Judges

Gail Johnson

Gail Rudisill Johnson started playing the violin at age 5 in Yorkville, IL. At 14, she became interested in fiddling. That year, she won the Illinois State Fiddling Championship and 2nd in TN State Championship. At 15, she began touring with the Wildwood Girls and joined Petticoat Junction from Nashville, TN at 16. 

Due to her performance schedule with Petticoat Junction, Gail decided to attend college a year early and graduated from Belmont University with a Bachelor of Music with an emphasis on Violin Performance. 

During her college years, she continued to perform with several groups such as Wild and Blue, David Parmley and Scott Vestal, and freelanced with several others. For the next 8 years, she traveled with Grand Ole Opry Star Whisperin Bill Anderson and played on several recordings with John Conlee, BJ Thomas, Gene Watson, and many gospel artists. In 1999, she married recording musician and producer Dirk Johnson and they have 7 year old twins Derek and Alexandra.

For the past 7 years, Gail has taught violin lessons all over the Nashville area and recently opened a branch of the Main Stage Music and Dance Studio with business partner and fellow fiddler, Grand Ole Opry Dancer Cheryl Chunn. She has also continued to host the Wabash River Bluegrass Camp in Southern IL each July. In her spare time, she published a Beginning Fiddle Book for the Music Sales Co. from New York. She and her husband also stay busy in the studio recording strings on several recordings.