By David Rogerson
The Early Years
When John Laws announced he was packing up the Golden Microphone after 70 years in the business, it hit me as one of those announcements you expected to hear at some time, but maybe not right now. Then it dawned on me – Lawsie’s record 70 Years in the Australian radio industry, anyone joining the radio industry this month would have to hang in until 2094 just equal it.
A quick flick through my black book of contacts had me reaching out to the handful of people I knew who had worked with him in those early days to try and capture what it was like back in the early 50s when John’s career first kicked off.
I started with myself. Okay, I’m not in my Black Book but I was fortunate to work with Eric Pattison when he was GM of 2AY Albury when I was PD in the early 1980’s. Eric is credited with being party of the hiring of a young John Laws at 3BO in Bendigo. Eric is sadly no longer with us. He and I often had chats about those days when John’s mother contacted the station to see if her son could be considered for a job in radio at the station. She had also been in touch with the AWA Radio Network office in Sydney. 2AY was part of then then AWA Radio Network.
Eric recalled this amazing deep voice and polite attitude toward management, staff and the clients. John had been living in New Guinea, and as a young boy contracted polio.
Eric welcomed John to the station and even provided accommodation for John at the Pattison’s Bendigo home.
The talented young man then moved in and around several stations in markets like Orange and Newcastle which is where Lawsie, my Dad Bruce Rogerson and Ron Hurst enjoyed radio careers together.
It wasn’t long before John found his way to 2SM and then 2UE in Sydney, a station which had not long been owned by 2KO Newcastle and the Lamb family.
You can listen to John at the opening of the 2SM building in 1958 here, thanks to the National Film and Sound Archive.
One of those early panel operators at 2UE was Colin Bentley. When I asked Colin if he could share his memories of working with a young John Laws, Col came quickly came back with:
“Gee that’s a tall order, but I’ll try. Working with John Laws was not like working at all. it was just fun from the start of his programme to the end. I worked as his Panel Operator, then as producer. What I wouldn’t give to turn back the clock to the 1960s. John was an honoured guest at my first wedding. They were great days with John.”
Chris Maitland recalls being totally taken in by radio in 1957 as a Year 8 high school student. He would regularly attend the 2UE studios after-school to participate in Howard Craven’s Rumpus Room. As the 25 or so youngsters were being ushered out of the studio at 5.30pm, Chris would press his nose to the glass to watch this new exciting disc-jockey, John Laws present the 30-minute pop music show, Latest and Greatest.
Chris said:
“He was unique in those days of panel operators because John panelled for himself and was a whiz at picking up the right spot in seconds through his headphones to replay the last chorus of a song while the mic was on and he back-announced the track.”
Five years later there was a career move for Chris.
“I was now a disc-jockey at 2WL, and JL, then at 2GB, was sent to Wollongong to compere our Carols by Candlelight. I first met John at the party we hosted for him after the Carols. He introduced me to bourbon, although as I recall the cheaper Jim Beam at that time. We met again when I joined 2UE Sales in 1968 and he was by now embracing talk-back, honing his skills for the decades to come, on the fledgling program, Long John’s Party Line. I was honoured he came to my buck’s night in 1969. Later that year, JL moved on to 2UW.”
John at 2UW in 1965 with Ray Bean
Chris remained at 2UE:
“Yes, as Sales Manager in 1979. That’s when 2UE lured John back, and so began five years of challenging daily debates about sponsors. John sending his PA around to my office at 11.55 to say why he didn’t want to read a particular commercial, and me then going directly to his studio to tell him why he should.”
Whenever Chris Maitland heard an ill-informed critic paying out on John Laws, Chris had a story he’d use in his defense:
“On the day that John returned to 2UE in ’79, I went to his studio at midday to tell him my wife had called to say how much she enjoyed the country-flavoured tracks he’d played that day. Forty minutes later, John came to my office to personally deliver an audio cassette of all those tracks, and a few more. He had remained in his studio and dubbed them in real time, labelling it Music for Marion. We still have it cassette.”
And for Chris, his one enduring memory?
“Great times, just the greatest of times we worked together.”
John Laws and the singing group The Delltones [National Library of Australia image]
That is a common theme among those I spoke to. Not only a true showman, but a personal association with people he trusted and worked alongside.
Roger Summerill OAM shared his radio recollections with John Laws:
“One needs more than a couple of paragraphs to properly acknowledge John Laws and his tremendous contribution not only to Sydney radio but what is probably more important, to the listeners who tuned in every day to hear, ‘Hello World, this is John Laws.’
I was privileged to have started my fulltime radio career at 2UE hosting the Hotline program at 8pm following John’s Drivetime show.
Prior to my program I would sit in the adjacent studio just watching, listening and admiring John’s talent at work . We all wanted to be like him. Many tried but none ever succeeded.
Talent oozed from John in whatever form of radio he took on. Undoubtedly, one of the best ever music personalities John was also a trailblazer when talkback Radio came into our lives.”
Roger mirrors Chris Maitland’s observations of Party Line:
“That program was a must listen at 2UE, and then when he went to 2UW he blossomed even more to become the premier talkback personality of a generation.
Who will ever forget some of John’s great broadcasts at 2UW including the Razorback Stockade, the dozens of lives he saved when suicide seemed their only answer, the influence he had that caused a run on the St. George Bank and the interview he had with Keith McGowan after the Granville Train disaster?
His interviews were legendary with many of the biggest talents and the leading politicians of the day and yet he had the touch that only a great communicator can have of being able to mix it with the ordinary folk who listened to him. John was a great inspiration to me.
When I was at 2UE he would often phone and suggest I might have done something differently, or probably more importantly, not have done it all.
John was one of, if not the best on air salesman.
His famous program for Lawrence Bros. Hurstville where the entire stock of the stores lawn mowers and gardening gear was sold out during the program, has to be one of the greatest Radio sales results ever.”
Above: Gripping audio from 1974 where John Laws stays on the line and forgoes the news with caller Cheryl. Cheryl was located and taken to hospital. Audio provided with thanks to Frank Iuston.
Roger’s final memories?
“David, there is much more I could say. But really, I hope my reflections in a small way reflect the admiration and respect I have for John. But importantly, that John gets to enjoy his retirement for many years to come.”
Roger Summerill OAM has documented his own more than fifty years as an Australian radio announcer, manager and trainer in a book, available ahead of Christmas, called My Life in Radio.
Radioinfo’s Managing Editor Peter Saxon‘s conversation with John Laws from 2012 can be read here: https://radioinfo.com.au/news/laws-factor/
Later this week David Rogerson sits with the Desk Jockeys – the people who made sure the John Laws Show was heard on air, right across Australia. John Laws’ last day on 2SM is this Friday November 8, 2024.
About David:
With a background covering over 40 years in Media and Communications, David Rogerson is experienced in nearly every facet of the radio and media communications industries from Group Content Director, to National Marketing Manager and Company Director. He is currently a lecturer and mentor at the Australian Institute of Music in the Masters and Bachelor degrees.
In 1997 he founded media and communications consulting company “Strategic Media Solutions”. David’s professional consulting career has seen him sought-after for his insights and client solutions in more than 15 countries around the world.
As a published author of media related books and entertainment journal articles David has personally mentored a wide range of media company directors, industry managers and entertainment executives. In the music field David’s experience covers marketing and digital content development for a range of artists including INXS and is part of the judging panel for the Australian Songwriters Association and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.