ED Donohue remembers Bwana Johnny

In 1983, the late-great Rick Johnson temporarily cast off the Bwana label at a little, tiny 

country station in little, tiny market #3,864 - Cheyenne, Wyoming (owned by Kevin's dad,

Terrel Metheny).  1530, KUUY!  Rick thought he'd not fit in as "Bwana", so he thought he'd

change it a little to be more like a cowboy.  "Bronco Johnny" was born!  Bwana/Bronco did

afternoons while Fred Imus (Don's bro) did midday's.  I was fortunate enough to be doing

midday's on a CHR across the hall - KKAZ.

Because of his finely-tuned ability to make friends with genuinely good people who would

take him home after a hard night of drinking, he and I became fast friends!  Terrel Metheny

fired me from that station in 1984, but Bwana and I stayed in touch.  In 1986, I shot some

video of him at KSND in Eugene, OR.  I still have it, and if anyone wants to see it, I can

accommodate.  Even by then, he was so burned out on radio that he could barely shout

K-Sound's image line without rolling his eyes, saying, "...the entire fate of the broadcasting

industry rests in my saliva...but we've got Eugene's Hot Summer Favorites all summer long!"

He and I connected again in 2000 where we did the morning show on K-Bear (KKBR) in

Billings, Montana for 6 months.  He was in and out of the hospital in those days but did come

over for Thanksgiving and Christmas that year.  My kids loved him and he was as fun for them

to be around as he was for all of us radio guys.  It was fun doing a morning show with him and

now that he's gone, I am honored to have been not only his friend, but a part of his saliva.  ;)

Even though I knew him for only the last 19 years of his career, I feel I knew him well enough

 to know that if it weren't for him, none of us would be having as much fun on the radio as he

showed us we could have.  BWANA!  Rick!  Bronco!  We love you still!

Ed Donohue, PD

97.1 K-Bear, KKBR (Clear Channel)

Billings, MT

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