John Johnson passes.

[jojo_collins]

The founder of Johnson Publishing Company passed away yesterday (8/8). John Johnson, the publisher of Ebony and Jet Magazine and the owner of many stations, namely the old WJPC (950 AM) in Chicago, helped brought to Chicago radio stars like Tom Joyner, LaDonna Tittle, Richard Pegue and Bobby O'Jay. He will be missed in the electronic and print media.

 

[Nate Wesley]

> The founder of Johnson Publishing Company passed away
> yesterday (8/8). John Johnson, the publisher of Ebony and
> Jet Magazine and the owner of many stations, namely the old
> WJPC (950 AM) in Chicago, helped brought to Chicago radio
> stars like Tom Joyner, LaDonna Tittle, Richard Pegue and
> Bobby O'Jay. He will be missed in the electronic and print
> media.
>
I never knew he was a former radio player.

What was WJPC's format? And do you know what other stations he owned?<P ID="signature">______________
There's nothing to see here.</P>

 

[jojo_collins]

> > The founder of Johnson Publishing Company passed away
> > yesterday (8/8). John Johnson, the publisher of Ebony and
>
> > Jet Magazine and the owner of many stations, namely the
> old
> > WJPC (950 AM) in Chicago, helped brought to Chicago radio
> > stars like Tom Joyner, LaDonna Tittle, Richard Pegue and
> > Bobby O'Jay. He will be missed in the electronic and
> print
> > media.
> >
> I never knew he was a former radio player.
>
> What was WJPC's format? And do you know what other stations
> he owned?
>
It was a 5000 daytime Urban in the '70's....became a 1000 night around 1980. Up until the big FM's 'GCI and 'BMX evolved, their main comp was WVON.

 

[-TJ-]

<font color=3333ff>WJPC 950 AM was most remembered (for my generation) as "Rap Radio 950AM WJPC." It was Chicagos only Rap station (ahh the good ol' dayz) I remember going to bed and waking up with it.....sometimes it would throw me off cuz they would say "950 AM" and I thought that I overslept and was late for school LOL!

I remember hearing EPMD "Crossover" and Tupac "If My Homies Call" on the station all the time......as well as corny Ebony Cosmetics commercials

The famous line was "I'm never going to stop wearing Ebony Cosmetics."

They also had 106.3 at (one time WLNR). 106.3 and 950 were in the same building in Lansing.......eventually turned into the 106 Jamz simulcast in 1994 when JPC sold the stations to Evergreen.

A legend and icon, he will be missed.
</font>


> > > The founder of Johnson Publishing Company passed away
> > > yesterday (8/8). John Johnson, the publisher of Ebony
> and
> >
> > > Jet Magazine and the owner of many stations, namely the
> > old
> > > WJPC (950 AM) in Chicago, helped brought to Chicago
> radio
> > > stars like Tom Joyner, LaDonna Tittle, Richard Pegue and
>
> > > Bobby O'Jay. He will be missed in the electronic and
> > print
> > > media.
> > >
> > I never knew he was a former radio player.
> >
> > What was WJPC's format? And do you know what other
> stations
> > he owned?
> >
> It was a 5000 daytime Urban in the '70's....became a 1000
> night around 1980. Up until the big FM's 'GCI and 'BMX
> evolved, their main comp was WVON.
>

 

[jpearce]

Johnson Publishing established WJPC-AM on 950 in 1973. It had been "The Voice of Equality" WAAF. Then the company bought WLNR-FM (106.3) in Lansing in 1985 and it became WJPC-FM. Johnson had a third station, WLOU-AM in Louisville, KY. WJPC (both) became WEJM in 1994 when they were sold to Chancellor Media which merged with and became Evergreen Media which sold the stations in 1997, I think. The AM is now WNTD and the FM WSRB.


> > > The founder of Johnson Publishing Company passed away
> > > yesterday (8/8). John Johnson, the publisher of Ebony
> and
> >
> > > Jet Magazine and the owner of many stations, namely the
> > old
> > > WJPC (950 AM) in Chicago, helped brought to Chicago
> radio
> > > stars like Tom Joyner, LaDonna Tittle, Richard Pegue and
>
> > > Bobby O'Jay. He will be missed in the electronic and
> > print
> > > media.
> > >
> > I never knew he was a former radio player.
> >
> > What was WJPC's format? And do you know what other
> stations
> > he owned?
> >
> It was a 5000 daytime Urban in the '70's....became a 1000
> night around 1980. Up until the big FM's 'GCI and 'BMX
> evolved, their main comp was WVON.
>

 

[noknownuser]

Correction

> They also had 106.3 at (one time WLNR). 106.3 and 950 were
> in the same building in Lansing.......eventually turned into
> the 106 Jamz simulcast in 1994 when JPC sold the stations to
> Evergreen.

Johnson sold WJPC-AM/FM to Barry Mayo's Broadcasting Partners group, which at the time owned WVAZ. Mayo later sold his Chicago stations to Evergreen.

 

[WYTZZ95FM]

WJPC in the 80's was a very trendy, hip Urban, that could be mistaken for a CHR/Urban. WJPC would come out of the top hour with tunes like Grandmasterflash, Yaz, Stacy Lattisaw, Freeze etc.... that the CHR's pretended did not exist and the other Urban's ignored or barely recognized, as being "too young".

The production on the station was also kick butt at the time for an Urban, more toward the hip CHR side (which there was no 'hip" CHR at the time in Chicago).

WEJM was also a trend setter in the 90's and went away before its time.

Moment of silence for him, and may peace be with his family and friends.<P ID="signature">______________

"Z"
Music Coordinator/Technical Support</P>

 

[jojo_collins]

Re: Correction

> > They also had 106.3 at (one time WLNR). 106.3 and 950
> were
> > in the same building in Lansing.......eventually turned
> into
> > the 106 Jamz simulcast in 1994 when JPC sold the stations
> to
> > Evergreen.
>
> Johnson sold WJPC-AM/FM to Barry Mayo's Broadcasting
> Partners group, which at the time owned WVAZ. Mayo later
> sold his Chicago stations to Evergreen.
>
That is true. I worked there from '95-'96 under Monica Starr and Jay Alan. My name at the time was JC Collins and I did overnights. The Jocks were Jammin' Dave Michaels (now at WKKV in Milwaukee under his real name, Reggie Brown), AJ Parker (now in Detroit), The First Lady (now in Indianapolis), Marc Young (now in Miami as the Production Director at Cox Radio), Mic Fox, Broadway Joe (now working in Little Rock, Arkansas), the late, great Pinkhouse and his producer, Ice Man Stan (also deceased), Courtney Hicks (now at power 92 in Chi Ill), Brian Anthony (now PD at WXBT in Columbia, South Carolina). If I forgot someone, blame my head and not my heart. Thanks. Jo Jo.

Jo Jo Collins
Middays/Music Director
KZCH-Channel 963
Wichita, Kansas
www.channel963.com

 

[jpearce]

Re: Correction

Thanks for that clarification...it's hard sometimes to keep
track of it all.

J

> > They also had 106.3 at (one time WLNR). 106.3 and 950
> were
> > in the same building in Lansing.......eventually turned
> into
> > the 106 Jamz simulcast in 1994 when JPC sold the stations
> to
> > Evergreen.
>
> Johnson sold WJPC-AM/FM to Barry Mayo's Broadcasting
> Partners group, which at the time owned WVAZ. Mayo later
> sold his Chicago stations to Evergreen.
>

 

[Nellsson]

> The founder of Johnson Publishing Company passed away
> yesterday (8/8). John Johnson, the publisher of Ebony and
> Jet Magazine and the owner of many stations, namely the old
> WJPC (950 AM) in Chicago, helped brought to Chicago radio
> stars like Tom Joyner, LaDonna Tittle, Richard Pegue and
> Bobby O'Jay. He will be missed in the electronic and print
> media.
>

WJPC (formerly WGRT) sounded best when John H. Johnson first took over and hried Sonny Taylor (now deceased) who gave us Don St. Johnn, JJ Johnson, Richar Steel (now PBS), John Q and others who made that day facility a serious player in Greater Chicagoland. This was Black Radio with a Top 40 spice! Wow!!!

JHJ...RIP