A 25-year anniversary is usually considered “silver,” but for the emcee of Gold Rush Days, Henry ‘Doc’ Johnson, this one is nothing short of golden. The recognizable face of the festival plans to make this his final run onstage at the annual downtown Dahlonega event.
To honor him for years of dedication, Johnson will be the Grand Marshal of this year’s parade.
“I’ve been coming to Dahlonega since I was a kid,” said Johnson, who grew up in Gainesville.
Locals might remember when Johnson, along with Mel Hawkins, performed the Mountain Music and Medicine Show for years at The Holly Theater.
“The show started in the 1990s and had a great run on GPB radio,” recalled Johnson.
Around that time he was asked to emcee the World Gold Panning Championships, which were being held at Consolidated Gold Mine.
This led to an invitation by the Gold Rush Days Festival to be the emcee, which he took over for Guy Sharpe in 2001.
“The stage was much smaller then, and it wasn’t covered in case it rained,” Johnson said.
Back then, he remembers there being less “entertainment” and more contests, such as pipe smoking and wheelbarrow races.
Johnson, who is retired from Piedmont University, recalled how he was surprised to see that one year the hog-calling contest winner later showed up as a student in the front row of one of his theater classes.
HELPING HANDS
Several local folks have meant a lot to Johnson during his journey, he said, like former Studio Jewelers owner Thomas Scanlin who made the gold stickpin with the Swarovski crystal that is part of his Gold Rush and Medicine Man costumes.
“And I always got my top hats from Kathy at Cranberry Corners,” Johnson said.
Former DDA Director Joel Cordle got Johnson involved in what used to be the Folkways Center (next to the old church across from Starbucks) and originally suggested doing a radio version of his Medicine Man show, which led to his subsequent local roles.
Helping make his stay hospitable, he said his hosts in recent years have been Wayne and Sabrina Gooch, who have offered him a comfortable place to stay while he is in town for the festival.
But the first place he goes to when he arrives in Dahlonega is to see Sam Norton at the Picnic Cafe, who has kept him caffeinated for years during Gold Rush, he joked.
Having entertained the Gold Rush Days crowds for 25 years, it seemed like a good time to move on, according to Johnson, who told the organizers his plans to retire several months ago.
“I wanted them to be able to find the right replacement,” he said.
Next year, that person will be none other than longtime Gold Rush Days organizer Dathan Harbert.
“I believe Dathan will be a good replacement,” he added.
Johnson currently lives in Jefferson with his wife of 31 years, Laurie Anderson, who is retired and still works as a writer and comics cartoonist.
He said his future plans include visiting Dahlonega and continuing to travel and perform his Medicine Show.
“I will come to Gold Rush,” Johnson said. “I’m going to miss it. I won’t be able to stay away!”