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Burnett says he knew many of the organizers - folks such as Bob Banghart and Bill Hudson - and he even helped out that first year. However, Burnett didn't perform until the following year.
He played in subsequent festivals, either playing solo or with a group. Through the years, he was involved with an ensemble called the Thane Road String Band, featuring a changing roster that included Gerry Fiscus on fiddle, George Tranni on banjo, Eldon Dennis on mandolin and David Zimmerman on the harmonica and bodhran.
Burnett says his most memorable folk festival moment occurred in the late 1980s, when his daughter, about 7 at the time, joined him on stage before a packed house to sing "Puff the Magic Dragon." According to Burnett, that was his daughter's only public performance.
"That's all she did," Burnett said. "I was very proud of her. She was a real trooper. I don't think she'll do that again."
Shortly after that festival, Burnett moved to Anchorage in 1989 to take a job as a specialist with the Special Education Service Agency's multiple disabilities program.
Since the move, he has played at the Anchorage Folk Festival, but still attends the Alaska Folk Festival every now and then.
"For me, it's kind of home," he said. "The bulk of my family is down there. I still consider Juneau home. And (the festival) happens at a great time of year."
Burnett last played the Alaska Folk Festival in 2000 with a band called the Young Fogies, featuring Michael Young, Roxanne Young, Danielle Young, Kent Ireton and Landon Burgess. This year, Burnett is less sure of what he will do. He's billed as Doyle Burnett and Friends, but as of late March, he was unsure if his Anchorage friends would be able to join him.
"I really have no clue what I'll be doing," Burnett said. "I have a whole bunch of songs ... and I'll pick from those."
   
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