Australian radio is mourning the loss of another industry giant, following the death of John Carroll.
After performing in bands including King Fox and the New Zealand Fantasy Band, John went on to become a successful radio announcer, working at stations including 2SM, Triple M Sydney and 2Day FM.
More recently, he retired after a four year stint as a talkback host at the Super Radio Network.
John was also the Music Director of Music Max – now known simply as Max.
Former 2SM Program Director Barry Chapman has led the tributes on social media, saying “I am truly saddened by the loss of my great friend John Carroll.”
“We spent a great amount of time together at 2SM, Triple M and Max. We worked together over 30 years but our friendship spans more than 50 years. He was a great jock with wonderful voice, mad as a cut snake who was never afraid to say what he thought.”
“Many could not deal with that. I loved it because I knew what lay underneath.”
Admired for his laid-back approach, John met and interviewed many music legends, from Eric Clapton to Joni Mitchell.
A proud member of Support Act – the Australian charity which provides crisis relief and mental health assistance to those in the music industry – John was a great supporter of Australian music.
Longtime announcer Peter Mobbs, who worked with John back in the late 80s, said “We shared the same bent taste in humour and the same love of the rock greats.”
Fellow radio presenter Debbie Kruger says John was hugely loved.
“Through the years, he battled one health issue after another, his spirit was undiminished.”
“I saw him days before he flew to Thailand in December to see out his last months in ‘the land of smiles’ as he called it, and we spoke on a video call a few weeks ago when I knew it would likely be the last time.
“We have lost numerous Sydney radio legends in the last few years, and John might not have had the celebrity profile of some of the others, but he and his voice were in the very top echelon.”
“RIP my wonderful friend.”
Photo credits: John Carroll collection, Facebook and Australian Music Database
Extremely sad news about John Carroll. I worked with him briefly, at 2CH of all places, when the station was located in Berry Street North Sydney.
He had an incredible voice, a sense of humour some found it hard to deal with, and inevitably he was full of surprises. He always brought a smile to my face, sometimes with a sense of uncertainty, whenever he walked into my office. One of the all time greats from the halcyon days of commercial radio in Australia.
JC will be missed by so many.