Gloria Johnson’s Bio:
Radio History: Growing up in Niantic, CT, the daughter of a jazz pianoman, I spent a lot of nights with a tiny transistor radio under my pillow,being introduced to rock & roll by legendary New York DJs like Murray the K, Cousin Brucie and B Mitchell Reed.After high school I headed to Boston and started hangin’ at WBCN. I volunteered to answer phones, swept floors, filed records in the library. Anything I could do to soak up the atmosphere and learn from some of the early pioneers of “progressive rock radio”…Charles Laquidara, Sam Kopper, JJ Jackson. Went to LA for a couple of years and did weekends at KLOS, then overnights at KNAC in Long Beach. In search of a friendlier climate, I headed north to Lake Oswego & KQIV. Fell in love with Oregon and never looked back. Spent some time as a Mono Maniac at KVAN and then became part of KGON’s first decade of success. In Portland I’ve done just about every kind of radio there is: hard rock, pop, oldies, country, even smooth jazz. Rock and Roll is my favorite, and it’s great to be back at KGON for the third time. (see Eagles lyrics below).
Birthdate / Place: June 2nd ( double Gemini), Lowell, Massachusetts.
Family: Husband Bill and Russian Blue cat named Eva Blue.
Just for fun: I love to sit in my back yard with a good book. I call it “working on my lounge act.” I also collect champagne glasses, and watch a lot of NBA games on TV.
Favorite authors: James Patterson, Ken Follett, Toni Morrison, Carl Hiaasen, and Elmore Leonard.
Brushes with Greatness: Meeting Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Frank Zappa, Mick Jagger, Red Skelton, Milton Berle, and sitting in on mixdown sessions for “Stairway to Heaven” in LA. On a trip to England in the early 70s, I saw the Faces with Rod Stewart at the Lyceum, visited Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones at their homes, and went to Roger Daltrey’s wedding, where I danced with Keith Moon
Best Concerts: Beatles at Shea Stadium; The Who doing Tommy at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, Hendrix in Providence & Boston; Janis at Wesleyan University in Connecticut and in Boston; Led Zeppelin (Physical Graffiti Tour) in Seattle; Dylan &The Band in Seattle; Muddy Waters at Euphoria(shared a bottle of champagne with Muddy in the basement before his show and I was awestruck); Stones in: Seattle, LA, Portland; and getting to see some incredible bands at the old Paramount Theater : Bruce Springsteen, Eagles, Van Morrison, Zappa, Clapton and AC/DC with Bon Scott.
Musical Highlights: As music director for KGON in the early 80s, I was the first in the US to play Def Leppard and Men at Work songs on the radio.
Favorite Bands/ Singers: AC/DC, Rolling Stones, Def Leppard,Van Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin
Favorite Song Lyrics: “Wish I didn’t know now what I didn’t know then”, Bob Seger, Against the Wind. “You can check out anytime you want, but you can never leave” Eagles, Hotel California.
“If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice” Rush, Freewill.
“Meet the new boss, same as the old boss” The Who, Won’t Get Fooled Again.
As the bench player on the KGON team, I’m on the air whenever I’m needed, filling in for all three of the starters, Iris, Marty and Shannon. I still have a passion for the music we play. That’s why I’m here.
Thanks for Rockin’ with me all these years.
