Monthly Archives: June 2021

Geo’s Media Blog. (It Was 34 Years Ago Today) Updated 6/28/21.

Posted on by
4
Download PDF

I recently told my Grandson Nathaniel that the secret to life was, “First, you figure out what you’d like to do, and then you find someone to pay you to do it.”
Unfortunately, though, your life will go by in a flash, as mine has.

When I was growing up in Transcona, all I ever dreamed about was being a rock & roll star.
So seeing as the thing most rockers have in common is a guitar, I bought one just like Buddy Holly’s.

Next, along with my friend Rolly (Termite) Blaquiere, we started a couple of bands, and before you knew it, we were cutting records.
Unfortunately, the money wasn’t great, so even though we had the #1 Canadian record on the charts when my daughter Candis was born, I left The Jury for the radio business.

It was an excellent decision because I was much better at radio than I ever was at playing guitar.
After becoming a radio guy, I moved around a lot and never thought much about my band days until I got an invitation to attend the reunion of all the ’60s bands at the Winnipeg Convention Center.

I hadn’t touched my guitar for over 20 years, so I only planned on watching the concert and hanging out with my old bandmates for a couple of days. (see photo above)

The nights highlight for me was watching Randy Bachman from BTO, Burton Cummings from The Guess Who, and Neil Young doing a twenty-minute version of American Woman.
The scariest moment of the night, though, was when Randy and Burton strapped a Strat on me and pushed me out on stage to join the rest of the Jury, who were laughing their asses off.

Standing there in front of a bunch of TV cameras while looking out at a sold-out crowd (see photo on top) scared me to death.
However, I did manage to tell a stagehand to make sure my guitar was turned off if he wanted to make it through the night.

Then the strangest thing happened, as Terry hit the intro of our first record, “Until You Do,” my hands knew exactly what to do.
After twenty years of not playing my guitar, I had no idea even what the chord progressions were, but there I was playing them, and it was the last time I was ever on stage.
(To view some of what went on that night, click the link at the bottom of the Blog.)

GEO’S LIFE-LINERS.

Radio Consultant Tracy Johnson said that Kidd Kraddick told him that he gave up some of his funniest stuff to his co-workers because it didn’t match his image.

The folks listen to the radio for 227 minutes every week. Can you even imagine what it would be if it was any good?

Your actual value is measured by how many people became successful because of your success?

If you want to accomplish something, you’ll find a way, or you’ll find an excuse.

Making magic memories is what our life’s mission should be all about.

We all respect that which we cannot do.

The Loss of your word is the biggest loss of all.

Marriage makes no financial sense to a man.

Little girls are fun and easy to make happy, but they become almost impossible as soon as they turn into women.

Why is it that the not-so-good-looking women are the ones who complain about men hitting on them, whereas the beautiful ladies never mention it?

Do women stop being naughty when the moment they no longer can conceive, or were they never naughty?

If the ladies really do like sensitive men the best, why do they always go home from the party with a Clint Eastwood type?

The only women I can handle attitude from are my daughters, and even that’s rather tough.

The government is the same as it’s always been, but unfortunately for them, we, the people, are smarter.

Before escaping to Canada, you may want to consider this, the far right is a little bit left of center.

Is it just me, or do all the presidents, upon leaving office, live like and near all the people they railed against?

Telling me what’s wrong with this picture pays a dollar an hour but fixing it pays a thousand.

If you can’t change the situation, then it is you who must change.

NFL kneelers ain’t gonna get the police’s attention; only what threatens their pensions can do that.

(For a little taste of what went on at the band reunion in Winnipeg, click on the links below.)

The short story above is about my going back to Winnipeg for a band reunion with #TheJury, #TheGuessWho, #BTO, and #NeilYoung followed by #Geo’sLifeLiners which deals with #Kneelers, #TheFarRight, #Canada, #NaughtyWomen, #Respect, and a few other #PoliticallyIncorrectOservations. For a sneak peek at some upcoming Geo’s Media Blogs, go to GeorgeJohns.com. On Twitter @GeoOfTheRadio and you can subscribe by putting your email address in the comment section below. Sharing and commenting is appreciated.

 

Geo’s Media Blog (Sandra) New 8/02/21

Posted on by
2
Download PDF

This past Father’s day, for whatever reason, I started thinking about my sister, Sandra. (pictured with me above)
Sandra, who was named after my Dad, (Sandy) unexpectedly died from Measles when she was only four years of age.

My sister, amongst other things, had my father’s fiery disposition, and there is no doubt were she were alive today she’d be the matriarch of the Johns family just as her Grandmother Vince was.

When Sandra came down with the Measles, we’d already moved back to Canada.
My Dad had taken a job as a salesman for the Singer Sewing machine company in a small town in Northern Manitoba called Swan River.

Swan River, which is about 300 miles from Winnipeg, didn’t have the best hospitals, so my Dad decided to take my sister to a larger facility in Dauphin, Manitoba.
Unbelievably though, his boss refused to let him use the company car for personal business, so, of course, he took it anyway, but unfortunately, it was already too late.

The weird thing about that tragic event is, I have no memories of anything that went on for several years after it occurred.
I remember living in Australia where Sandra was born, attending Kindergarten in Vancouver, and being in first grade in Swan River, but nothing else.

In fact, my next memory is our moving back to Winnipeg when my Mom was about to have my brother Reg and I entered the 5th grade.
I do, however, vividly remember my Father’s fat boss.

I’m pretty sure that the rage that still burns in me today began the day my sister died.
In fact, if that fat f#ck of a boss stepped off a curb in front of me today, I know exactly what I would do.

My Dad was so heartbroken over Sandra’s death that I don’t remember him ever mentioning her again.
My Mother never got over my sister’s death, and when I talked to her on the phone just a few minutes before she passed, not only was she not afraid, she actually seemed happy.

My brother Reg and I were the sad ones, she truly believed that she was going to be reunited with her precious daughter which I so want to be true.


GEO’S LIFE-LINERS

Those who appear lost may, in fact, just be wandering.

Hey, I guess Simone Biles disproved the theory, “Winners never quit and quitters never win, huh?”

What’s up with the hotels? After giving you a room rate, at check out, they tack on a “Resort Rate?” You’d think they’d be happy having us back instead of ripping us off. 

I’ve never understood being “pussy whipped,” but many great men have been dragged to their knees by women lesser than themselves. Can you spell John, Harry, or Edward?

Hey Winnipeg, how many groups from the early and mid-’60s still have all their band members intact?

Fathers protect their children forever, but we don’t dedicate our lives to them as their mothers do.

So what’s more important, a good woman or a good career?

Why does Hollywood continue to depict that most minorities are smarter than white males? What the hell did they invent?

Something you don’t see anymore, someone having a glass of milk with a meal.

Just like it’s the drivers who make the difference at the Indy 500, it’s the person on the radio who plays the music that makes the difference.

In the ’50s, a man could have a stay-at-home wife, buy a house and a new car plus send his kids to college. What the hell happened?

Was there ever a car prettier than a Cadillac Eldorado, what say you, Moto?

The people I hate the most are dirty cops and dirty politicians.

The louder the war, the softer the music. Is there anything louder than silence?

The only people who claim they don’t care about money are those who have it.

Does anybody other than the wealthy believe we should be in the desert?

I used to be the dream maker, but now I think of myself more as the dream provider.

I love the riff, “I wish I didn’t know now what I didn’t know then.”

There’s singing the songs you wrote, and then there’s living the songs you wrote.

I never realized that Biden is only the 2nd Catholic President of the United States. I have no idea why the Catholics haven’t organized as the Jews and Muslims have; they’d be politically unstoppable.

Doing it yourself is usually what gets it done. It usually takes one door to close before another opens.

When I was a kid, the only laws that I obeyed didn’t interfere with my lifestyle.

Can you even imagine what men could accomplish if they stopped wasting their time chasing “pussy?”

Everyone is gifted, but most don’t use their gift.

All the governments in the world are more like each other than they are like the people they govern.

Has anybody tried to escape the US on a raft lately so they can enjoy life in Cuba?

So how much do our Olympic basketball players make compared to those who are beating them?

COMMENTS

Bruce Munson: George, I accessed the video from your link…but the footwear scared me away?  Should I revisit it and try to get past those shoes? (Adult Content)
Geo: Yes, you should, Bruce, ’cause it’s all about the stuff that’s above the shoes that make the shoes work.

Jed Duvall: George, at least in the field of entertainment, you rank with Clive Davis, David Geffen, and Barry “Killer” Diller, as among the world’s most interesting men! (About George A Johns)
Geo: Whew!

James Copeland: I worked as a musician in a recording town, Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and made a similar decision to focus on radio. Now 35 years later, I’m having a go at music again. Great read. (Until You Do)
Geo: Good for you, James; sadly, I don’t even remember how to play anymore.

Chuck Knapp: And because my early radio mentor Ron Yantz and I traveled to meet Chuck Dann at CKY, we got to hear the Jury songs. We couldn’t wait to get back to Fargo and put them on the air. We got to tell listeners we meet you on Main Street, and the rest is history, as they say.  Life… What a ride!
Geo: Ahh, that explains all those North Dakota gigs we got, Chuck. Oh, and it was 432 Main, to be exact. 🙂

Jenn Jenn: Seriously, GEO, why did you even open the text. Kenny and I get spam texts daily. I don’t bother to block them anymore because the scammers use a rotary list of numbers, and they keep coming.
We live in a pathetic world; count on the people you trust and never respond to those you don’t.
Amen. Good story, Sir GEO (Scam Alert)
Geo: The thing about it, beautiful was, it happened back in 2012 when the subject matter was interesting to me, plus I had a lot of fun trying to figure out the scam. It cost me $15 to do so, but I got a radio show out of it, and the scam was brilliant.

Tim Moore: George, my first awareness of Trump came in the mid-’80s when his book was released. Frankly, it was worth the read. I was a young radio owner blessed with early success, so moving from a right-brain performing posture to a somewhat more analytical business perspective, naturally reading Trump’s concepts and personal were impressive and actionable.

Once upon a time–not ALL that long ago, Americans respected winners, and that went beyond Wall Street! Winning teams, coaches, players, business people, Military leaders (how far away Gulf War One seems) when we revered our Generals and Admirals as heroes.

I’ve given up on the American “political perspective,” which has devolved to the current state. Given this unprecedented disdain for winners (or God forbid differing opinions), I can’t help but wonder how these fine Americans would treat Patton, Halsey, Schwarzkopf, or Grant? (Unthinkable Trump)
Geo: I hear what you’re saying, said the deaf man to the blind men who said, “I see where you’re coming from.”

Geo’s Media Blog is an inside look at Radio, Music, Movies, Politics, and Life. For a sneak peek at some upcoming Blogs or to see some that you may have missed, go to Geo’s Media Blog @ GeorgeJohns.com.
On Twitter @GeoOfTheRadio. Sharing and commenting is encouraged and appreciated.

 

Happy Fathers Day.

Posted on by
Reply
Download PDF

Fathers Day.

Happy Father’s Day to the legend himself!
The man who carried me until his arms were about to break, who scared away every sales lady during countless dress shoppings, who has so many stories he had to start a blog, who started my love for wine, who makes friends wherever he goes, who is always open to listening and being educated by his liberal political activist daughter, who is so proud of being a dad and will accept anyone as a new “adopted” child.
Love you, thank you for a lifetime of memories.
P.S. look at him rocking his Father’s Day gift.

(A new Express shirt, of course)

ADULT CONTENT VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED !!! #4 All-Time

Posted on by
2
Download PDF


I’ve known Joasia for over 25 years, but I had no idea she was this naughty.
Had I known, I would have been all over her a long time ago. Check her out above and on the link at the bottom of the page.

GEO’S LIFE-LINERS

The wonderful world you live in may, in fact, only be a figment of your imagination.

Greatness is usually accomplished by a person who is running out of time.
The only thing that makes life worth living is dying!

I wonder how different the world would be if it were against the law to lie.

One man walking the talk adds up to more than the 50 who are talkin’ it.

I have finally figured out you have to ask for what you want because seldom does it ever just show up.

Isn’t it strange when you meet some women who appear beautiful when you first meet them somehow become less attractive as you get to know them, whereas others grow more attractive?

One must think about the future in order to have one.

Just ’cause I don’t say something about it doesn’t mean I don’t know about it!

Everything already exists; we just haven’t discovered it yet.

Why would I care what groups calling themselves special minorities want? I only care about deserving individuals, not people who are just part of a noisy crowd.

Why would the press interview the VP of marketing about anything? I wonder what spin they would try to put on this year’s Boston Marathon to try and discount the bombings.

Most women have about a 20-year window to find the Man of their dreams because that’s when they are at their best.

Well, it looks like Obama is afraid of the same evil characters the Presidents who came before him were, so don’t expect the Banks, the Oil Companies, and the Pharmaceutical companies to get warm and fuzzy anytime soon. 

I knew I was in trouble the day Jim West said … I know you’re already overbooked, but I just received a certified check from a potential client and from where I sit, I think you can squeeze them in. The trouble was, I agreed with him.

If you don’t believe in magic, I’ve just gotta hear your explanation of love.

My Nephew Jamie Boychuk, a “suit” in the railroad business, says, “unlike Radio, which uses inspiration as motivation, we just pay our people a lot of money and then kick their ass to get things done.

Bruce Munson told me the more you deal with banks, the more you understand why John Dillinger became a folk hero.

Instincts are not all good.

I think you could quiet a large room by simply explaining the theory that pointing out what’s wrong with this picture pays a dollar an hour, whereas fixing it pays a thousand dollars an hour.

Does anybody know if they still have an ethics class at Harvard, or was it canceled due to a lack of interest?

Speaking of ethics, there, of course, is no such thing as business ethics, just ethics.

A few women have a problem realizing that they are who they are, not who they married.

Why do the less talented have bigger egos than those who are gifted?

When the sales department doesn’t like the music, you need to book a bigger room for the rating party.

When talented people claim to be normal, ya gotta wonder what else they are lying about.

The people who appear to be the happiest are most likely the saddest.

When the creative department of an advertising agency runs out of neat things to say about the Big Mac, McDonald’s solves it by hiring a new agency.

As impressive as seeing someone working hard is, they seldom produce anywhere near as much as a person working smarter does.

My Brother Reg once asked me why I dated Women who threw gasoline on my rage rather than finding one to calm me. I told him that he’ll just have to use his imagination.

If you don’t have more questions than answers, you’re not living up to your potential.

When I first moved to America, Jim Hilliard put a 24-hour rule into effect. This meant that I couldn’t quit, nor could he fire me for 24 hours after we became extremely distraught with one another.
He later changed it to a 48-hour rule, claiming he needed more time to calm himself.

Originally, we were told that consolidation was going to save local radio. They wouldn’t lie to us, would they?

Geo’s Media Blog is an inside look at Radio, Music, Movies, and Life. For a sneak peek at upcoming Blogs or to see some you may have missed, go to Geo’s Media Blog @ GeorgeJohns.com.
On Twitter @GeoOfTheRadio. Sharing and commenting are encouraged and appreciated.

 

 

Geo’s Media Blog (This Isn’t For Publication, Right?) New for 6/28/21

Posted on by
5
Download PDF

When I began writing Geo’s Media Blog in 2012, I’ve been asked several times, “Ain’t you outta copy yet?”
Nope!

Since I began writing my blog, though, I have noticed a couple of things that have changed:
First of all, even though it’s written for men, surprisingly, some women are not only reading it, they’re leaving comments behind too. And secondly, whenever I have a conversation with anyone now, I’ll likely hear, “This isn’t for publication right?”

My blog which is about movies, music, radio, and life, has been very therapeutic because most of the stuff just pops into my head, and I need to get it out.
The short stories that begin the blog are usually about some of the unusual things that have happened over the years, whereas my Life-Liners are usually about things that are pissing me off today.

Speaking of my Life-Liners, as I said, I have no idea where they come from. Thinking that I must have read them somewhere, I did a plagiarism check and this is what came back, “These Life-Liners were plagiarized from a blog entitled Geo’s Media Blog @ GeorgeJohns.com”
Now as I look back on some of the 858 blogs, surprisingly, I find myself disagreeing with a few of my musings, and I’m not sure if that means I’m growing or regressing.

Of course, none of this would mean anything if y’all didn’t read it, and I thank you for doing so.
With that in mind, next week, I’m going to start publishing my all-time most-read blogs beginning up with #10 and working my way to #1, Casey Kasem style.

GEO’S LIFE-LINERS

Everyone wants to be the “Idea Guy,” unfortunately, though, nobody wants to be the all-important “Detail Guy” even though that position is responsible for almost 85% of the success or failure of a project.

The worse thing about the Can-Con rules back in the day was, the American media stopped believing the Canadian record charts. Speaking of Canada, when I moved to the US the thing that motivated me the most was thinking that If I wasn’t #1, I’d be deported.

Hey ladies, if your man makes over a half a million a year, he ain’t helping out at home.

How bogus are those “resort fees” the hotels are changing? You’d think that they’d be happy we’re back instead of ripping us off.

There are no more fearful words to a kid than a mother saying, “I’m gonna tell your Daddy.”

As I’ve asked before, “Has any great radio station gotten better after being purchased?
The latest appears to be K-103 who after 35 years of being #1 in Portland Oregon has slipped to #5. Surely they didn’t replace their legendary morning show with something cheaper?

As my friend Tom Skinner said recently, “I long for the days before consolidation. I’d have all the money and none of the expense with one great radio station.”

Family changes everything.

Feedback needs to be treated like a gift.

Who’s more generous, rich women or rich men? I know, stupid question.

Magic! Nobody believes in it, but everybody wants it.

You must earn the right to seduce a woman.

I support our troops but not those who sent them.

I love having access to all the stuff money can’t buy because it pisses off the folks with money.

Thank you and I’m sorry is never the wrong thing to say.

Is there anything more motivating than revenge?

There is no greater wealth than good health.

Why are most goverment projects late and over budget?

If a woman could cum in 3 minutes, would she seek therapy?

There’s no gray area; there’s only right and wrong.

A love-hate relationship lasts longer than most.

Why would you ever want to say goodbye? Au revoir says it best of all.

One must make new acquaintances in hopes of having old friends

Communication is everything.

When you hear, “Don’t worry,” worry.

Your imagination can take you anywhere you want to go.

Always trust your first instinct.

How the hell does any journalist win a Pulitzer today?

I think school should be open all year long with week-long breaks at Christmas, Easter, and Summer. There are very few stay-at-home Moms anymore, and I’m sure they would gladly share what they save on daycare, etc., with teachers.

The more freedom you have, the less security you have.

As I keep on saying, blind faith is just that, blind.

You can’t wait for life to get good before you get happy.

To be truly creative, one must lose their fear of rejection.

Finally, a Canadian team is in the Stanley Cup Finals. The surprise Montreal Canadiens will be taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning.

COMMENTS

Ivan Braiker: Hey Geo, while you are in Seattle, give me a call if you have a few minutes to get together! I am off to Boston to visit my son this Tuesday, back in Seattle on the 24th.
Hope to see you! (Ridin’ The Rails)
Geo: Looking forward to introducing you to my Grandson, Ivan.

Margaret Mayer: Loved this Geo! Have a fabulous time college shopping with Nathaniel, and enjoy the train ride with Candis. (Ridin’ The Rails)
Geo: Thank you, Margarita, miss ya!

Geo’s Media Blog is an inside look at Radio, Music, Movies, and Life. For a sneak peek at some upcoming Blogs or to see some that you may have missed, go to Geo’s Media Blog @ GeorgeJohns.com.
On Twitter @GeoOfTheRadio. Sharing and commenting are encouraged and appreciated.