Saturday night Mount Airy native Rachael Johnson will be coming home from the bright lights of Nashville, Tenn., to perform at the Blackmon Amphitheatre.

She will be appearing at 7:30 p.m. for the last concert of the 2012 Summer Music Series.

Shelton Vineyard wine and Dairy Center hot dogs will be available for purchase. Tickets are $10 or free with a Surry Arts Council season pass.

After graduating from Mount Airy High School in 2005, Johnson headed off to Nashville to make her way in the country music industry.

After living in Nashville for four years, Johnson has found herself to be an in-demand solo artist. She plays 20 to 25 shows a month in Nashville, surrounding cities and states, while sharing the stage with country stars like Jo Dee Messina, Josh Thompson, Little Texas, Dave Gibson, Chris Young, Craig Campbell and Trent Tomlinson.

After completing her bachelor’s in criminal justice, she found her way to Nashville. She landed a day job to help pay the bills and hit the local hot spots to figure out what to do next. She said she was fortunate enough to meet soon-to-be-signed, singer/songwriter Craig Campbell and became a regular sit-in at his show at The Stage on Broadway.

She began meeting other artists and musicians and was able to put together a band and had shows of her own. Within a year, Johnson was able to quit her day job and let music pay the bills. She was playing gigs in Nashville and surrounding cities and traveling to venues in Alabama and opened for Craig Campbell on one of her many trips to North Carolina.

Johnson said her writing and love for music were influenced by a range of artists from Merle Haggard to the Beatles.

“I do a lot of original music, anything from new country like Miranda Lambert to Adele and Lady Gaga, but I also do some of the classics like the Eagles and the Beatles and traditional country music. I try to mix it up so that everybody in the crowd can enjoy themselves,” said Johnson. “It’s going to be a great show.”

For more information on Rachael Johnson, go to www.rachaeljohnson.com, www.facebook.com/rachaeljohnsonmusic, www.reverbnation.com/rachaeljohnson or www.twitter.com/rachaelselene.

Reach Mondee Tilley at mtilley@heartlandpublications.com or at 719-1930.