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| (1944-2025) |
His death was announced by colleagues and reported across various platforms, marking the end of a remarkable 45-year career in broadcasting, primarily with WLS (AM) 890 in Chicago. Johnson had been battling Alzheimer’s disease in recent years, a struggle his daughter, Alexis Del Cid, publicly documented on her Facebook page since July 2021.
Johnson’s career began in 1968 at WLS, a pivotal year in Chicago history marked by events like the Martin Luther King Jr. assassination riots and the Democratic National Convention protests. Starting as a news writer and editor, he later became a prominent news anchor, most notably on The Roe Conn Show, where his sharp wit and creative storytelling shone.
Colleagues praised his unique style—Steve Scott, a former WLS colleague, recalled Johnson’s memorable line, “The wind was so strong it blew the cherry out of my Manhattan,” highlighting his flair for engaging, vivid news writing. Roe Conn credited Johnson with coining the term “Canarble Wagon,” a popular segment on their show that became a hallmark of his legacy, stemming from a humorous anecdote about a reporter’s slurred pronunciation of “cocktail.”Born in 1945, Johnson grew up in Chicago and Wisconsin’s North Woods, where his family ran a hunting and fishing lodge frequented by notable figures like Mayor Richard J. Daley. His father was a newsman at the City News Bureau and the Chicago Sun-Times, embedding journalism in the family—Johnson’s daughter, Alexis, also pursued a career as a reporter and anchor in Kansas City.
After earning degrees in communications from the University of Illinois, Johnson’s broadcasting journey took him from television news in Champaign, Illinois, to decades in Chicago, including stints at ABC 7 and as a fill-in anchor for The Steve and Garry Show in the 1980s before settling into his long tenure with Roe Conn.
Johnson retired from WLS in June 2013, delivering his final newscast at 6:30 p.m. on April 30 that year.
RIP
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