Duane Tollison remembers Bwana Johnny
I was very young when Bwana and I met. He was my PD at K-Bear in Billings,
Montana. The first memory I have of this merry man was of him in front of
his hotel on his first day in Billings, waiting for me to pick him up and
take him to his new radio station. I had to help him into my pickup truck;
We both laughed all the way back to the station.
Bwana was easy to like and we became fast friends, despite our age
difference. He was 50, I was 19. I remember our weekly dinners around
Billings, our trips to Subway where we asked for way too much cheese and
too many meatballs, and his weekly review of movies.
“There are two rules of showbiz”, he would tell me, “Always cover your
ass, and never turndown a freebee.”
When I told him I was going out for New Year’s, he said to me, “New Year’s
is for amateurs.”
Unfortunately, I was privileged to work with Bwana only a few years before
I decided to move to New York. While nearly everyone else was cautioning
me on the move, Bwana was one of my biggest supporters. We would talk for
hours about New York, his time at WWDJ, and great sorbet.
When I moved to New York I discovered that Bwana and his airchecks were in
the Museum of Television and Radio. He would always joke that he was
officially a “museum piece”.
What’s more unfortunate is that we lost touch over the years, but however
infrequent the phone calls, we would always hang up laughing.
Bwana was a thoughtful mentor and a compassionate friend, and I am better
for having known him.
I also want to echo the sentiment share by most who have share their
thoughts and extend my gratitude to the group of amazing friends that have
been by Bwana's side throughout his ordeal. My hat's off to you.
- Duane Tollison
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