Diamond Rio . . .
is an ‘Unbelievable’ group. Their success has been overwhelming since signing their record deal with Arista in 1991; with 6 Vocal Group of the Year Awards, from the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association, 7 Grammy nominations, and Video Event of the Year on CMT. They were the first group to hold the #1 slot on Billboard’s country airplay chart for 3 consecutive weeks, and the list goes on and on. One of the most exciting events for Diamond Rio was the night they were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. They’re the first vocal group added to the roster, since 1984.

Gene Johnson said, ‘That night was just a blur. I don’t think it sunk in until the second show, when they introduced us as the newest members of the Grand Ole Opry. We all just looked at each other, none of us ever dreamed this would really happen. We all had brought friends and family with us that night. My parents are both gone and I just remember thinking, ‘if my parents could see me now, they would be so proud.’ My Dad was a fiddler and square dance caller. He’s the only one I’ve ever seen that could do both at once. Everybody played a instrument in our family. I thought that’s just the way it was…go to the barn, do your chores, and learn to play. I chose the mandolin ‘cause it was my size. I was on stage playing at the age of 4.’

Arista is famous for putting Brooks and Dunn together, and making one of the hottest duets in country music history, so did they put Diamond Rio together?

‘No. Marty, Jimmy, and Dan were playing together at Opryland, then decided to leave there and hit the road. In ’86 they lost a drummer, that’s where Brian came in. Then in ’87 they lost another member, that’s when I came in. We’re an odd bunch. Who would’ve ever thought of putting together a tenor singing mandolin player, and a classically trained pianist? Somehow, it came around. We loved the sound we had together. We felt we had something special, and we were all willing to hang in there together and starve for awhile.’

Diamond Rio is also famous for their stage shows, no disappointed fans here! What they play on stage, is what you hear on their albums. ‘We don’t have ‘stunt’ pickers or singers in the studio. We have a style, no matter what we’re playing it sounds like us.’ Every album Diamond Rio has released has gone gold or platinum, so they must be doing something right. Regarding the new album ‘Unbelievable’, to quote Marty Roe, ‘It’s hard to reinvent the wheel.’ Gene said, ‘The only way to do that is through the material. After our second album, we decided that we were not going to let an album out, until we have made each one a little better than the last one. We’ve got songs on this album written by great writers like Huey Lewis, Mutt Lange, and Paul Williams. We put a lot of thought into it, before we started laying anything down in the studio. We didn’t want them to sound like pop/rock songs. As soon as we started playing, they became Diamond Rio songs.’

Diamond Rio has changed management. They felt it was time to broaden their horizons, and their fan base around the world. They’ve already traveled to Germany and Japan, with more overseas touring being scheduled. ‘Some thought going overseas was a good thing, and some were dragging their feet about crossing any ocean.’ There’s usually a ‘mother hen’ in every group. When I asked Gene about this he had to laugh… ‘ Nobody wanted to be responsible for anybody else, so we hired Danny Beard as road manager, to fill that job. Since then, we’ve been light on lost luggage, and the closest we’ve come to losing anybody was in Japan. The plane was pulling away when they had to go back and open the doors for one of our guys who was running late.’ (Probably the typical male who refuses to ask for directions!)

Diamond Rio hasn’t had their face on a milk carton yet, but they have had it on a Pepsi can, about 500,000 cans during Diamond Rio’s Northern California tour. If they got lost, all they had to do was show folks their picture on the can! Gene said, ‘I managed to save a six-pack. I may have to be able to prove it someday!’

One thing that Diamond Rio proves at every performance, is that they are an ‘Unbelievable’ vocal, and instrumental, group. Pick up their new album at www.ALLHITS.com, then go to their concert, and ‘hear’ for yourself.

really are twins, which gave them double the pleasure, of seeing the first song off their new album go up to charts to give them their first top 10 hit!

I’d love to be nostalgic . . .
If only I could remember

• 1 purple onion
• 3 cups long grain rice
• 2 tsp. Curry powder
• 2 whole chicken breasts
• 1 can mushroom soup

Cook rice per directions, and season with curry powder. Using a large square of aluminum foil, place a slice of onion, 1 ½ cup of cooked rice, ½ Chicken breast, and ¼ can of mushroom soup. Take the corners of the foil, bring together and twist at the top. Bake for 1 hour in preheated 375 degree oven.