Update: Congratulations to Bob Johnson, named to the Tennessee Journalism Hall of Fame!
Original story:
During the past couple of years, I have done more than one hundred appearances at clubs and churches to talk about my book. There’s nothing I enjoy more than telling stories about the great people who have informed and entertained us on Chattanooga radio and TV. One of the folks I talk about is the longest-running news anchorman in the city’s history. By far, the most-asked question at these events is, “How’s Bob Johnson doing?”
Since I have the pleasure of seeing Bob two or three times a year at various get-togethers and reunions, I know the answer to that question. But for the thousands who followed him on Channel 9 for almost 32 years on the evening news (1975-2007), they’re missing a friend. A man they invited into their homes night after night. Where is he now? Is he okay? We trusted him. We miss him.
Like a lot of us veteran broadcasters, Bob was bitten by the radio bug at an early age. Barely a teen in his hometown of Marietta, Georgia, Robert Johnson (yes, that’s his real name) and a couple of his buddies got a one-tube Lafayette radio amateur transmitter/receiver, hooked up a tape recorder and turntable and started playing the hits. Their broadcasts didn’t reach very far, into their own neighborhood at best. But Bob honed his skills, deepened his voice, and imitated the Atlanta deejays he heard on his way to and from school. By the beginning of his sophomore year in high school, he was good enough to land a job at WFOM in Marietta. If one of the regular deejays needed a weekend off, Bobby Jay was on the air. When he graduated in 1965 he enrolled at the University of Georgia, taking journalism courses. How did he spend his freshman year at UGA? “Wishing I was on the radio,” recalls Bob. Near the end of the school year, he heard about an opening at the local top-40 station, WDOL in Athens. He worked his way up the ladder, forgoing the college life for a three-year stint at the station, eventually becoming music and program director at the age of 22.
TV entered the picture when he was asked to do some announcing for the PBS channel in Athens. That side gig got the attention of WAGA, then the CBS station in Atlanta, which needed a new announcer. Bob’s booming broadcast voice was perfect for commercials and quiz shows in the big city. Bob became their go-to guy for whatever needed to be done. When the Saturday kids show host left town, Bob took his place. When the station needed a noonday weatherman, Bob learned how to do the weather. When they started a new morning show, Bob became the host, interviewing every celebrity who breezed through town.
Bob’s goal was to produce and host programs about news issues, and despite many promises, WAGA never made that happen. He sold his idea to a station in Charleston, SC, and moved there in 1974. “A bad choice,” he said. He ended up doing the weather there too, and soon began seeking news jobs around the southeast. He targeted Chattanooga, since it was close to home. “I still have my rejection letters from Channel 3 and Channel 12,” he said. “Channel 9 was going through a rough patch, and they showed some interest.” The station had a new general manager, Jane Dowden. Two weeks after she arrived at WTVC, she got a letter from Bob. She liked what she saw, and arranged for him to meet with the station’s news consultant in Chicago. Two weeks later the deal was done, and Bob began his long run behind the Channel 9 anchor desk.
“I was 28 years old, and had never anchored the news,” Bob said. “We started out deep in third place. I was teamed with Don Welch, who did weather, and Darrell Patterson on sports. We were young, we had good chemistry, and people grew to like us. It took about seven years, and then we were ahead of the other channels.” In contrast to Welch’s folksy “wooly worm” forecast style and Patterson’s evangelical energy, Bob was the authority figure, keeping everything under control for those who preferred a traditional delivery. From 1982 on, his newscasts were always at or near the top of the ratings. Through various anchor team changes, Bob and Darrell were the constants, with Darrell still serving as sports director to this day. “We’re like brothers,” Bob said. “Darrell’s always there for me.”
Bob’s last few years on the air were marked by tragedy and illness. MaryEllen Locher, his co-anchor of 17 years, battled cancer for much of that time. In June 2005, she passed away at the age of 45. Bob was among the speakers at her funeral, paying tribute to “my good friend, my buddy. She had such a good heart.”
Not long after MaryEllen’s death, Bob began to have some problems of his own. “I’d be standing, and suddenly my leg would just freeze up. I couldn’t move it. I didn’t know what was wrong. My brain would tell my body to move, and nothing would happen.” It was diagnosed as Parkinson’s Disease. Among its symptoms are rigidity and the degeneration of a small part of the brain. As those brain cells die, the brain becomes deprived of the chemical dopamine, which enables cells involved in movement control to communicate. Muscles become tense and contracted, causing pain or stiffness. There’s no known cure, and it often becomes increasingly disabling over time.
“Tell them I’m doing fine,” he said in response to my most-asked question. “I have good days and bad days, but I get out as often as I can. It’s about the same as it was five years ago. I miss doing yard work, but most of all I miss going to work. I miss doing the news at six o’clock. I miss the people I worked with. I miss helping foster children get adopted in the Wednesday’s Child program. At one time, we had a sixty percent adoption rate. I’m proud of that.”
He said people still recognize him, and he loves the interaction. “Some people still get my name mixed up, they think I’m Don Johnson or Bob Welch,” he laughed. “But just yesterday, a lady looked me in the eye and said, “I sure do miss you.” Bob’s voice trailed off as he said, “That’s really all she needed to say.”
Great story, David and thanks for sharing it with the folks. I can attest to the fact that BJ’s doing fine. We played golf last weekend… Bob pretty much kicked by tail until he started getting tired, after about 12 holes. Bob and I have played golf together for probably 20 years. For those first 12 holes, this was maybe the best I’d ever seen him play! It’s always good to spend some time with my friend… and oh, the stories we do tell about the memories we have!
WE really miss Bob and wish him well.
My son David was with Bob Johnson on the Big Brothers/Big Sisters specials he would do twice. David was only 5 years old, the first time, and he wanted to ride the Cannon Ball Roller Coaster at Lake Winnie. David wasn’t quite tall enough, Bob Johnson picked him up so he would be bigger on the size marker. David and Bob rode the roller coaster 3 times with the camera man. It was a Spectacular Event for my son, as well as, Bob Johnson and that incredible camera man! The people at Big Brothers/Big Sisters said they got an overwhelming amount of phone calls. More than any received before. My son got a Big Brother and 1 year later, Bob Johnson decided to do a follow up visit with the Big & Little Brother together. My son, again, asked for the impossible, it seemed. My son wanted to go to Gooney Golf and ride the Go Carts. They managed it and Bob interviewed my son, his Big Brother, and me. He was so keenly, sincerely interested in my son in both segments. He drew my son’s personality right out within moments. He was a marvel. We were fortunate to get both segments on tape and they will always remain a treasure to our family – especially to my son. Do we miss him? You bet. He really cared about what he did. God Bless you, Bob Johnson.
Great, Great Great job DC!
I keep up with Bob best I can but I miss him also, I know many in our area feel the same.
I call Bob friend and have spent many a night having conversations with him at The Loft, he was and is an icon in our area but he treated me as a friend. When I launched my Chattanooga Live TV Show, we had a live audience. Despite it being a silly little cable show and Bob being the #1 Anchor in town, he came to my first show, sat in the audience and showed his support. Thanks Bob you are my friend and thank you DC for sharing these great memories and for also being my friend and a Chattanooga Treasure yourself. Dewayne Gass
I used to listen to Marry Ellen ,David an all of them at chanel 9 was wondering what had happened to some of them .i noticed a bunch of new ones on there.
I was out of state going to school & came back home finding a bunch of new people on there .
I really do miss Neal Pascal giving the weather .
David ,Thanks so much for keeping the memories going ! Love reading about
“what’s happening today”.
Bob has a heart of gold and compassion. Always has. He loved Wednesday’s Children.
I pray they are all grown with children of their own.
Kelly O’Brien
WFSH Atlanta
We all miss Bob so much. Glad he is enjoying playing golf. There was a great group people you could tell really loved each other. Please give him our love.
Thanks for this story, David. I knew Bob growing up in Marietta, GA. We were at UGA at the same time and we rode together back and forth to Athens every weekend. I happened to think about him today and Googled his name. Your story came up. I hope he is still doing well.
Thanks for reading, David. Yes, I see him every couple of months, and he seems to be doing well.
Hi David, I first heard your name and met you at WFLI Jet Fly Radio 100,000 watts of scary looking tubes and antennas in the back yard. My friend Jack Roland, who actually made it as a DJ somehow got a no-pay gig doing surveys and whatever we could to make ourselves at least appear to look useful. After talking to you for a while we discovered that I went or was still going to school with a cousin of yours, Susan Carrol who I had a major crush on.
Jack and I ended up hanging out a lot with Rich Phillips and I don’t remember her name but I’m pretty sure there was a female DJ who was a knockout. I think she had a bushy almost Afro type hair do. For some reason I can’t remember her name. Hey I was 16-17 years old. Somethings you remember more than others at that age. Oh, Dale Anthony was the station manager at the time. I had met him briefly before when he lived in the same subdivision as my grand parents. I just remember you and Rich were who I wanted to be when I grew up. Jack stuck with it and last I heard was a DJ in Colorado Springs CO. I was (am) a guitar junkie and decided to be a Rock Star. I ended up in the recording and engineering end of things. Never had the girls screaming at my feet or the groupies back stage. I still write and play and am more interested in being a minister or Christian Rocker. I’m in limbo. I don’t expect you to remember me or anything. Maybe the times, and to let you know you affected a couple of lives positively. Maybe not as much as your cousin at the time but now that we are both married to other people that was just a teen thing. I never forgot a lot of the things I learned there and I still have an album one of you guys gave me. The Four Seasons (?) album (real vinyl) that had the song “Oh What A Night,” on it. It’s hard to grasp how many years have passed since then. I moved to Orlando in ’89 and ended up retiring from Sea World due to a seriously wrenched back. I’m back home a few mile from where I used to be. I decided to look up Bob Johnson. When I saw your name I just had to say hello. I’ve seen you on TV here and there when I would come up to visit the family when I was living in FL. This is the first time I’ve been able to try and contact you. I really hope this message finds you and I finally get the chance to say thanks for your kindness to a couple of kids and helped point us in a positive direction.
Thanks, God bless. If you feel inspired I’d like to hear from you, I also collect autographs. You could go between Elvira and Jack Hanna. It’s not a huge collection.lol.
Sincerely,
James E (Eddie) Craig
Hi Eddie, thank you for those memories. Jack is a great guy! I sure appreciate you reading my blog. If you search my archives from the past 2-3 years, you’ll find some great airchecks and pics from those WFLI days.
David, love these memories. Your so sweet and kind. Loved Bob Johnson and Darrell , as well as Don Welch, Luther of course, Miss Marcia. Thank you David.
Pat Bishop
http://www.facebook.com/pat.bishop3
Hi David
I came to the states in 1985 and can only remember watching news cjannel 9. I enjoyed Bob and Darrel and of purse Don and yourself on the odd occasion that I switched channels. So nare with me as my memory isn’t as good as it used to be.
I remember Bob getting married to I believe her name was Rebecca. They used to come into B. J. Little pub on Bonny Oaks dr. Of course he has now passed away , but before he died Walt took it over and he still came to visit, he like everyone else enjoyed the kareoke. Of course Walt has now retired but I believe he still does a little kareoke.
I thought the three of them were so handsome and made my heart flip a beat lol. I know I am old but I can still dream lol. Please tell Bob, as he won’t remember me from The Little Pub, that I wish him luck for the next 100 yrs as I believe he is going nowhere lol. I am glad he is doing so good and hopefully taking it a little easy.Thanks again David