George Johns and I grew up in Radio together. But we were always apart. He was at The Rock station…CKY in Winnipeg, I was at The MOR station….. CJOB. Competitors …..but not really. George even invited me over once to taste his father’s Chili.
George played guitar in one of Winnipeg’s best Bands. I played drums in a couple of Winnipeg’s worst Bands. But I won all the awards in Toronto for Commercial Production.
I was at CHUM when George launched CFTR which grew into CHUM’s toughest competitor. Then he went to help create The Fairbanks Chain which became one of America’s great Radio Companies. Yet….every time CHUM produced a Rock Documentary, George was just fine with us using one of his Jocks, Chuck Riley, for the narration.
A few years ago, George invited me to The CKY Reunion in The ‘Peg as an “honourary” Employee.
Today, mostly in retirement in Florida, George keeps us up-to-date on his life through a Blog featuring a series of “truisms” on life. I thought of George the other day when I came across one that, for all I know, he may have composed. Journalism is printing what someone else does not want to be printed. Everything else is Public Relations.
Here’s to you George. Let’s not wait to get together until all we can do is have a wheelchair race at the next Reunion.
Warren Cosford.