Johnny Walker (DJ)
Encyclopedia
Johnny Walker (August 13,1948 - March 1, 2004) was an American
radio personality, best known as a disc jockey
on WFBR
, a Baltimore, Maryland AM radio station from 1974 to 1987. His radio name was taken from Johnnie Walker
, a brand of whiskey, which supported his persona which has been described as "madcap" or "shock jock
", which on occasion drew the ire of the Federal Communications Commission
. For most of those years, his show was the top rated in the morning drive-time. For a time he owned a self-named club that was promoted on the radio station. He also briefly worked at WFBR with Robin Quivers (Howard Stern Show).His first radio job was at WLRS-FM in Louisville at the recommendation of future radio personality/consulatant Steve Warren, his school classmate at New Albany High School.
He helped Ira Glass
, host of This American Life
, get his radio start as his joke-writer while Glass was in high school. While in High School, himself, Embrey was a standut local magician.
Walker's early career included on-air positions at AM radio stations WMAK (1300 kHz) in Nashville and WDXB (1490 kHz) in Chattanooga, Tennessee
. He had previously worked at WPTR in Albany, New York
under the pseudonym
"Wild Child".
He died in 2004 due to complications associated with lung cancer
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio personality, best known as a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
on WFBR
WFBR (AM)
WFBR is a radio station broadcasting a Talk/Personality format. It is licensed for Glen Burnie, Maryland. The station is currently owned by Way Broadcasting Licensee, LLC....
, a Baltimore, Maryland AM radio station from 1974 to 1987. His radio name was taken from Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch Whisky owned by Diageo and originated in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland.It is the most widely distributed brand of blended Scotch whisky in the world, sold in almost every country with yearly sales of over 130 million bottles.-History:Originally known as Walker's...
, a brand of whiskey, which supported his persona which has been described as "madcap" or "shock jock
Shock jock
Shock jock is a slang term used to describe a type of any radio broadcaster who attracts attention using humor that a significant portion of the listening audience may find offensive. The term is usually used pejoratively to describe provocative or irreverent broadcasters whose mannerisms,...
", which on occasion drew the ire of the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
. For most of those years, his show was the top rated in the morning drive-time. For a time he owned a self-named club that was promoted on the radio station. He also briefly worked at WFBR with Robin Quivers (Howard Stern Show).His first radio job was at WLRS-FM in Louisville at the recommendation of future radio personality/consulatant Steve Warren, his school classmate at New Albany High School.
He helped Ira Glass
Ira Glass
Ira Glass is an American public radio personality, and host and producer of the radio and television show This American Life.- Early life :...
, host of This American Life
This American Life
This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
, get his radio start as his joke-writer while Glass was in high school. While in High School, himself, Embrey was a standut local magician.
Walker's early career included on-air positions at AM radio stations WMAK (1300 kHz) in Nashville and WDXB (1490 kHz) in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. He had previously worked at WPTR in Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"Wild Child".
He died in 2004 due to complications associated with lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
.