Unlike most of you

John Meissner remembers Bwana Johnny

Unlike most of you, I have never been a "big time" air personality, mainly slugging

it out in the bush leagues for a good share of the past 25 years. After attending

broadcast school in Portland, Oregon in 1978/79, I was a bit peeved that nearly a

year later, I still hadn't found my first job. One day in March, 1980 I called the school,

saying "Let's see some of that famous lifetime placement assistance you're always

talking about." The guy I was talking to said: "Well, why don't you call K-Kar(as he called it).

I hear they just fired 4 people." (KARO was the former "underground" station KVAN

1480. After it's purchase by Patten Communications, it switched to AC/Top

40/whatever-you-want-to-call-it KARadiO 1480 in January 1980.) So, I called the

office and was told to call back the next day and ask for "Bwana Johnny."

After chuckling over the name, which I had never heard before, I hung up and did call

the next day. After calling and getting the number to the broadcast location(At that

time in Orchards, Washington, East of Vancouver. Side note: The tower site is still

there and the former studios are now a Baptist church!), I called. Bwana answered

the phone and our conversation went pretty much as follows:

I worked for him two different times at the station known both as KARO and KAAR.

During the first, we had a party at the station on May 18th, 1980, the day the top blew

off Mt. St. Helens, approximately 40 miles NE of the studios. He was introducing me to

everyone and said: "And this is Duke Blazer." I thought this guy was nuts or something.

One night, a short while later, he came in the studio, about as drub=nk as anyone could

be and still be conscious. I mentioned a phone call a fellow part-timer had made, asking

if I should start using the name Duke Blazer on the air. He said nothing but "Let's do

some stuff together." The song faded, I opened his mike and he said: "KARadiO 1480,

right Duke?" I stammered back: "That's right Bwana." That aircheck is one of my most

prized possessions. I also went on to become the KARadiO Rainbow Raccoon.

During my second go-round, he had me come in and help out with some tape-delayed

baseball broadcasts then, when the airstaff all walked, in an attempt to bring in union

representation, all aimed at getting higher wages, he put me on the air full-time, first

just segueing music with recorded liners(The local ABC station ran the story on the

news, showing video shot in the studio while I was on the board), then on live overnights

as "Art Stanly."

One day, during my first stint at KARO, Bwana hosted a party at his house. A lot of the

air staff was present, as was his mother. It was easy to see where he got his personality

from, after talking to Mama Bwana. In the ensuing years, I talked to him on the phone

a couple of times and visited him at his house. We weren't particularly close, but the

more I learned about the legend that was Bwana Johnny, the more I felt fortunate to

have known him even a little and equally proud to tell people I worked for him.

It's sad to think of how his quality of life suffered towards the end, but heart-warming

to know he had friends who loved him and looked after him during his final days. He

touched a lot of people during his broadcast career. I feel extremely fortunate to number

myself amongst those he helped along the way. I'll miss you

Bwana. I'll be indebted to you forever for giving me my start.