Steven Green wrote this reminiscence for Radio News.

(Texas -- November 26, 2005) Former WFUN star Bwana Johnny died October 28 in Mercer Island, Washington.

We knew Rick Johnson of Eugene, Oregon as Bwana Johnny. He was brought down to 790 WFUN in 1972 by

PD Tom Kenington, who knew him in Cincinnati when he was working at WUBE. Prior to WFUN, Bwana Johnny was doing afternoon drive on 970 WWDJ Hackensack, NJ opposite Dan Ingram on WABC.

A tough deal for anyone, but he had a following in New York.

In Miami he did moring drive. His show was full of good humor and good music. He used a Don Imus duck to quack when he gave the time.

The first time around, he was on for a year. I heard that he was fired and left to do a show in Seattle. Less than two years later, he was back on morning drive at WFUN with a new boss. I listened to him on his first day back and he was on for eleven hours until 5 PM. I am not sure how long he was there when he started in 1974, but I think it was at least a year.

My radio went on at 5:30 and I woke up to Robert Hall. I always listened to the beginning of the Bwana Johnny Show at 6 AM because he would have a funny line to open his show.

Part of the time that he was working at WFUN he was doing a Saturday night hosting of Creature Feature on Channel 6, WCIX. I got to see him, always wearing his pith helmet and Aftrican explorer clothing. He kept certain props around such as binoculars and a fly swatter. He was always funny.

I heard that he had been in poor health for a year and had to live in a rest home in Washington. If he was closer to me, I would have visited and let him know how much he entertained me over a four year period on WFUN and Channel 6.

 

He died on October 28th, 2005. I wish that I could have heard his show in other cities, but I only got to hear him at WFUN.

 

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