Steve Johnson, co-host of MerleFest Radio Hour, currently works as the Artist Relations Manager for Wilkes Community College/ MerleFest. Prior to joining Wilkes Community College, Johnson was the President and CEO of Mountain Music Entertainment, an artist management and publicity firm with offices in Nashville and Jonesborough, Tennessee. He also produced the award winning Historic Jonesborough (TN) Bluegrass Series and has promoted several concerts and events across the country. He grew up in the shadows of bluegrass music with his family being close friends with the Father of Bluegrass Music, Bill Monroe. He was first influenced by musicians like Monroe, Kenny Baker, Jimmy Martin, Ralph Stanley, and Don Reno to name a few. Johnson has been active in a variety of not for profit organizations, and he served on several non-profit boards, including the Music Crossroads Steering Committee for the City of Indianapolis, Indiana, and he served on the Indianapolis Opera board. He recently served as a board member for the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee. In his spare time he occasionally performs with a bluegrass band out of Asheville, North Carolina and loves to attend music festivals.