Last Ride With A Legend

    I will never forget April 10, 2010. It is a day that – if I had my ‘druthers – I’d rather not have had to seen  it come and go. It was the old cowboy’s last day on the air here at the Ranch. Not that he doesn’t deserve it. I told John straight to his face that I was absolutely proud for him and Jo that they were finally going to get to “go home” and do what all good grandparents are supposed to do….. spoil the living daylights out of their grandkids and then send ‘em back home! But, still…..
   

You know the story well. Johnny Western came to Wichita in January of 1986, after Ol’ Mike finally convinced him that he could have the best of both worlds here. And it was true. JW was able to make radio history right here in “KFDI Country,” and still be able to go out from time to time and keep his concert obligations alive and well. And the rest, as they say, is history.
    Johnny remembers fondly his very first remote broadcast was for Pleasantview Home Improvement, where he swung on a display model Humphrey Storm Door; folks, John ain’t ever been little. Granted, we’re not talking Johnny Russell here, but JW is a good-sized boy. He was literally amazed that nothing happened to that door when he swung on it. 24 years later, Pleasantview Home Improvement is still advertising here at the Ranch, and that very same display door is still on display at their showroom in Pleasantview, Kansas… still being swung on!
   

Johnny Western was one of the best goodwill representatives we’ve ever had around here. He made so many great friendships, both with sponsors and listeners. When JW told you about Dr. Lyle Zeppick, or Mike Seltzer, Milo Sweet, Wyldewood Cellar, Winfield Motors, the Prairie Rose Chuckwagon, or Rusty Eck Ford (and countless others over the years)… he wasn’t just talking because he was sent there to talk. He meant every word he said. When he told the listeners, “I’ve never shot you a stray bullet…” – he meant that, too.
   

And, speaking of those good old days, how about all the Anniversary parties at Joyland Park? Johnny had just about seen it all and done it all right there through the years! All of the Opry shows in the Pavillion – remember those? How about the year we had the legendary Gene Watson and a young up-and-comer by the name of Tracy Byrd? 1993, I believe it was. THAT was the year a tornado, microburst or whatever it was, touched down waaaaaaaaay too close for our comfort, which abruptly shut the Anniversary party down for Joyland; the evening Opry show wasn’t held at the Grandstand stage as it normally would have been. Rather, the “evening” show was broadcast live from the basement of the Ranch. Ol’ Mike, Johnny, Terry Burford, Scott Piper, Gene Watson and Tracy Byrd all put on a quite memorable “unplugged” concert. I spent most of the evening trying to dry out; I got pretty well drenched before leaving Joyland.
   

How many concerts has John worked up at the Kansas State Fair over the years? Well, I expect at least 23; there was one year when we actually weren’t there. Working with folks like his best friend, Rex Allen Jr., the Statlers, the Oak Ridge Boys, David Frizzell, Leroy Van Dyke, the Gatlins, Jimmy Fortune, Ronnie Milsap – well, you get the idea. The list is just about endless.
   

Appearance after appearance at the Fair, Joyland, the Prairie Rose, the Cotillion, Century II, Carnegie Hall, China, and the Grand Ole Opry, just to name a few. Personal appearances at Channel 8 for their fund drives, interviews he did for the Biography Channel, and countless other things over the years. Then, there are the awards ol’ JW has received over the years: the TV Theme Hall of Fame (for the theme song to the television western “Have Gun, Will Travel,” “The Ballad of Paladin), 1993; Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame in Nashville, TN, 2000; Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame, 2000; Western Music Association Hall of Fame, 2001; Wichita Professional Broadcasters Hall of Fame, 2002; Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame, 2004; Kansas Western Swing Hall of Fame, 2004. Heck, he might have won another award just in the time it’s taken me to type this out, for all I know! And all of that was outside the realm of his daily radio show on AM1070 the Ranch. And, as JW always said, we’ve been through births together, deaths together, and just about everything else together.
   

We had a ball on his last day, Saturday, April 10th. I came in to help him with the phones, simply because I knew he’d never be able to do the show and answer the phone that was flashing non-stop all day long. I also had a few surprises in store for him. Some phone calls from some of his “Nashville buddies.” I wish you could’ve seen his eyes light up when Bill Anderson called. And then the Statler Brothers. And Gene Watson. And Dugg Collins. And Rex Allen Jr. And John Conlee. And Marilyn Sellars. And Leroy Van Dyke. And all four of his daughters. And John kept looking at me saying, “Ben, I don’t know what you’ve been up to!” Well, like I told him, connivery and sneakery are two of my best things! (Although I didn’t have anything to do with his daughters calling; they did that on their own. You could sure tell by listening to him talk to them that they are ALL daddy’s girls!)
   

It is certainly the end of an era. Happy and sad are the emotions of the day with our old saddle pal gone from here. Harold is holding down the 10AM-2PM shift Mon-Fri, and still doing the Swing show on Saturdays from 6AM-10AM. I’ll be riding along with you each afternoon Mon-Fri from 2PM-7PM. I’ll also be here every Saturday from 10AM-5PM, but the first four hours (10AM-2PM) will still be the Cowboy Classics and Golden Oldies Show brought to you by Southwestern Remodeling. The tradition continues.
   

Johnny will be performing a farewell concert on May 1st at the Prairie Rose Chuckwagon, taking the stage with none other than Michael Martin Murphey. After that, John and Jo will be heading out for Mesa, AZ to their brand new home. I will miss my ol’ “pardner” terribly, but I wouldn’t think of trying to change his mind… I wouldn’t dare do that. So, with that said, all I can think to say is, “Happy trails, my friend; it’s been a great ride. Until we meet around the Ranch again… “

 “Gentle” Ben