Submitted photo Gene Johnson, formerly of Diamond Rio, will be performing at the Mayville Bluegrass Festival on Saturday.

MAYVILLE — Gene Johnson, most well-known for his time playing the mandolin with the band Diamond Rio, has had music as part of his life since he was young.

Johnson’s father was a square dance fiddler and his brothers — who are 10 and 12 years older than him — also play and began teaching him chords on the mandolin between the ages of 3 and 4. Johnson’s interest in Bluegrass music began between the ages of 8 and 10.

Johnson will be playing at the Mayville Bluegrass Festival on Saturday at Big Inlet Brewing. He performs as part of the Night Sun Reunion show along with his former bandmates, Scott McElhaney, guitarist and lead singer; Butch Amiot, singer and bass player; and Jeff Wisor, fiddle player.

Bill Ward, one of the festival organizers, said having Johnson as part of the festival is special, both for the festival and his fans.

“When we had the Mayville Bluegrass Festival in the park in the early 2000s, we were fortunate enough to have many big names — folk like Vassar, Clements, Tony Rice, Sierra Hull, Rhonda Vincent, and Norman Blake,” he said. “Since we have revived the festival at Big Inlet we have been fortunate to garner the best regional talent that appeared in the first incarnation of the MBF. This year, it’s a special treat to bring in an artist who is not only nationally acclaimed, but has his roots in this area. Gene Johnson is a legend in the bluegrass world, and of course his time with Diamond Rio is especially endearing to his fans.”

Johnson grew up in Sugar Grove, Pa., moving from there to Nashville in August 1985. He said people encouraged him to move and try to make it in the country music business. The move was made a little bit easier by the fact that his wife had already gotten a job in Nashville before they moved. A few years later, Johnson would join up with Diamond Rio.

“In 1987, I got a call from the Tennessee River Boys, which would later become Diamond Rio,” Johnson said. “They called when I was out and left a message. I thought it sounded like another bluegrass or gospel group and I had never heard of them, so I didn’t call them back.”

Johnson said the band called again about a week later and he learned that they were a country group. He met with them and they started playing music together, opening for George Jones in 1989. A label in Nashville that saw them open for Jones reached out to the band, and they officially signed a contract with them in 1990.

Diamond Rio’s first single, “Meet in the Middle,” came out in 1991 and quickly hit No. 1 on the country charts. Johnson stayed with Diamond Rio for many years, officially retiring from the band last October.

“I hadn’t played since May 2022,” Johnson said. “My wife was ill and I had to take care of her, so I had not been on the road. Her illness was very serious and she passed on Aug. 30. I had a different view of things and no longer wanted to be on the road 200 days a year, so I officially retired in October after over 30 years with the band.”

Even though he has retired, Johnson said he has known Ward for years, so when Ward called him to ask if he would perform at Saturday’s festival, he agreed if he could get his old bandmates from Night Sun — who performed together in the ’70s — to play as well. The band was originally made up of five members, and Johnson said while one unfortunately also passed away last year, he and the other three agreed to play at the festival.

“We will be resurrecting our songs from the mid 1970s,” Johnson said. “Several people will remember those songs, but for those who don’t they will be new. It will mostly be songs that me and Scott McElhaney wrote, but I will probably throw in some Diamond Rio songs in there, since I know there will be fans there.”

Johnson has been playing music his entire life. For him, high points in his career include his first years touring with bluegrass bands, making music with David Bromburg from 1981 to 1987, playing with J.D. Crowe and the New South — a band whose lead singer was Kieth Whitley, who became a famous country music star and was featured in the Hall of Fame before his death in 1989 — and having his first single with Diamond Rio hit number one in the charts.

“I love making music,” Johnson said. “Music is a medium that everyone can understand. I’ve had many points throughout my career that have been extraordinary and having our first single hit number one nationwide is marvelous.”

While Johnson doesn’t want to be on tour 200 days a year, he said he has been getting back into bluegrass music.

“Bluegrass is my first love and I hope to record songs and get them out soon,” he said. “Once I get some more songs and albums out, maybe I will tour a little bit too, but it will be on a calmer scale.”

Johnson is excited to be a part of the Mayville Bluegrass Festival and hopes the fans will have fun.

“We are the original members of Night Sun in 1976,” Johnson said. “It’s been a few years but we remember a lot. It will be fun for us, and we hope it will be fun for the audience as well.”

Tickets for the Mayville Bluegrass Festival are available at Big Inlet Brewing or online at eventbrite.com. More information on the festival is available on Facebook or http://billwardmusic.com/mbf.html