| The year 2001 was bittersweet for Johnson.
The night before the Sept. 11 attacks, she celebrated a
record 10 nominations, resulting in (another record) five
awards from the Canadian Country Music Awards. “It was a
couple of months before I could let myself be happy about
it,” she said. That same year, Johnson was named top new female vocalist by the Academy of Country Music. She described winning the award as a surreal experience. “You go up there and try to remember all the people in your life. The first thing I could think of was my family because that’s where it all began.” Also in 2001, Johnson accompanied Reba McEntire and guests on the “Girl’s Night Out” tour. She continued her touring schedule in 2002 opening for Alan Jackson and Kenny Chesney before returning to the studio to work on her next album. Johnson’s second album is slated for release later this year. “I’m not sure what the name (of the album) will be,” she said, “but I’m hoping it’ll be called Dress Rehearsal.” The first single from the album, “Simple Life,” will be released this month. She admits that her marriage earlier this year may have led to more “happy love stuff” on the new album. “That’s the joy of what we do is to write songs based on the reality that we’ve lived somewhere down the line.” For aspiring songwriters and artists, Johnson said, “You don’t have to move to Nashville to become successful, but it helps a lot. If you don’t live there, you need to spend a lot of time there. You’ll never know what you’re up against if you don’t. It’s a very competitive business and you have to make great songs. If I’m knocking down the door Monday through Friday because I live there and someone else is showing up once every six months, Who’s gonna win? It’s like the law of numbers. You have to be there to win. But sometimes a great song sneaks through, and there’s always a great story behind that. « back |