Mike McCann Remembers

Mike McCann remembers Bwana Johnny

Many in my circle of radio pals from college were touched by WWDJ . 97-DJ to us wannabe DJs

was a bit humbler, more approachable, almost in some ways like a suburban station, not a

New York station with studios in Jersey (a la WPAT). And it was new, a station growing up with us,

as opposed to WABC, which was doing rock and roll before any of us discovered it.

Heck, you could drive out to the studios in Hackensack and often be invited in, that's how I first met Bwana.

It's sad how his life ended, I was stunned to read that he's 59.

Bottom line, there was something special in the act. He was the one guy who stood out among

the Drake-ish air staff of WWDJ. Perhaps his wildman reputation was why he never worked the

New York market again. You don't think he'd have been a great fit at WABC, maybe doing weekends

once Frank Kingston Smith split? More shocking than him not being called by WABC was his not being

brought aboard by WXLO/99x. PDs Mel then Mike Phillips and finally Jerry Clifton couldn't see this guy

fitting in?? Put him in alongside Walt "Baby" Love, Big Ron and Steve "Smokin'" Weed and you'd have

something.

Sadly, the last time I heard him live was doing mornings in the summer of '75 on a then-dying 790 WFUN.

WQAM was hanging on in South Florida as audience patterns changed in the mid-'70s, but FUN, with a

then-limited signal (it used to whistle in North Miami Beach, not good as the Anglo population migrated

toward Broward) had no defined audience. It wasn't teen like QAM, high powered like Y100 or 96x

(programmed then by Clifton). It wasn't AC like WGBS or WIOD. Yet being at a troubled station,

Bwana, by himself was being his usually witty self. I think that was his last East Coast gig.

I am truly saddened by his loss. He should been part of the next wave of great NY deejays,

which should have eventually led to a slot working with us on CBS-FM. But sometimes fate takes a

different turn.

Just my two cents.

Mike McCann