Rock Radio Scrapbook

AIRCHECK OF THE WEEK
For week of April 14, 2013
Edition #728

Talent: DAVE JOHNSON
Station: CHUM Toronto
Date: May 2, 1959
Time: 26:25 (unscoped)
       12:12 (scoped)

(Courtesy: Doug Thompson/The CHUM Archives)

One of the most cheerful and upbeat personalities you'll ever hear on the air, Dave Johnson was a friend to Toronto radio listeners for more than two decades.

Johnson joined CHUM in January, 1958, taking over the 7 p.m.-midnight shift at the fledgling Top 40 station. Earlier in his career, he had been an operator at CKEY Toronto, followed by a stint as an on-air personality at CKOY Ottawa. At CHUM, Johnson joined a staff that included Al Boliska (6-9 a.m. and noon-1 p.m.), Harvey Dobbs (9 a.m.-noon), Pete Nordheimer (1-4 p.m.), Phil Stone (4-7 p.m.) and Jay Jackson (midnight-6 a.m.)

One of the highlights of Johnson's early years at CHUM was a program segment called the "Hi-Fi Club." This led to a popular teen dance party called the "Hi-Fi Club Dance," a few blocks up from CHUM. Johnson personally hosted the dance introducing live acts and playing '45s. Union problems eventually led to the end of the event but it remains an integral part of CHUM's early history.

(Dave Johnson with Donna Loren - courtesy Bob Laine and Doug Thompson/The CHUM Archives)

By the time he left the station in late October 1965, Johnson was the only deejay remaining on CHUM from that 1958 lineup. In between, he had hosted the demanding and high-profile night-time shift continuously for nearly eight years - almost a CHUM record* - even sharing the mike with the legendary Dick Clark (on tape) for a while in 1963.

After his CHUM days, Johnson moved to country-formatted CFGM Richmond Hill (just north of Toronto) where he entertained throughout the latter half of the '60s and the 1970s (turns out he was a big fan of country music, as well as being an opera buff and gourmet chef!) He was still holding down his familiar afternoon drive slot at CFGM when he died suddenly of a heart attack October 20, 1980.

Hear Dave Johnson with the Hi-Fi Club on CHUM here. (unscoped)

Hear Dave Johnson with the Hi-Fi Club on CHUM here. (scoped)

(The CHUM Archives/Bob Laine and Doug Thompson)

(Dave Johnson at the CNE, August, 1959. Courtesy: Doug Thompson/The CHUM Archives)

*Russ McCloud was a night-time jock at CHUM for nine years - August 1984 to August 1993, when he moved to afternoons. That would make him the holder of the record for the longest uninterrupted stint on nights at CHUM. Thanks to Russ for confirming the time he spent on nights. All told, McCloud was at CHUM for 16 1-2 years (he also worked mornings for a time before returning to afternoon drive.)

More from The CHUM Archives here!