentionally straightforward.

“My first two years were very basic designs, just straight truss, nothing special. Almost like a festival-style rig,” Wookie says.

That changed this year as Wookie, Cody and the creative team began looking for a way to make the production more distinctly their own. The result is a custom design built around the visual identity of Cody Johnson, incorporating a diamond-inspired truss configuration that creates a dramatic architectural element above the stage.

The design was not created in isolation. Wookie and Cody sat down together in Cody’s green room with a television, reviewing concepts and discussing what resonated – and what did not.

“A lot of it was his brainchild and mine,” Wookie says. “We had a sit-down meeting. We were in Cody’s green room and had a TV set up, and we were going through them. He’s like, ‘Oh, I like that,’ or ‘I don’t like that.’”

Cody ultimately brought another important piece of the puzzle to the table: inspiration from his own logo and a desire to incorporate that visual language into the physical production.

“He said, ‘I got this idea from the logo,’ and he wanted a custom truss that comes out like the point does,” Wookie explains.

Wookie then presented another concept – the design that ultimately became the current production.

“The whole point was the way that truss comes down the top of the diamond, kind of. And then you have the truss and everything that comes down to the bottom point,” he says.

For Wookie, that collaborative process is one of the most rewarding parts of working with the Cody Johnson team.

“He had a big, big hand in the design this year,” Wookie says. “That’s actually one thing I love about working with them is they’re involved. I think we’re having another meeting soon for next year, and I’ve got a couple of designs drawn up for next year.”

The tour’s production is led by Production Manager Todd Ortmeier, whose experience and collaboration help bring the vision for Cody Johnson’s live show together night after night. Working closely with Whitley and the touring team, Ortmeier plays an important role in ensuring the production’s ambitious design translates seamlessly from concept to the road.  

A Partnership Built on Trust

As the Cody Johnson production continued to grow, the team also began looking toward Nashville as a home base for the production. When it came time to select a lighting vendor, Wookie knew exactly who he wanted to call.

Having worked with Bandit Lites and its team for years, Wookie reached out to longtime friend and Bandit Lites representative Allen Deneau.

“He came to me about lighting vendors,” Wookie says. “He goes, ‘You got anybody of mine?’ Well, I’ve been friends with Allen Deneau for five-plus years now. I called Allen. Like, what do you think about doing lights for us?”

The relationship quickly developed into the production partnership that supports the tour today.

“As long as I’m here, we’re Bandit loyal, and we’re not changing anytime soon. I don’t think we ever will,” Wookie says. “And it’s been great. I gotta say, I’m a little spoiled.”

That loyalty is rooted in the relationship between designer and vendor, but also in Bandit’s ability to translate creative ideas into reality.

“Everything that I’ve asked for, wanted, has happened,” Wookie says. “So I’m very appreciative of it.”

For Bandit Lites, supporting a designer means more than simply supplying equipment. It means listening to the creative vision, understanding the demands of the production and finding ways to help turn an idea on paper into an experience that audiences can feel.

The Future Is Still Bright

Cody’s continued rise has been reflected in some of country music’s highest honors. In 2026, he was named ACM Entertainer of the Year and ACM Male Vocalist of the Year, adding to his 2025 CMA Award for Male Vocalist of the Year. The recognition underscores the momentum behind Cody’s career and the scale of the live production accompanying him as he continues to reach audiences across the country.

Wookie’s perspective on the future of live music is shaped by decades of watching the industry change. Technology has transformed nearly every aspect of concert production, from the fixtures used to create a look to the consoles and software used to control them.

Yet, despite that constant evolution, Wookie believes the fundamental reason people go to concerts has remained remarkably consistent.

“I know times are hard right now, but concerts are an escape for everybody,” he says. “Live music. It’s an escape for all of us. And I don’t see disappearing anytime soon.”

For lighting professionals, that evolution is particularly visible. Wookie remembers a time when production relied heavily on PAR cans and dimmer racks. Today’s productions can draw from an ever-expanding universe of LED fixtures, moving lights, effects, software and control technology.

“The lighting world is constantly evolving,” he says. “It seems like every other month there’s a new fixture or a new software for consoles or something that’s come out.”

But for Wookie, technology is valuable because of what it allows a production to make an audience feel.

“Like anybody can walk into a room and house lights are on and get up there and play a show,” he says. “But for me at least, it’s something about when those house lights go out and the band starts and the lights kick on.”

“It’s just energy. It’s high-octane energy.”

That moment – the transition from anticipation to spectacle – is at the heart of what Wookie believes lighting brings to live music. Fixtures may change. Technology may advance. Designs may become increasingly ambitious. But the emotional impact of that first burst of light remains.

“So, yeah, I don’t see it disappearing anytime soon,” Wookie says. “No matter how hard times get.”

For Bandit Lites, the Cody Johnson tour represents exactly what makes live production so compelling: a creative vision that continues to evolve, a designer willing to push that vision forward, an artist deeply involved in the process, and a production partner committed to making every idea possible.

As Wookie looks toward the next chapter – already sketching concepts for the next Cody Johnson production – one thing remains certain: the lights will keep changing, but the feeling they create will always be the point.