Born and educated in Winnipeg, Manitoba – Canada.
THE ’60s
Played guitar and sang backup with Shayne and The Devines, which became The Rebel Raiders.
Played guitar and was the bandleader for The Phantoms, who became The Jury.
The Jury recordings:
“Until You Do” (London Records)
“I Tried To Tell Her” (London Records)
“Back In My World” (London Records)
“Please Forget Her” b/w “Who Dat?” (Quality Records), (Port Records in the U.S.)
Part-time board op – CKY – FM Winnipeg.
Production Director – CKY – AM
Music Director – CKY – AM
Program Director – CKOM – AM Saskatoon
Program Director – CKSO AM/FM Sudbury
THE ’70s
Program Director – CFRA Ottawa
Program Director – CFTR Toronto
Station Manager – CFTR.
National Program Director of Fairbanks Broadcasting:
WIBC/WNAP Indianapolis
WVBF/WKLB Boston
WKOX Framingham
WIBG Philadelphia
WRMF/WJNO Palm Beach
KVIL FM and AM Dallas
Vice President of Programming for Fairbanks Broadcasting
Studied with Mike Vance, Dean of Walt Disney University
THE ’80s
Formed The Johns Company, which consulted radio stations in the US and Canada.
Merged The Johns Company with Fairwest, which syndicated:
Continuous Country.
Music Of Your Life.
The Class format.
Became involved in ownership:
KLLS San Antonio
K103 Portland
WZPL Indianapolis
WMET Chicago
STAR Milwaukee
NOW
Write a Blog each week entitled Radio Geo’s Media Blog.
Writing Three Books:
“Guitars & Radio & Wild Wild Women.”
“50 Ways To Keep Your Lover.”
“1001 Life-Liners.”
MUSIC CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
The Jury shared the stage in the mid-’60s with The Guess Who, Bachman Turner Overdrive, and Neil Young, who, like us, were all from Winnipeg.
The Jury’s last record, “Please Forget Her,” was the #1 Canadian record in Canada. The flip side was “Who Dat?” which became a cult favorite and was covered by several grunge bands. Itt was also recently listed in a publication as being 50 years ahead of its time.
The Jury also opened for music legends Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash, early British Invasion acts Peter & Gordon, Manfred Mann, and Hall of Famers The Zombies.
BROADCASTING HIGHLIGHTS
Created the first-ever Adult Contemporary Format at CFTR in Toronto in 1972. The format later became immensely successful on KVIL in Dallas for over twenty years.
Created the nationally syndicated “Magic Ticket,” which was one of the first-ever sales/programming promotions.
Co-created “Fantasy Park,” which became nationally syndicated.
Created The Class format on KLLS in San Antonio, which ended up on 40 radio stations all over North America.
Put “Music Of Your Life” on Satelite, which was broadcast on a hundred AM Radio Stations in North America.
Co-created and launched WKLB, Boston’s first Country Station.