Diamond rio biography
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“People can throw money at a group the end of the year, and that’s OK, but I like to get invested,” he’s said of his continued support of great causes.
And one personal goal remains top on his list: “It would be nice to be recognized in the Country Music Hall of Fame.… [but] that’s one that’s not up to us,” he told Sounds Like Nashville of a recognition he dreams Diamond Rio will someday get.
Jimmy Olander
This Minneapolis native was giving banjo lessons to friends when he was just in his teens, so his love of music goes way back.
“Coming together and celebrating is important and I think we all developed a greater sense of appreciation for our ability to gather after being shutdown in 2020,” he told Katy Magazine News, noting how they upped their tour date schedule since then. Fans can find him posting Jimmy O Show segments on the band’s YouTube channel.
Dana Williams: Diamond Rio band members
At 62, the bassist and vocalist for the band has kept a good sense of humor about transitioning from being a hot new act into one of country music’s veteran bands.
He and his wife, Robin, have two daughters, and they welcomed a granddaughter in 2020.
Known for making timeless country music for over thirty years, Diamond Rio recently announced new music and band member changes. He still has a youthful approach to life, thanks to a health scare years ago. Following their Arista Nashville deal, the band released two albums with Word Records – their Christmas album, The Star Still Shines, and their Dove and Grammy-winning Christian Country album, The Reason.
Amassing numerous accolades throughout the years, the band is a member of the Grand Ole Opry, won six Vocal Group of the Year Awards (four CMA and two ACM), received fourteen Grammy nominations, and won a Grammy Award for their album, The Reason.
The formation that became known as the six-time Vocal Group of the Year, Diamond Rio, was formed in 1989 and consisted of Marty Roe (lead vocals), Jimmy Olander (guitar/banjo), Dana Williams (bass/vocals), Dan Truman (piano), Brian Prout (drums), and Gene Johnson (mandolin/vocals), and up until recently have had no member changes. Her illness was very serious and she passed on Aug.
30. “I was actually surprised when I started going to kindergarten that nobody else played.… When you start that young, it’s kind of like a natural thing, it’s something you do.”
Johnson, now 74, officially retired from the band in October 2022, due largely to family matters. He deserves this time.”
Gene Johnson
“I think it was the luck of the draw.
He also still loves to play mandolin. He attended BYU (where he obtained a degree in Music Composition) and, after serving a mission in Florida, landed in Nashville to pursue his musical career. Sign my whatever.’ And then it turned into, ‘Man I grew up on you my whole life.’ And, ‘My parents listen to you all the time.’ All of a sudden it becomes clear that maybe we’re the old guys.”
The Ohio-born, Nashville-raised musician started performing in church around age 7, and has been playing his heart out ever since.
“It’s great to have a lot of people in the seats and they’re screaming for you…but when you’ve got family back home, and they’re sitting there taking care of all the everyday, mundane things that come up, it’s a little hard,” he’s admitted to Deseret News. The band’s long-time guitar player, Jimmy Olander, developed and wrote the treatment.
Originating as The Tennessee River Boys in the 80’s, the band evolved into Diamond Rio in 1989.
“We have performed in many countries in the world, as well as the cities and towns through the U.S.”
After a highly publicized relationship with Mary Bono (Sonny Bono’s widow and future congresswoman) in the late 90s, Prout met and married Stephanie Bentley in 2001. McKee feels similarly. Her amazing spirit lives on to encourage all of us to do good,” Roe noted at that time, adding, “You don’t do it for the awards.
Having started out as The Tennessee River Boys in the 80s, they eventually morphed into Diamond Rio in 1989, and the group consisted of vocalist Marty Roe; guitar and banjo player Jimmy Olander; bassist/vocalist Dana Williams; pianist Dan Truman; drummer Brian Prout; and mandolin player and vocalist Gene Johnson.
They were six guys with a dream — but facing an uphill battle to get signed to a record label, Roe has shared, recalling how they were told their act was “too big” to be marketable.
He’s indeed become an avid skydiver and he also married his wife Claudia in 1995.