John Taylor | KGAY Morning Host Takes Us on a Journey of Radio, Voice Acting, and Community Storytelling
In this episode, hosts Patrick Evans and Randy Florence welcome John Taylor, Morning Show Host at KGAY 106.5 FM, to discuss the transformational role of storytelling within the vibrant Coachella Valley. John shares his extensive radio and voice acting career, beginning from unexpectedly breaking into the radio business on a historic news day, to becoming an eminent voice actor in Hollywood and around the world. Learn how John's career intertwines with stories of powerful familial support, humorous encounters with celebrities, and heartfelt tales of finding community connection through radio. Together, they illustrate how narratives actively contribute to forming community identity and offer a sense of belonging. Enjoy tales packed with humor, inspiration, and unique life perspectives only found in the rare weave of radio and theatrical storytelling. Tune in and join this illuminating conversation from Skip Paige’s Little Bar that captures the spirit of Coachella Valley's stars to daily life's everyday souls. Presented by the McCallum Theatre.
Takeaways:
• Storytelling is a vital component in forming communal identity.
• John Taylor's broadcasting journey began on the day Reagan was shot.
• Radio can create unique personal connections with audiences.
• Voice acting enables exploration of diverse characters and themes.
• Authenticity in life and work is crucial for community connection.
• Major corporations often stifle creative expression.
• Personal support can dramatically impact career trajectories.
• Embracing new narratives can elevate life and career satisfaction.
#RadioJourney #VoiceActing #StorytellingCommunity #CoachellaValleyIdentity #PatrickEvans #RandyFlorence #JohnTaylor #KGAY1065PalmSprings #BigConversationsLittleBarPodcast #SkipPaige #KGAY1065PalmSprings #McCallumTheatre #MutualBroadcastingSystem #CoachellaValleyResidents #TransformativeNarratives #MorningRadio #PalmSpringsCreative #MediaConnections #CulturalTapestry #VoiceOverActing #RadioFamily
Transcript
In the desert oasis where stories ignite Skip's little bar, a beacon of light from the Coachella Valley stars to cool everyday joes. Join Patrick and Randy. Let the stories flow that big conversations Little Bar. The magic spreads near and far backed by the MacCallum Theater's Grace.
Celebrate the voices that shape this place.
Howard Hoffman, Announcer:From the coveted corner booth in a Little Bar at the center of the Coachella Valley universe. Welcome to another Big Conversation with Patrick Evans and Randy Florence presented by the McCallum Theater.
-: Patrick Evans, Host:Howard, thank you very much. We are back with another edition of Big conversations Little Bar taped in front of a live studio audience at little Bar in Palm Desert.
Skip Paige's Little bar. And we are in the coveted corner booth. Our sponsor, the McCallum Theater.
Please be sure to drop by their website, mccallumtheater.org they're always adding shows. It's another incredible season and they're extending the season. So be sure to never miss a program at the McCallum Theater. I'm Patrick Evans.
I'm your host. I'm here with my good buddy, my co host, my sidekick. We were high school best friends at different times in different schools. Randy...
Randy Florence, Host:I was way behind. Senior year was my best 15 years of my life.
Patrick Evans, Host:So, Randy, how are you?
Randy Florence, Host:I'm good. And I want to congratulate you. So as we record this just recently you just received a pretty cool recognition in town from Supervisor Perez.
Patrick Evans, Host:And it wasn't in town. I had to go.
Randy Florence, Host:You had to dream, you had to leave.
Patrick Evans, Host:Yeah.
Randy Florence, Host:So tell us about that.
Patrick Evans, Host:All of the County Board of Supervisors select a volunteer of the year for their district. And that was on this particular day we're taping. It was this morning.
And so after my morning newscast, I drove to Riverside and it was the regular county board of supervisors meeting. They recognized all of those who were named. And I got to say a few words in front of the congratulations. I got a really nice plaque.
Randy Florence, Host:But did you drive there in the car you won for?
Patrick Evans, Host:I had a police escort. No. And, and I want to say thank you to supervisor Perez, Manny Perez. We've known each other for 20 plus years.
And he said really kind and generous things in introducing that award. And it was just, I know he had dozens and dozens of people on that list. And so I was very gratified and well, congratulations.
Randy Florence, Host:It was well deserved.
Patrick Evans, Host:Very sweet what he said and to do that so.
Randy Florence, Host:And pretty sweet that I brought it up.
Patrick Evans, Host:It's really sweet that you brought it up. I already called you sweet in the last podcast.
Randy Florence, Host:I don't think I can't call me sweet enough.
Patrick Evans, Host:Our producer John McMullen is here.
John Taylor, Guest:Yay. Am I sweet?
Patrick Evans, Host:L. That if there's sweet in the universe, you're the point farthest front.
John Taylor, Guest:Yes. He's the anti sweet.
Patrick Evans, Host:And that voice is the voice of our guest, Mr. John Taylor, who is. You know that voice because you hear him every morning on KK Radio. He is the morning drive guy and have been for how. How long?
Since the inception.
John Taylor, Guest:I have been a rising star in the radio framerment for 44 years. No, since the inception of KG I've done mornings here in Palm Springs.
Randy Florence, Host:And when did that start?
John Taylor, Guest:Oh, back in the late 50s during the ice. We're going on seven years. Yeah.
And there was a period of time when the radio station was owned by a well run by a non profit board who didn't know their ass from their elbow.
Randy Florence, Host:Let's just say they knew how not to make a profit.
John Taylor, Guest:And. Yeah. And they fired the team that created the radio station. And I said hey, I'm not doing this for the money. This is a labor of love. And I gotta go.
Goodbye. And walked out along with Shan Carr and Brad Furr. And we did what gay people do in a crisis.
We went immediately to Street Bar and started day drinking.
Patrick Evans, Host:I think that's a very effective. I think that's an effective way to deal with crises.
John Taylor, Guest:But yeah. Yeah.
Randy Florence, Host:So we do it every week here.
John Taylor, Guest:And then we created the I Love Gay Palm Springs podcast and pandemic happened. Brad brilliantly figured a way to buy the radio station and we got the band back together and it has been the best experience of my.
To have an Act 3 in broadcasting be the best ever is something special.
Patrick Evans, Host:Well, congratulations to you guys. And I need to give a shout out to Brad. Brad for is a terrific guy. I also work for him. I'm on Our sister station 103.1metv FM.
John Taylor, Guest:Yes, you are my.
Patrick Evans, Host:I am your arch nemesis.
John Taylor, Guest:You're my evil media nemesis.
Patrick Evans, Host:I hope we could avoid this ugliness.
John Taylor, Guest:But let's just talk about meteorite.
Randy Florence, Host:Don't make me separate you two.
John Taylor, Guest:Thinks he's so fancy up there with his Star Trek.
Patrick Evans, Host:You. You know, I'm gonna get back to this arch nemesis stuff because we constantly compete for. We're not competing but we. We're always in the running for.
For best dj.
Randy Florence, Host:Yeah.
Patrick Evans, Host:One year he wins, next year I win.
Randy Florence, Host:That's weird because I Vote differently alternating years, do you?
John Taylor, Guest:It was you. Shame on Randy. Oh, boy.
Patrick Evans, Host:Don't you know which side your bread is buttered?
John Taylor, Guest:But you know what?
Patrick Evans, Host:I'm not calling you sweet in any podcast if you vote for other people.
John Taylor, Guest:The truth is, and if anybody asks me, I'll deny it, I absolutely love this guy. He's so great. You're a great broadcaster and. And to be mentioned in the same breath as you is whatever is, is 100% mutual.
Patrick Evans, Host:You're great at what you do. And you radio station there, it's the greatest call letters for Palm Springs possible.
Randy Florence, Host:What a great coincidence.
John Taylor, Guest:No, it wasn't at all. I'll tell you how it happened.
Patrick Evans, Host:Yeah, tell us the story.
John Taylor, Guest:It's a great story. Brad was, you know, always. You know, Brad worked for Pride Radio.
There were various out broadcasts, you know, even the short liberal talk network of radio stations. What was it called? Help me out, John. The one with Rachel Maddow. Yeah, yeah. Air America. Air America, yeah.
So he worked for a lot of, you know, progressive, kind of. And lgbt, you know, Pride Radio. I used to do work for Brad and we've known each other 30 years. So he want.
He had this dream to create this gay radio station in Palm Springs.
And he was literally in the middle of the night scrolling on his phone, and he found out that the call letters K, G, A Y had been sort of put on a shelf by a Christian broadcasting group who wasn't real crazy about the idea of the G, A, Y. And he filled out a form on his phone, paid 75 bucks and secured the call letters.
Randy Florence, Host:Holy cow.
John Taylor, Guest:I don't know if that was the exact amount, but it was, you know, it was just like an application fee. And John McMullen is a great broadcaster and knows all imagination behind the scenes on how to make radio happen.
I don't know, I just turn the button on, talking to the mic, blah, blah, blah, Play some music, blah, blah, blah.
Patrick Evans, Host:That is not. I've seen your setup, your home studio.
John Taylor, Guest: I have a: Patrick Evans, Host:Wow.
John Taylor, Guest:But I have.
Randy Florence, Host:Let's do a remote.
John Taylor, Guest:I have. But I also have. I have another setup outside of the soundproof booth so I can do it with a guest. So when Brad and I do our little.
This is the top three things I have. I have three cameras, I have lights. It's crazy.
Patrick Evans, Host:No, his home studio is. It's amazing. It would rival lots of TV studios.
John Taylor, Guest:That I've worked in and I've learned from TV people on how to do lighting. I went to Emerson College. So we were. It was a good school.
Randy Florence, Host:Yeah.
John Taylor, Guest:And I absorbed some of the basics. You guys are like into stories. All right. So I have to tell you, we're very into stories.
Patrick Evans, Host:All right. It's a story based podcast.
John Taylor, Guest: picture it. Emerson College,: Randy Florence, Host:God, I hope it's you.
John Taylor, Guest:It was me. It was me.
Patrick Evans, Host:So that's the spoiler.
John Taylor, Guest:So I went to Emerson in Boston and I got. I got in with this incredibly talented group of potheads who, they were the kind of people that if they smoked pot, they got more creative.
I was the kind like, oh, I'm way behind. I better not smoke pot. So I'm not a pothead. But they were. David Cross, you remember, from Arrested Development.
Laura Kightlinger, amazing standup consulting producer on Will and Grace. Anthony Clark, the star of seven seasons of yes Dear. They were all in my comedy troupe. My comedy teacher was Dennis Leary.
Randy Florence, Host:Wow. So one of my all time favorites.
John Taylor, Guest:And during comedy writing class, we started out with like 25 people. But because Dennis Leary constantly smoked, all of the asthmatics dropped out. We were down to like nine.
Patrick Evans, Host:And it was a culling method that he used.
John Taylor, Guest:But I came from this. It was like Saturday Night Live and all of these incredibly talented people. And so that's where I came up.
But then I kind of took that with me to radio.
Randy Florence, Host:But let's go back before Emerson.
John Taylor, Guest:Okay.
Randy Florence, Host:What got you into comedy at Emerson College?
John Taylor, Guest:Well, before Emerson, before.
Patrick Evans, Host:So you were born in a small town?
John Taylor, Guest:I was born in New London, Connecticut. Dad was a teacher at the Coast Guard Academy. We were not Coast Guard brats. Dad then worked at Harvard. He went to mit.
He was like an amazingly smart guy who kind of had the Asperger's thing going on. A Beautiful Mind. He solved a problem on a blackboard and got a full four year MIT scholarship.
Randy Florence, Host:Oh, wow.
John Taylor, Guest:Yeah, he was like crazy brainy, but he didn't necessarily connect. I'm gonna divert for a good story.
Randy Florence, Host:Okay.
John Taylor, Guest:So about, I don't know, 10 years ago, my younger brother, who married late in life, his wife was pregnant and we were having our conference call with me and my two brothers and my dad and I said, dad, you're gonna be a grandpa again. I'm so happy. He goes, yeah, I'm happy too. I said, I don't think I'm gonna give you any grandkids.
And dad said, yeah, I've always thought that was a shame. I said, why so dad said, I always thought a world with multiples of you would be a better place.
Randy Florence, Host:Your father said that?
John Taylor, Guest:My father said, I love you in an equation.
Randy Florence, Host:Wow.
John Taylor, Guest:John times X equals better world. And strangely enough, he died suddenly a few months later. And so I have the equation.
Patrick Evans, Host:That's phenomenal.
John Taylor, Guest:That and dad didn't connect on a lot of emotional levels because of that beautiful mind, but I have that. So I was like, I'm good.
Randy Florence, Host:Did he realize at some point that you had achieved some of what he was hoping for? You too?
John Taylor, Guest:I don't think dad had necessary. I think he was always a booster and, you know, a fan of his own kids. All of them. All three of them. But I don't think he necessarily got it.
It's like, okay, you just keep doing what you're doing, you know? You know what I mean? It's like any. Any. You've talked to a lot of people in show business. It's just like parents don't.
They don't say, hey, yeah, continue on with that thing that doesn't look like it has any future.
Patrick Evans, Host:Yeah. You seem like you're going to be unemployed a lot.
John Taylor, Guest:Yeah, but I haven't been. But you haven't been for 44 years.
Patrick Evans, Host:So when you got out of Emerson, I mean, like, you. You were in this incredible bubble of great comedic talent.
John Taylor, Guest:When I was kicked out of Emerson.
Patrick Evans, Host:Oh, you were kicked out.
Randy Florence, Host:Another story.
John Taylor, Guest:Yeah, well, dad had some success in his computer career and then some fa. You know, some down times, and so the checks didn't clear, so they said, we're security. You have to leave.
Patrick Evans, Host:Okay. So you departed Emerson amicably.
John Taylor, Guest:I did.
Patrick Evans, Host:Well, they weren't mad at you. No.
John Taylor, Guest:No. And I. I realized, you know, my welcome is worn out here and it's time to go. And so my grandmother.
And you know, there are a lot of people that are lucky enough to have a. An amazing grandmother. My grandmother said, but you. You used to like to do the radio thing in high school. Let's get you a radio job.
I said, it's not that easy. So she paid some money. I think it was like 400 bucks.
My friend Christo Charis, who did all the audio bits for our Emerson shows, we faked a demo tape. Like, I worked at radio stations. Oh, perfect. And he made 100 copies and labeled them.
And my grandmother drove me around New England station to station, like Loretta Lynn and Coal Miner's Daughter, wherever there was a tower, and pulled over. And we started in Cape Cod, where Grammy was from, and we ended up In Western Mass, Maine, New Hampshire. And I got a gig full time.
Right off the bat, I would go in and, you know, she would say, did you talk to the manager? And I would say, well, no, he's at lunch. He goes, I'm enjoying my book. Go back in and wait. No, it really happened.
And Rochester, New Hampshire, is where the first gig happened.
Randy Florence, Host:And what was the first show?
John Taylor, Guest:Just the first show was the day that somebody shot Ronald Reagan.
Randy Florence, Host:There was some news.
Patrick Evans, Host:At least there's a quiet news day.
John Taylor, Guest:Yuck. No. And I didn't know how to run the equipment. I had bamboozled my way in with that really good demo.
Patrick Evans, Host:Right. The faux demo tape.
John Taylor, Guest:So my job was to flip one switch to ABC News. That was it. And then I learned behind the scenes that day. So I'm sorry about Mr. Reagan's gunshot wounds, but they really helped me.
Patrick Evans, Host:Well, he recovered, and it worked out for.
Randy Florence, Host:It worked out for both of us.
John Taylor, Guest: th. Yeah.: Patrick Evans, Host:So how long did you stay at this small Rochester?
John Taylor, Guest:Yeah, I moved on up. I moved to Laconia, or actually Wolfboro, the Winnipesaukee Lakes region. And.
And I worked for a guy named Jay Williams, and he owned the radio station.
And at the age of 14, I had actually made dumb demo tapes that were bad, they weren't professional, and actually rode my bike hundreds of miles around suburban Boston to deliver them. And I had misrepresented myself as his son, and he's still childless to this day, to the receptionist to deliver my tape.
And Jay Williams hired me at age 19.
Patrick Evans, Host:Did you tell him that story?
John Taylor, Guest:Oh, yeah. He knew it. Oh, he knew I had the letter. He wrote me a letter from F105, WVBF in Boston, which is still a station, I think, but. Yeah. So.
And I worked for Jay Williams there and in Worcester, and. Yeah, for many, many years.
Patrick Evans, Host:So how did you end up here on the left coast in Palm Springs?
John Taylor, Guest: in:So I went to Hollywood without invitations, and I called my grandmother, the one who drove around, and I thought that I would tell her, you know, I'm moving to California. I'm gonna go after this voiceover career. What do you think? And her answer was, it's about time. Right. Believed in you always. Believed in you always.
Patrick Evans, Host:She knew the goal before you knew the goal.
John Taylor, Guest:Yeah. And we don't necessarily know. Well, you know, things like that. That's a big step. Anyway, I Took it.
Randy Florence, Host:And were you in Florida at the time?
John Taylor, Guest:Yeah, I was in Florida.
Randy Florence, Host:And how did you get there?
Patrick Evans, Host:A bus?
John Taylor, Guest:No, no, I flew. I had a husband.
Patrick Evans, Host:I 95.
John Taylor, Guest:I had a number one show in Worcester, Mass. And it was great. That town was great to me. The audience. I still have friends from there, listeners and friends. But I.
I met the Cuban and he was movie star handsome with a porn star body. And. No, I mean, and just like you, Randy. And he.
Randy Florence, Host:I noticed the look.
John Taylor, Guest:I felt like he, he wooed me and said, it is. Can I say the S word?
Patrick Evans, Host:Absolutely.
John Taylor, Guest:He said, this long distance is not working out. You have to shit or get up off of the pot. Either you move to Miami or forget about it. So I threw away my number one show.
Randy Florence, Host:Wow.
John Taylor, Guest:And moved to the beach and lived in the condo on the ocean.
Randy Florence, Host:No hesitation.
John Taylor, Guest:Because I mean, you heard movie star.
Randy Florence, Host:Good looks, porn star.
John Taylor, Guest:I mean, Brilliant. Had a PhD. He was the assistant superintendent of the Miami Dade Public Schools. He was a brilliant man.
Patrick Evans, Host:Total package.
John Taylor, Guest:Yeah, yeah. And I was like, oh. And so I moved in. I was out of work for 10 days.
Patrick Evans, Host:Wow, you got snapped up. Looks like that, yeah.
John Taylor, Guest:By a very evil company. I won't mention the name, but I'll mention the name. No, I'll just say the initial cbs. But I worked for them and in West Palm and had a. It was rough.
Big corporate media, you know, I work for pop and pop. Now there's something to be said for a family business where the family is family to choose and longtime friends. And CBS was, Was rather harrowing.
Patrick Evans, Host:Well, all, all of that corporate, I mean, these days, the corporate ownership of both radio stations and tv, it's really a tough world. I'm very lucky because I work for the radio group that you work for. Work for Brad.
But also the Bradleys who own the kesq, they own a few other TV stations. But it's, it is a family owned, family run business and I'm very lucky to still be in that world, for sure.
John Taylor, Guest:But the big corporate thing, you know, it's not a place where you can thrive. You just have to fit a slot and whatever. And I never fit in anywhere.
Patrick Evans, Host:And big corporations, they're scared of innovation, they're scared of breaking molds. I mean, it's hard, harder to be creative and do what you do in that world.
John Taylor, Guest:And in the, in the final analysis, it is their fiduciary responsibility to deliver stockholder value. And that is not our gig here. And the thing is, you know, I've done this on you know, with a certain break in the middle seven years.
I've never had a morning show meeting.
Patrick Evans, Host:Wow, isn't that nice?
John Taylor, Guest:I've never had a air check meeting. Well, let, let's examine what you're doing. And you know, I've never had a program director meeting.
Patrick Evans, Host:Well, because you guys kill it in the ratings.
John Taylor, Guest:Well, the thing is these are my friends and we've all come up in the business over 30 years together. So there's nothing I knew you're going.
Randy Florence, Host:To tell each other.
John Taylor, Guest:Right.
John Taylor, Guest:But also we, we kind of learned from really great broadcasters the basics. You know, I'm talking Guy Zapoli and, and you know, people names that don't mean anything to anybody outside of radio.
But we all were steeped in, in radio best practices that came from people that really knew. And we, we've all come up in that. So there wasn't any like, you know, it might be better if you do this. No, we've learned that this is a.
Patrick Evans, Host:Good moment to take a quick break and thank our sponsor, the McCallum Theater. Time to say hello to the McCallum. Drop by mccallumtheater.org for the latest tickets and latest shows and let's hear from them.
McCallum Theatre Ad VO:Local talented performers ages 10 through 79 compete for a number of awards and perform together in an exuberant grand finale in MacCallum Theater's open call. Friday, May 2nd at 7pm and Saturday, May 3rd at 2pm and 7pm Vote for your favorite act and help determine the outcome. A show like no other.
-: Patrick Evans, Host:Thank you, McCallum Theater. We're here with John Taylor, the morning show host on KG Radio. But you also. We were just about to jump into this and whatever happened to the Cuban?
Randy Florence, Host:That's my question.
John Taylor, Guest:The Cuban, it was not a match made in heaven because it was two strong personalities and unfortunately.
But we, the last time we saw each other was shortly before his passing and he passed of hiv and we saw each other in Hollywood at the Griddle great restaurant and he had come to town for some convention. So there was never. I'm the best ex boyfriend you could ever because I pick good people. Maybe not for me, but he ended up with this nice man, David.
And unfortunately he passed at I think about 56.
Patrick Evans, Host:Oh my gosh.
John Taylor, Guest:So that was. Yeah, way too young. Way too young. But anyway. But then I made my way to LA without an invitation to do voiceover.
Patrick Evans, Host:And that's a. I think it's a tougher business now that it's gotten a lot. I mean, the AI thing is, is not great for voiceover business, but.
But tell me about your experiences there and in particular, because I love when podcast guests have a connection to Star Trek and many of them have a 1 or 2 or 3 degree connection. He's a 0 degree connection to star Trek. You have voiced Star Trek characters on video games?
John Taylor, Guest:Yes.
Patrick Evans, Host:His character wears the uniform.
John Taylor, Guest:Yeah, I'm Lieutenant Kyle. I can't remember his name. Damn it.
Patrick Evans, Host:Damn it.
John Taylor, Guest:No, I'm Kyle. Oh, yeah, I know. I'm Lieutenant Commander Kyle DeSoto, Starbase 37.
There really wasn't any specifications for the voice, but you're supposed to sound like you're good looking.
Patrick Evans, Host:It's working. Yeah. I love it. So that's very cool.
John Taylor, Guest:And that's fun.
Patrick Evans, Host:That's a super niche voice job. The video game stuff.
John Taylor, Guest:I've gotten to do video games. I've done five cartoon series.
I've done looping and ADR on movies, which is hilarious and fun because you spend a whole day and you're the last thing in post production before they edit the movie. And what else have I done? I teach surgeons how to do transplants and stuff.
Randy Florence, Host:Wow, you've really branched out.
John Taylor, Guest:Well, you know, I. I cover the waterfront, Randy. I cover the waterfront and I've done, you know, radio, commercial. I was a national voice. Denny's. I did Denny's.
I was Toyota, Nissan. But yeah, you, you give us some of the taglines. Do you remember? All right, here we go.
Randy Florence, Host:Moon over Miami.
John Taylor, Guest: The: Randy Florence, Host:I gotta go get a camera.
Patrick Evans, Host:I think I just bought one.
John Taylor, Guest:You need.
Randy Florence, Host:I can't stand up right now, Randy.
John Taylor, Guest: a time machine to go back to:Oh, there was a sub brand of Toyota that was performance cars for the younger generation. Forgot the name of it. But they gave me money. Denny's. I was Denny's voice for five years. Wow. And that was a good gig.
When I first got to Palm Springs, that kept the lights on, but it was like, well, well, well. Grandma, doesn't the family usually come over on Sunday for pancakes? I wonder where they are now.
Maybe they're at Denny's, where The pancakes are 50% fluffier and even more vanilla. Ear had to learn how to say vanilla ear.
Patrick Evans, Host:Vanilla year is hard.
John Taylor, Guest:Wow.
Patrick Evans, Host:They put that in copy.
John Taylor, Guest:Yes, but it sounded. Rolled off the tongue. Vanilla ear. But. But I played. I played characters. You know, I played people that weren't me. I. I saw the.
The, you know, the picture of the character.
Patrick Evans, Host:And so, I mean, and we talk about this in our business. Sorry, Randy.
Randy Florence, Host:That's all right. You know, banking.
Patrick Evans, Host:You're an honorary member.
John Taylor, Guest:You are. You got a microphone, baby.
Patrick Evans, Host:But, you know, and voice acting are really two different things.
John Taylor, Guest:Well, yeah, voice acting is. You got to have acting chops. You got to be able to.
Patrick Evans, Host:But that's what you're doing. You're throwing yourself into a character, but.
John Taylor, Guest:You throw yourself totally into. But. But also for first off, I'm gay. In case you didn't realize this already.
Patrick Evans, Host:What?
John Taylor, Guest:But the thing is, I have a.
Randy Florence, Host:Radio station for you.
John Taylor, Guest:Yes. K, G A Y. But the thing is, gay people, when we are of a certain age, we grew up being inauthentic.
We grew up being something manufactured so that we could avoid bullying and persecution and disapproval. So we concocted an inauthentic self, didn't we? And we learned how to be a chameleon, to not get hurt. And so as we move into our older years.
I don't have any time for that shit. This is it. If you don't love me, that's okay. But I'm not gonna pretend to be something that I'm not. But I enjoyed being the character.
It's almost like Daniel Day Lewis. Give him some prosthetic makeup and give him some. Some costume, and he turns into like.
I made more money off of the real authentic cowboy, which is a low budget Sam Elliott. Already today, we've played more country music than any station in Denver. So from here on out, we're just showing off. And people.
People in Denver listening to the radio station don't realize it's a faggot from Boston who's afraid of horses. But I love putting on the mask. I love playing the part. I do the best. Paul Harvey. And people don't even know who he loves.
Patrick Evans, Host:Paul Harvey. Paul Harvey.
Randy Florence, Host:Good day.
John Taylor, Guest:Hello, Americans. You know what the news is? Now you're going to know the rest of the story. This is Paul Harvey presented by bew. It.
Patrick Evans, Host:Phenomenal.
John Taylor, Guest:And. But I loved, you know, But I was like. I was playing its costumes with your voice.
Patrick Evans, Host:That's why if people actually, you know, in those little polls where we. We faux compete.
John Taylor, Guest:Yeah.
Patrick Evans, Host:If people knew all the stuff that you did, all the. That You've done over these. There would, they'd never not vote for you. Like I wouldn't stand a chance.
John Taylor, Guest:But you know, they're all in little different silos. Like, I'm huge with preschoolers. I've done a series, the Chica show with NBC.
I did the more, you know, I played an octopus in outer space on Astroblast. The best was Amazon prime did a series called Tumble Leaf. And Kelly Bixler who did TV Funhouse with Saturday Night Live. Oh yeah, Remember that?
Randy Florence, Host:Yeah.
John Taylor, Guest:Kelly is amazing.
And she was the first like woman that ran an animation studio and she did a stop action animation series called Tumble Leaf and they shot it in Burbank stills, you know, because it's, it's stop action. And they did five seasons and I got to play Gourd the Turtle, but I also got to play Gord's grandmother. Gord's grandmother is Granny Coconut.
And Granny Coconut is more of an homage to Mud Frickert. Remember Jonathan Winners?
Patrick Evans, Host:Yes.
John Taylor, Guest:But to be able to be these things and to be in people's brains is such a.
Randy Florence, Host:Did, did the voice come to you as soon as you saw the face or as soon as you understood the character?
John Taylor, Guest:You know, I, there are, if you, if you look at animation, you look at like the old, you know, Boris and Natasha, there were like a lot of the memes were used were Hollywood stars. Like I did a series called Astroblast where I played a three eyed outer space octopus handyman.
And so I zeroed in on like, who's the guy you need help from? He's gonna be a stand up guy and he's really going to help you. And his name was James Gleason.
he fight promoter back in the:Remember the one with Robert Montgomery, what was it called? Heaven can wait or meet Mr. Whatever. But I would zero in on these character actors from the old days and realize that they had traction.
They, because they played the character, they played the character, the same character in so many movies. And so James Gleason I could do in my, in my sleep. Remember he was in Night, Night of the Hunter?
Randy Florence, Host:Yes.
John Taylor, Guest:I can't help, no, I'm sorry, I can't help you. You know, you kids, I, I'm more of a rummy. I, I, I, I, you right.
Patrick Evans, Host:You know, but more of a rummy.
John Taylor, Guest:But, but the thing is You. They were established, and so you could. You could kind of key into their voices. So I. I didn't invent everything from whole cloth. I. I stole. I steal.
I steal, but I steal from the best.
Randy Florence, Host:Okay.
Patrick Evans, Host:That's what you have to.
John Taylor, Guest:And sometimes give them credit sometimes.
Patrick Evans, Host:But there's no. You're not playing a character on the morning show. Let's.
John Taylor, Guest:I. Me. Yeah.
Patrick Evans, Host:Yeah. That's you.
John Taylor, Guest:That's weird.
Patrick Evans, Host:Is it?
John Taylor, Guest:Well, because, I mean, you got to.
Patrick Evans, Host:Feel comfortable now after, you know, almost seven full years.
John Taylor, Guest:Yeah. Yeah.
Patrick Evans, Host:Living in your own skin and working with Brad.
John Taylor, Guest:Yeah. No, I mean, I look at it this. What are they gonna do to you? What are they gonna bring it? What are you gonna do that hasn't already been done?
You know, Hollywood already chewed me up and spat me out. What are you gonna do? Palm Springs. But. Yeah, no, it's. But also, this has been the best because I have never felt so connected to an audience.
Oh, my gosh. And I've worked in some big cities. I will walk down the street on a Friday night, happy hour in the gayborhood, and I'll lose count at 50 or 60. Hugs.
You know, radio, as you know, is a very intimate thing. We're with people in intimate moments. They're showering, shitting, shaving, whatever they're doing or driving alone, you know, that's intimate.
You're in their space, and I'm privileged to be in the space.
Randy Florence, Host:And they've chosen you to be in their space.
John Taylor, Guest:That's true.
Randy Florence, Host:Yeah.
John Taylor, Guest:Yeah.
Randy Florence, Host:That's important.
John Taylor, Guest:And I can see through the radio what you're doing, and I promise I won't tell, but I feel trusted and loved in a way that I didn't think. You know, somebody said, you want to see what kind of impression you make in radio?
Get a bucket of water, stick your fist in the bucket, pull it out, look for the impression.
Randy Florence, Host:It looks the same.
John Taylor, Guest:But here, the impression, because it's an older audience and we've all been through a lot of the same territory. It is so connected. And I know what they're thinking because I'm thinking it. Yeah.
Before, I had to think of, like, what Does a woman 25 to 54 think about this? Because that's what we want as a demo.
Patrick Evans, Host:But you, you know, I have insider information. I mean, the streaming numbers on KG are pretty big. It's not just here.
John Taylor, Guest:Right.
Patrick Evans, Host:Like, you guys do big streaming numbers elsewhere. So you're connecting not just with this Palm Springs audience, because you're here and you're Kind of, you know, one of us.
But you're connecting with a much broader audience that feels that vibe.
John Taylor, Guest:Yeah. And all around the world. I mean, when I see Moscow listening, I'm like, hey, listen on earbuds. Don't. Don't put it on the speaker.
Randy Florence, Host:Don't play it out loud.
John Taylor, Guest:Yeah. Or if they're, you know, we don't want the secret police to hear you.
Randy Florence, Host:Who's listening? There's no gays in Russia.
John Taylor, Guest:There are.
Randy Florence, Host:Oh, there are everywhere.
John Taylor, Guest:You know, as much as my straight parents tried to. To groom me to be straight, it didn't work. And, and it doesn't. And no one can.
Patrick Evans, Host:Are you saying there's a straight agenda? That's what you're saying?
John Taylor, Guest:I hear that. I'm, I'm for the human agenda, but the thing is, nobody can groom anybody. No one turned anybody gay. No one turned anybody straight.
Patrick Evans, Host:Terry Ray turned Brandy.
Randy Florence, Host:He's working on it. 60.
John Taylor, Guest:Well, Terry Ray is. Yeah. He is like the gay gene and he's spreading it. I love Terry. Terry is the gayest person I ever. I mean, really.
He's like my loafers lighten just being around him.
Patrick Evans, Host:He was one of our first guests. First few guests.
John Taylor, Guest:Yeah.
Patrick Evans, Host:And. But Randy was doing his acting class.
John Taylor, Guest:Oh, yeah.
Patrick Evans, Host:And Terry confined him. He said, you know, I think, I think one more session. And we got him.
Randy Florence, Host:Yeah. I came in wearing all pale blue and he goes, 60 days.
Patrick Evans, Host:60 days.
Randy Florence, Host:And we got you.
John Taylor, Guest:But, you know, and he is, he's been through the meat grinder and come out happy, well adjusted. Creating the bent dot org. Go find it. Support them and, and thriving in Palm Springs. So, you know, I feel like that's my sister.
Randy Florence, Host:So you said something a moment ago. Your parents were trying to groom you straight.
John Taylor, Guest:Not really. I mean, how did, how did that.
Randy Florence, Host:All work with your parents?
John Taylor, Guest:I think that we were all free range kids. It was like, yeah, go out and play. Come back when the street lights are on. And you know, they didn't. They were oblivious to everything.
They didn't know. They didn't know that there were predators out there. You know the ice cream truck guy. No, they didn't know.
I think they were just busy in their own little world. We didn't have helicopter parenting like you do. Now you helicopter. Come on.
Patrick Evans, Host:I don't helicopter.
John Taylor, Guest:You don't?
Patrick Evans, Host:My wife does.
John Taylor, Guest:She does. But somebody has to. Somebody has to.
Patrick Evans, Host:You know, I do. I think that's true. No, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm not a helicopter parent, but And I didn't have helicopter parents.
John Taylor, Guest:Right.
Patrick Evans, Host:I grew up in this. A very similar time frame to you.
John Taylor, Guest:Yeah.
Patrick Evans, Host:And, you know, my. We're the same way. Like, go out there and, you know, come back for dinner and we don't want to hear from you.
John Taylor, Guest:Yeah. Between now children should be seen and not heard.
Randy Florence, Host:I've never been home since that first time she told me to leave. Does your wife tell my mom? Oh, although Kay might be looking for that.
John Taylor, Guest:No one. No one groomed their kids to be anything. They just. Just wanted to keep them alive until they could be prosecuted as adults.
That was basically, you know, my mother's mantra, you know, and, well, you're on your own.
Patrick Evans, Host:So what do you love most about the Giga kg? And I asked this from the standpoint. I did morning radio for a long time in addition to the TV stuff that I do.
And I find it to be like that moment where you walk in, you have your most creative ideas in that space.
John Taylor, Guest:I feel like it's the longest continuing education course that a human being could ever have, and I've been on for 44 years. And so, because like you, I have insatiable curiosity about everything. And you, Randy, I mean, you're a very curious guy.
And to be able to satiate that curiosity, to satisfy it, and to want to know more and to want to know more about other people in our community and, you know, the people that are performers, the people that are politicians, the people that. To be able to be able to ask questions and get answers and connect, that's the best thing about it. Does that sound phony? Baloney?
Randy Florence, Host:No, it doesn't sound phony. I think that's the joy of the podcast actually, versus the radio format is there's an opportunity to get to know people a little bit better.
John Taylor, Guest:Some people are jerks, though.
Randy Florence, Host:Yeah.
John Taylor, Guest:Like you deal with celebrities. Who was the meanest? Pick somebody dead.
Patrick Evans, Host:No, I can tell you, I. I will say Kiernan Culkin.
John Taylor, Guest:Really?
Patrick Evans, Host:Yeah.
Randy Florence, Host:Well, but that was your fault.
Patrick Evans, Host:It was. No, I was a contributing factor, but it was not my fault. Yeah, well, we. He.
John Taylor, Guest:Kieran. Kieran, not Kiernan.
Patrick Evans, Host:Well, that was.
John Taylor, Guest:That might have been. Yeah.
Patrick Evans, Host:Kieran McCulkin. But he was already out there. He was already mad. We told him it was live, and we were already live.
John Taylor, Guest:Yeah.
Patrick Evans, Host:And we were on television. He goes, well, then I better get all my shits and out right now. He said it online. So he did, which kind of threw me off.
And that's when I said, hey, this is Kieran McCulkin. And then he was like, for five minutes, I was almost right. You're sort of right. You were close.
John Taylor, Guest:Did you mispronounce it on purpose?
Patrick Evans, Host:No, no, I was just.
John Taylor, Guest:I see. I had one where I mispronounced it on purpose. Who? Well, I had the guy. Do you ever wonder why? Andy. Rudy. Yes.
Randy Florence, Host:Yeah.
John Taylor, Guest:Andy Rooney was on my show. And predictably, he was a prick. That was his brand. That was his brand.
Patrick Evans, Host:Predictably.
Randy Florence, Host:Yeah.
John Taylor, Guest:But he was on the. But he was so grumpy and mean and, you know, is this over yet? On the air?
Randy Florence, Host:So that wasn't just shtick.
John Taylor, Guest:No, he was really amazing. And his daughter, Emily Rooney was WCVB's news director and eventually the news director of ABC News Nationally tv.
But anyway, he came in to speak at the Chamber of Commerce luncheon, and I had him on my show at wxlo. And he was so mean and so crotchety and so nasty, and I just couldn't stop.
Patrick Evans, Host:So what did you call him?
John Taylor, Guest:Well, when I. I was the MC of the Chamber of Commerce luncheon. Patrick. And as we know, revenge is a dish best served code.
So when it was time to introduce Andy Rooney, I said, ladies and gentlemen, the Worcester Chamber of Commerce is so pleased to welcome somebody who has been so welcome in our living rooms on television for so many generations. Please welcome Andy Griffith.
Patrick Evans, Host:Outstanding.
John Taylor, Guest:And everybody. And it was like you could hear like that stage gasp. And then they said, rooney. Rooney. People were screaming, rooney. Rooney. Correcting me.
And I said, oh, I'm so sorry, I got it wrong. Let me. Ladies and gentlemen, Mickey Rooney.
Patrick Evans, Host:Oh, you did it. Oh.
John Taylor, Guest:Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I made sure that my passive aggressive.
Patrick Evans, Host:That was more aggressive than passive. I love it. I love it. It.
John Taylor, Guest:Yeah.
So, I mean, aside from that, you know, people who have been in the business a long time, you know, famous people are usually nice because people want to work with them. Yeah. That they're actually delightful.
Randy Florence, Host:Yeah.
John Taylor, Guest:I mean, there are some people that I've been afraid to talk to because they have been edgy, like Sandra Bernhardt. Sweetheart.
Patrick Evans, Host:She's delightful.
John Taylor, Guest:Yeah, yeah.
Patrick Evans, Host:I've interviewed. She's terrific.
John Taylor, Guest:You know, if you come across a little scary. Yeah. Because, you know, she's a little edgy and caustic, but she's. Good heart. Good heart. Nice people. And I just want to be with nice people.
And we're lucky to have a preponderance of nice people in this town and more creative people per capita than I think we have in anywhere in the world.
Randy Florence, Host:It seems like that Anywhere.
Patrick Evans, Host:Well, I hate to cut this short, but I must. Jonathan, thank you so much.
John Taylor, Guest:I didn't get the Jay Leno story in.
Patrick Evans, Host:Well, what's the JLO time for that?
John Taylor, Guest: Okay, so I got really sick in:I didn't, but I was losing weight, and a friend of mine had moved to la and he became a producer to a company that fixed up famous people with college speaking engagements. I didn't know that my friend Steve, because I was so ill, had called famous people at home to then call me and cheer me up.
So I answered the phone one time and I'm like, hello? He goes, hey, John Taylor, it's Jay Leno. Your friend Steve said you weren't feeling so well, so I figured I'd call you and cheer you up.
And I was like, you don't sound anything like Jay Leno. Steve, work on your stupid Jay Leno impression. When I'm not feeling so bad, call me. He goes, why? Well, why don't you call me back? You got a pen?
Yes, Jay. And I wrote down the number. 818 in a Burbank. So I hang up. I call back. Woman answers tonight's show with Jay Leno.
I'm like, well, anyone can have their friends sitting on the couch answering tonight's show with Jay Leno. And then she puts me on hold and I hear, boom, boom, boom. NBC music. Oh, my God, it's Jay. I can't believe it. It's Jay Leno. Oh, my God.
And he's like, hello? I'm like, it's really you, Jay Leno calling me a nobody. He goes, who is this? It's John Taylor. He said, you don't sound anything like John Taylor.
He hangs up. Then Jay Leno calls me right back and talks to me for an hour.
Patrick Evans, Host:Wow.
John Taylor, Guest:From Andover, Boston guy went to Emerson. Car guy haven't been in the same room. Haven't talked to him since that day.
Randy Florence, Host:No.
John Taylor, Guest:If anybody ever runs into Jay, he comes here.
Patrick Evans, Host:He does. He comes to me. I've interviewed him, and he's one of those guys who is exactly what you see.
John Taylor, Guest:He is.
Patrick Evans, Host:He's just.
John Taylor, Guest:He didn't have to talk to this goofy radio guy for an hour. And, and, and from that moment on, when the phone rang, I was like, hello?
Patrick Evans, Host:Thanks to J J Taylor, our guest, you can catch him every morning on KG Radio. Please tune in and enjoy his wonderful brand of broadcasting. Thank you so much. We're gonna have you back.
Randy Florence, Host:This has been a blast.
Patrick Evans, Host:We have lots more stories. I know that you, John McMullen, thank you for being a great producer. Randy Florence, the best sidekick since Uncle Fester.
Randy Florence, Host:I got more hair.
John Taylor, Guest:You do. And that's.
Randy Florence, Host:And you got to see me with a light bulb in my mouth. That's a different story.
Patrick Evans, Host:Whole different story.
I want to you could subscribe and make sure that you never miss an episode of Big Conversations Little Bar, available at all of your favorite podcast distribution points. So thank you very much for listening. We'll be back next week.
Howard Hoffman, Announcer:Thanks for joining us on this episode of Big Conversations Little Bar, recorded on location at Skip Paige's Little Bar in Palm Desert, California, and presented by the McCallum Theater online at mccallumtheater.org this program is a production of the Mutual Broadcasting System. All episodes are available from BigConversationsLittleBar.com and most major podcast portals.
Big Conversations Band:Meet your neighbors fascinating and grand, each conversation a wave on the sand. Raise your glass and join the ride where stories and dreams fully collide at Big Conversations Little Bar, brought to you by McAllen.
Our guiding stars from movies, stage and TVs delight join us for a captivating.
Big Conversations Band:Morning, noon or night.
Big Conversations Band:So gather around at Skip's Little Bar, where stories travel from near and far. Big Conversations where they are bold with Patrick and Randy tales retold.
