Her first contact with bluegrass music was hearing Earl Scruggs' banjo theme to The Beverly Hillbillies TV series and the occasional appearances of Mr. Scruggs and his partner, Lester Flatt, on the show.

But it was the Berkshire Mountains Bluegrass Festival in Upstate New York in 1977 that made her a life-long bluegrass fan. That's where she first began taking photographs of bluegrass musicians.

Thousands of photographs taken over the past two decades has resulted in the publication of Inside Bluegrass: 20 Years of Bluegrass Photography by Empire Publishing Inc.

It contains more than 100 of Ms. Johnson's candid and posed shots of more than 60 bluegrass artists, including six of The Lewis Family of Lincolnton, Ga. Little Roy Lewis is featured on the cover with North Carolina radio personality Buddy Michaels grinning over his shoulder.

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Copies of the softcover book can be obtained for $25 ($22 plus $3 shipping charge) by writing: Empire Publishing Inc., P.O. Box 717, Madison, N.C. 27025-0717.

``I had thought for about 10 years about getting a book out of my photos; something of good quality,'' Ms. Johnson said in a telephone interview from her home at Pittsboro, N.C..

``Then last year, while working at a photo lab, I made 10, 8-by-12 copies of a photo I had taken in 1981 at the Berkshire Mountains festival of Marty Stuart hugging (Seldom Scene member) John Duffey, and I took them to the Denton (N.C.) bluegrass festival to sell for $10 each. I couldn't believe how fast they went. People were just opening their wallets and giving me money.''

That led to Ms. Johnson getting serious about developing a book of her photos. She talked with her friend, Les Leverett, the longtime official photographer of the Grand Ole Opry.

Mr. Leverett, who had published his own photo collection, Blue Moon of Kentucky: Country and Bluegrass Music, with Empire Publishing, sent her to talk with the North Carolina company. Ms. Johnson's book was published Aug. 1.

``I still see bluegrass music festivals as the best-kept secret around,'' Ms. Johnson said. ``Where can you go to see live music and then talk with the artists afterward?''

Thousands of photographs taken over the past two decades has resulted in the publication of Inside Bluegrass: 20 Years of Bluegrass Photography by Empire Publishing Inc.SPECIAL

The festivals also apparently are a good place to meet your mate. It was at the Berkshire Mountains Festival site, renamed the Winterhawk Bluegrass Festival, where Ms. Johnson in 1986 met bluegrass writer and festival promoter Art Menius, who became her husband.

Mr. Menius co-founded the International Bluegrass Music Association and served as its executive director for five years. He now is the associate producer of the annual MerleFest event held each April in Wilkesboro, N.C., to honor late bluegrass star Merle Watson.

Among the favorite photos in Ms. Johnson's book are ones taken of her late friend, mandolinist Bill Monroe, the creator of bluegrass music.

``I took my first picture of Bill in 1979,'' she recalled. ``I feel so honored that I got to be a close friends to him. I got to drive him one time in my car to one of my favorite restaurants when he was appearing at a festival near my home.

``I had tipped my friends off where we would be, and they were there gawking,'' Ms. Johnson continued. ``I had chili, and he had fried clam strips. He picked up the check for our meals. We split a blueberry pie for dessert. He'd didn't want a whole slice and wanted me to share a slice with him.

``He would take a bite, push it over to me, and I'd take a bite and push the plate back to him. We kept doing that until it was all gone. I remember when we got ready to leave, he went around the entire restaurant and introduced himself to the other diners. He said, `I'm Bill Monroe from the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn. I'm glad to meet you.' It was really special.''

Don Rhodes writes for Morris News Service and has written about country music for 28 years. He can be reached at 823-3214 or at ramblin@groupz.net.