With over seven decades in the broadcasting industry under his belt, radio announcer John Laws has definitely earned his crown as the King of Talkback Radio.
For the past month, John, 88, has been away from his golden microphone, recovering from a flu which led to pneumonia.
WATCH NOW: John Laws receives Outstanding Lifetime Achievement award at the 2021 NRMA Kennedy Awards. Article continues after video.
But he’s now back on-air and warmly invites New Idea into the carpet-heavy 2SM studio to witness his magic in action on the John Laws Morning Show and to share a little of what’s going on with him these days.
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The author and CBE are equally sharp in both wit and attire as he greets us. He’s wearing a crisp blue shirt and a smart set of navy blue cufflinks, while soft black loafers adorn his feet.
As Jimmy Nail croons in the background, John enjoys some watermelon and tells us he’s feeling good, and glad to be back in his custom red leather chair.
He acknowledges the well-wishes fans sent him during his brief hospital stay, telling us, “It’s nice they care.”
John, who resides in an apartment in Sydney’s Woolloomooloo, admits life certainly moves at a slower pace for him now – not that he minds it.
“I keep to myself these days,” he shares.
“I don’t socialise a lot, and have my close friends that I see. I like to go out to dinner. Apart from that, I’m not very social at all.”
The radio legend was married to wife Caroline for 44 years.
Sadly, she lost her battle with ovarian cancer in 2020, aged 82.
John maintains neither his widowerhood nor his age are the reasons for his diminishing social calendar.
“When I’m in the mood to party, I party!” he assures us.
He also relishes time with his family. John admits he doesn’t see a lot of his children due to distance, but says they have a “wonderful time” whenever they get together.
“My daughter and two sons are out of town, the other two sons are in Queensland,” he explains.
“I love them.”
As a self-proclaimed realist, John doesn’t believe that Caroline is still with him in a spiritual sense.
Instead, he simply accepts “there’s not a lot I can do” about her passing.
“It’s been awful. Thank God for friends and my kids,” he shares.
“We fell in love with each other when we were 15. [Her death] hurt.”
John’s never home alone, however. His beloved cat Pushkin keeps him company, having joined the Laws household in 2007.
“I love my cat, my cat loves me. That’s very important to me,” he reveals. “I like all animals. But my pussycat is a very special one.”
John, who was born in Papua New Guinea, acknowledges he has been “very lucky” throughout his career.
There aren’t many celebrities who haven’t wanted to open up to John, and he tells us starting radio at 18 was just something that “just fell into place.”
He can’t even envisage ever “doing anything else.”
“John remembers a 1963 trip to Nashville, Tennessee to do “the first broadcast on coaxial cable” as being on his list of career highlights.
“The Queen went first and then I went second,” he recalls with a smile.
Although John has no plans to retire, he has a clear idea of what he’ll do when he does.
“I’d travel and read as much as I could,” he declares sincerely.
“The last trip I did was a cruise, from Tokyo to Vancouver via Alaska. And I’m about to go on another one.”
When it comes to the future of radio, John believes the medium will become more “interactive between listeners and broadcasters” and “friendlier” over time.
As for the present, his mantra for today is simple.
“Having happy people around me,” he states.
“It’s very important.”
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