Real name: David Ray Johnson

Effective period / Period of releases: 1985

Multi-instrumentalist who plays virtually all of the stringed instruments and harmonica. Born in Millers Creek, North Carolina in 1954 to Billie Ray Johnson and Elizabeth Caudill Johnson. His grandfather, Bill Johnson played clawhammer-style banjo. By age ten David was playing in his father's square dance band, the Country Ramblers. He soon developed performance abilities on the banjo and fiddle and, in 1969, picked up the steel guitar to play in Marshall Craven's local band, the Country Cousins. Johnson played with the Country Cousins for twelve years. On January 1, 1981, Johnson formed Dixie Dawn, his own local group that became popular as the house band at Shadrack's in Boone, and at Jubilee Junction in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Dixie Dawn has recorded about half a dozen records and continues to play gigs on a limited basis. Johnson has devoted much of his time to the studio, performing as a session musician and also recording his own material. He began recording at the age of fifteen when he helped produce the soundtrack for a Les Blank documentary film about Holly Farms Foods (now Tyson Foods) in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Other musicians who played on the soundtrack included Marshall Craven, Drake Walsh, and David's father, Billie Ray Johnson. As a session musician, he has recorded with Ralph Stanley, Tony Rice and Arthur Smith, among others, and has been named National Gospel Studio Musician of the Year. He is also a musician and arranger for Horizon Music, a gospel music company in Asheville, North Carolina. Many of his recordings appear on the Mountain Home label. In addition to his duties at Horizon, Johnson also does overdub work with Marshall Craven at the Star Recording Company in Millers Creek, North Carolina, and dozens of studios in the southeastern United States.

Do NOT confuse with fiddler Dave Johnson (58).