Anyone who grew up in Toronto during the mid-80s probably spent a great deal of time watching him host Toronto’s best video show, Toronto Rocks when he wasn’t lending his well-known voice to CHUM-FM. Sadly, he lost his battle to cancer today in his Minnesota home.
CITY TV’s Pulse24 website has an article about the news, and includes a cool clip from Toronto Rocks from what looks to be about 1984, when he started the video show. They also link to his MySpace page where you can leave condolences.
Farewell, John. I’ll always remember you trapped in that tiny box with all the video monitors behind you.
That is very sad. I learned that he was ill just a few weeks ago, while reading another website about radio personalities. I talked to him at the CHUM studios when I was a teenager, wanting to be a part of that scene. He was warm and friendly, and encouraged me to pursue radio. I did. John will certainly be missed.
I was part of the CFNY snob crowd back when it was still The Spirit Of Rado, and didn’t pay much attention to things outside that (except for Psychedelic Psunday on Q107), so I didn’t know much about him. But still, this sucks.
Indeed. I was a CFNY junkie too, but I always watched Toronto Rocks, tuning in to CHUM-FM only for Dr. Demento. Toronto Rocks introduced me to all manner of bands I would soon get heavily into while my musical ears were only just coming into their adolescence. John was indeed the face of new music for me during that period.
Even earlier. I remember listening to Majhor (and others) on 1050 CHUM in the mid-70s. Although I knew he had gone on to many other things, it was likely for this reason that I always tended to think of him as a Top 40 AM jock first, and a TV host later.
Surprised to see how young he was. Suddenly, I’m feeling my own creeping mortality.
