The 15-minute Matter

A few choice words about the impact of the 15-minute episode format on Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. The next step will be to compile the completed segments to see what I have - or don't have, as the case may be.

R.I.P. Ed Walker

When I heard that Ed Walker had been diagnosed with cancer and was stepping down from hosting The Big Broadcast, I sent him an email to wish him well. What I hadn't realized is that he was almost certainly hospitalized at the time and very likely didn't get the note. I suspect quite a few other people would have liked to wish him well before his passing yesterday. It's both fitting and sad that he died just a few hours after the airing of his final show, recorded from the hospital. I'm sure people who knew him better will have much more eloquent summations of Ed and his legacy than I could offer, but it occurs to me that during his life he made an awful lot of people happy and that's no small thing.  That final show is currently available to stream via the Big Broadcast's page on WAMU's site, and it seems fitting that the best tribute to Ed Walker ultimately comes from the man himself.

The Ed Walker Matter

Veteran broadcaster and host of WAMU-FM's long-running old-time radio showcase The Big Broadcast was the second interview I shot for this project. I'll always be grateful to Walker not just for the time he gave me in 2013 but also the many years he hosted The Big Broadcast. Earlier this week, it was announced that Walker would be stepping down as the host of The Big Broadcast to focus on some health concerns. Needless to say, I wish him and his family all the best. During the interview, Walker also talked about his life and career in broadcasting. In this clip, he discusses the waning days of radio's golden age.

The Casting as Destiny Matter

A few weeks back I had the honor of interviewing broadcasting legend (and Radio Hall of Fame inductee) Ed Walker. walker is the current host of WAMU's weekly old-time radio showcase The Big Broadcast and by extension the man who introduced me (and many others) to Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. Among the many topics discussed was, of course, Bob Bailey. Mr. Walker had some interesting observations about the man who's the consensus pick among fans as the best of the many actors to portray Johnny Dollar. Check back soon for more excerpts from the ongoing interviews for The "Whatever Became of Johnny Dollar?" Matter.

The Big Broadcaster

Radio Hall of Fame inductee Ed Walker has been working as a broadcaster in the Washington DC area for six decades. For the last couple of those decades, that work has included hosting WAMU's weekly old-time radio showcase The Big Broadcast. Since that was where I first heard Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, I was very grateful that Mr. Walker agreed to sit down for an interview about the show and the golden age of radio that ended when Johnny filed his last expense report. I encourage anyone who loves old-time radio to seek out his weekly show which is accessible just about anywhere via the internet.