Johnnie Walker The Autobiography is.... a reasonable enough read about one of the UK's most famous Radio broadcasters. Yet, after reading it I dont feel I know him very well, nor in fact do I feel that I particularly even like him much.
I very much enjoyed the anecdotes about his days in radio on the sea fairing pirate stations (Caroline, Britain) and his time in San Francisco (a city I love very much too!) and how he 'blagged' his way into various jobs and how he spent a long time driving vans a
Johnnie Walker The Autobiography is.... a reasonable enough read about one of the UK's most famous Radio broadcasters. Yet, after reading it I dont feel I know him very well, nor in fact do I feel that I particularly even like him much.
I very much enjoyed the anecdotes about his days in radio on the sea fairing pirate stations (Caroline, Britain) and his time in San Francisco (a city I love very much too!) and how he 'blagged' his way into various jobs and how he spent a long time driving vans and doing stuff to make ends meet.
However there is a definite 'gloss' to this book, i.e. nothing in this book couldn't be broadcast on the BBC, and when it comes to the chapter near the end where he talks about having a 'rep' for being a bit of a wild man when it came to drink and cocaine (Johnnie Walker says he is a recovered alcoholic and cocaine addict) you will find yourself skimming back through the pages wondering what chapters you missed, as, -like I said, there seems to be a fair bit of 'gloss' when JW is caught by the now defunct News Of The World allegedly offering to supply 'Coke and Hookers' for two fake Saudi Sheiks. He was apparently 'like a lamb to the slaughter' over this. I wish I could be so sure. Even when he talks about when he literally and figuretively 'jumped-ship' leaving one pirate radio station to try to get a job with another stating 'I knew I would miss my radio friends' (-yes Johnnie, but not enough to actually tip your friends off about the fact that they were all about to lose their jobs!) and then the justification for his actions in doing this.
Towards the end of this book, it does mention the fact that he ran off with the partner of his friend around 2001, musician Gordon Haskell, but again, it has a very.... well, a very saccharine take on it in my view. Talking about how Gordon didn't really mind that 'we fell in love...' Hmmmm...
Its this...what I feel is possibly slightly 'contrived' presentation of his anecdotes that I feel suspicious about, (the encounter with a nurse while he was in hospital after breaking his leg reads like sheer adolescent fantasy) and the fact that even fellow broadcaster Chris Evans in his own Biog. 'It's Not What You Think' refers only to Johnnie Walker as 'The Dude' (it was revealed on the internet rumour mill that he was referring to JW after their time working together on Galaxy Radio.) and one wonders why exactly, that someone like Chris Evans would avoid naming him? Even though Chris Evans says that JW is the 'coolest person' he ever met. Maybe Johnnie Walker is not someone to cross? I feel there is also most definitely a slight 'Smashie and Nicey' factor at work here, which is a pity. Maybe, like Paul McCartney some people's bio's should be written for them by others?
Ironically, as I sit here writing this review I am, in fact listening to Johnnie Walker's show as it is broadcast on an overcast Sunday afternoon. I like Johnnie Walkers shows, his presenting style, his interview style but I do feel that after reading this book I am possibly not much closer to knowing him, and how there may be a more complex, hard-edged, 'has-certain-issues-with-authority' person lurking under the surface. I'm sure there is a thicker, more in-depth tome to be written about this no doubt interesting man, probably by a third-party at some time in the future. There are certainly some enjoyable and interesting parts to this book
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Must admit in the early days was not a fan of Mr Walker, the reason being I was a Bay city Roller fan and after his rudeness about them on his chart show, that was that, he was public enemy number 1, but as you get older and hopefully get more taste you realise, yep you were right all along Mr Walker!!. I love his 70’s show and wanted to know more about the man. This book highlights the staid and boring atmosphere at the BBC at the 70’s and how teenagers were actually treated, only top hits coul
Must admit in the early days was not a fan of Mr Walker, the reason being I was a Bay city Roller fan and after his rudeness about them on his chart show, that was that, he was public enemy number 1, but as you get older and hopefully get more taste you realise, yep you were right all along Mr Walker!!. I love his 70’s show and wanted to know more about the man. This book highlights the staid and boring atmosphere at the BBC at the 70’s and how teenagers were actually treated, only top hits could be played and then only if they were on a single no LPs, no wonder so much great 70’s music passed me by there was just no way to hear it ! It explains why pirate radio was so well loved and received except by the authorities! Jonny Walker obviously lives and loves music and could not abide the constraints of working for stations that didn’t let him have a free hand his disagreements with various stations are recalled. His adventures and struggles in the USA working for radio stations over there, which eventually led to the collapse of his first marriage, the birth of his children and the sometimes difficult steps he had to take in his career not always working out. He does not name drop and use some of the great artists and bands he obviously met during his career which is surprising. He also mentions his spiritually and how it guides his life quite a few times but does not go into it in great detail. I was aware he suffered from cancer but did not know how serious it was and what a fight it was for him and his family it was sad to know how much he suffered but that he came through the other side and was eventually recognised for the work he had done for broadcasting by being awarded an MBE. A compelling and interesting read.
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I enjoyed this book very much but cannot help but feel that Johnnie (not his real name - I'll let you find out for yourself)has held back on several important aspects of his life and some of the people in it: first wife, children, friends, parents and siblings for starters! Johnnie is a good story teller and this is an easy read but I don't feel I've ended up knowing the man at all: for example it would be interesting to know more about where his spiritual interest springs from and how it shapes
I enjoyed this book very much but cannot help but feel that Johnnie (not his real name - I'll let you find out for yourself)has held back on several important aspects of his life and some of the people in it: first wife, children, friends, parents and siblings for starters! Johnnie is a good story teller and this is an easy read but I don't feel I've ended up knowing the man at all: for example it would be interesting to know more about where his spiritual interest springs from and how it shapes his life now - I merely got the impression he uses this as a sort of crutch to make up for the less pleasant side of his personality. Maybe the really intersting biography would be written by his first wife!
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I only really knew Johnnie Walker from his Drivetime show (I used to enjoy listening on my college nights, when the long journey meant I heard most of the show) and was only vaguely aware of his history. This very entertaining and well-written account details his life from birth (Hammond!) right up to starting his Sunday show and doesn’t seem to leave any stone unturned. You get a very good idea of the man and his approach to life, though some of the career info seems a bit scant - he details a
I only really knew Johnnie Walker from his Drivetime show (I used to enjoy listening on my college nights, when the long journey meant I heard most of the show) and was only vaguely aware of his history. This very entertaining and well-written account details his life from birth (Hammond!) right up to starting his Sunday show and doesn’t seem to leave any stone unturned. You get a very good idea of the man and his approach to life, though some of the career info seems a bit scant - he details a lot of Radio Caroline but then stuffs five or six years into one chapter - but I read this and liked the man even more than when I started reading. Well worth a read.
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In my youth and my formative music appreciation years Johnnie Walker was easily the best DJ on radio for me. Always just that little bit eclectic and miles better than those bloody useless morons Blackburn, Edmonds, DLT etc. Johnnie was always more akin to John Peel for me
I thought I knew a lot about Mr Walker, but I learnt so much more about him from this book. What a great bloke, I'd love to meet him to say how much I enjoyed the book and also how much I enjoyed the dancers he brought along
In my youth and my formative music appreciation years Johnnie Walker was easily the best DJ on radio for me. Always just that little bit eclectic and miles better than those bloody useless morons Blackburn, Edmonds, DLT etc. Johnnie was always more akin to John Peel for me
I thought I knew a lot about Mr Walker, but I learnt so much more about him from this book. What a great bloke, I'd love to meet him to say how much I enjoyed the book and also how much I enjoyed the dancers he brought along to my school disco when I was just 15! Rock on Johnnie!!!!
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