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10 Questions with ... Kevin Johnson (Hoss)
December 2, 2008
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NAME:Kevin Johnson (Hoss)LAST WITH:The Bert Show (WWWQ)PHONE:(704) 747-3279EMAIL:ItsMeKJ@Gmail.com
Please begin by giving us a brief career history ...
I'm talking to a friend one day, trying to figure out what internship I was going to do for that summer to appease my college professors, when my friend told me he was interning for a morning show and that I should, too. I gave it a shot and four years later, was still helping out The Ace and TJ Show, based out of Charlotte, NC! From there, I stayed a brief month with Bob and The Showgram in Raleigh, NC before I got a call from Bert Weiss and he asked me to be a Producer for The Bert Show in Atlanta! I worked there for a year-and-a-half and now I'm looking for a place to settle down for awhile!
1) How are you occupying your time, besides looking for a job?
I have become fast friends with a guy named Captain Morgan. He and I have been to the pool, concerts, golf and many other places lately. He's my version of "Flat Stanley!" No matter how hard we party, I always wake up the next morning with a headache and he always wakes up with a leg cocked up, his arm on his hip and a smile on his face, ready to go at it again!
2) Some people get discouraged or enlightened with the business when they actually step out of it for a while. Tell us your observations from the outside.
I feel like Brett Favre when I say this, but being out of it for a few months has definitely made me get that "itch" again! I don't know why I'm itching to start waking back up at 4a again, but surprisingly enough, I am!
3) What's the best way to get your foot in the door?
Well, my way seemed to work, so I'll say an internship. I started as an intern for a morning show, then worked my way into a part-time position in promotions, while still interning. After a couple years and going to Morning Show Boot Camp, where you gain a lot of contacts, I finally landed a gig ... so I would say that worked out, right?
4) What's the craziest thing you've ever done to get a job?
Well, while working as an intern for Ace and TJ, knowing that my stunts would hopefully land me a job somewhere, I had to ... lay in a box full of snakes (Watch If You Like To See A Grown Man Cry!) .... And I had to make out with an 80-year-old woman. Oh yeah, and I had to hitch-hike from Buffalo to Charlotte without any money, food, or shelter ... those among many, many others!
5) What is the next job you'd like to obtain?
I would still love to be a Producer. I know it's the "Rodney Dangerfield" of radio, it doesn't pay anything, it's tiring and can be aggravating. However, at the same time, it's a rush, it can be very rewarding and it's cool to sit back at the end of a day and know that you still have a way more fun job than the rest of your friends!
6) What's the most unbelievable question you've ever been asked in an interview?
Ha ha, it has been asked twice to me and I can't believe it either! "How do you feel working with a woman who is your supervisor?" Are you serious? What century are we living in, people? By the way, when I get asked that question .... what do you expect my answer to be?
7) Are you able to slow down and enjoy free time doing things with your family and friends that you probably did not have time to do while you were working?
Absolutely! When you are getting up so early in the morning and working until pretty late at night, there never is time to do anything social. Luckily, I've been able to break away a little and enjoy some Captain Morgan, some golf/softball and actually take a vacation!
8) What has been your biggest career accomplishment?
I have a few so far in my short radio career. I have worked with a nationally-syndicated morning show (Ace and TJ). I have worked for a morning show in a top-10 market (The Bert Show). Also, I helped raise relief funds and supplies for the victims of Hurricane Katrina while working with Ace and TJ. Another would be doing a campaign last year with The Bert Show where the listeners of Atlanta hand-wrote over 300,000 letters of appreciation to soldiers fighting overseas, thanking them for fighting for our freedom while we celebrated Thanksgiving.
9) If you were offered a similar position to what you were doing for considerably less money, would you seriously consider taking the job just to stay in the biz?
This is probably one of the hardest questions to answer! I would definitely consider taking the job, but actually accepting it is whole different game. Part of me wants to say yes, part of me wants to say no! I love radio and know that it is one of the cooler industries to be a part of and it definitely beats sitting in a cubicle filling out TPS reports and having a guy beside you complain about missing his red stapler, so in that sense, I would have to say yes! However, I also know that in today's world, $25,000 isn't going to cut it, unless you're living with mommy and daddy. So, in that sense, I'm definitely open to negotiations, but at least have to make enough to pay my bills ... make sense?
10) Where do you see yourself in five years? 10 years?
Hopefully in five years, I see myself working as either a producer of a great show or as a co-host. I'm not too worried about what market it's in, because if the money is comfortable, I can make any city fun! In 10 years, I hope to sit back after a day of work with a beer in my hand and watch the new season of "Celebrity Real World," with D-list celebs like Kim K, Spencer Pratt (who has had a sex change by this time) and two of the Jolie-Pitt kids.
Bonus Questions
Uh oh ... now you're on your own for getting new music. If applicable, name your three most recent purchases since leaving the biz.
3) - LMFAO (yes, that's the name of the band!)...Kind of a mix between Fergie and Jesus!
2) - Heidi Newfield...country singer who recently left the band, Trick Pony. If you know anything about Johnny Cash, you need to hear her song, "Johnny and June." It's great!
1) - Shwayze...It's a duo consisting of Shwayze and Cisco Adler (yes, THAT Cisco Adler ... the man who put Tommy Lee to shame!). Great songs and a great show on MTV!
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