John Lyon on finding his way after WMAL ~

"For two years . . . I floated around . . . It wasn’t the same, what I’m used to all these years being here. Strangely enough, I connected with Montgomery County to work in the Victim Assistance Program. I was on the air at WGAY on a Sunday morning. . . I picked up this card and the card said, 'Volunteers needed for the Victims Assistance Sexual Assault Program of Montgomery County.' . . . put that one in my pocket. The next day I called the number on the card . . ."

John Lyon, Retired Announcer and WMAL Swingman, and host Andy Ockershausen in-studio interview

Andy Ockershausen: This is Our Town. This Andy Ockershausen, and what a pleasure and what an extreme, extreme happiness for Janice and I to be with the original WMAL Swingman. We call him The Swingman 'cause he could swing on every show on WMAL. John Lyon, welcome to Our Town. John Lyon: Thank you very much. I've been looking forward to this.Andy Ockershausen: I first remember that people said, "It's not Lyons."John Lyon: That's right.Andy Ockershausen: John Lyon, and when he came . . . I was at WMAL. I'd been there so long I was part of the furniture or the fixtures. When John first came as a young man, but he left as an old man, but he never really left. I'm sure he's got WMAL in his heart.John Lyon: Oh sure. Sure.Andy Ockershausen: Like we all do, John.Channel 7 - Lyon's First Audition in DCJohn Lyon: It's ... I came here in 1967. Auditioned after three years at a station in Peoria, CBS station there. The odd thing about that was the guy that I replaced in Peoria was the same guy I replaced here. I'd been there three years and I said to the boss ... His name was Bob Beneke, I don't know if you remember.Andy Ockershausen: I remember the name.John Lyon: Bob Beneke. When he left here, he got out of the business. He went into some financial dealings and stuff.Andy Ockershausen: Well, you were hired as an announcer, correct?John Lyon: I was hired-Andy Ockershausen: Not as a talent and not as a performer but an announcer?John Lyon: I'm not sure now. Andy Ockershausen: Well ... That's where ... Jack Weaver and Frank started as announcers on WMAL.John Lyon: Yeah. We had a TV audition, Channel 7 audition and Frank Ford maybe-Andy Ockershausen: Absolutely.John Lyon: Was the Director-Andy Ockershausen: He's our guy.John Lyon: It was me and like six other guys for this audition and I had to borrow some dough to come out here. I had to borrow money to come out here. I had four kids back in Peoria, that I said to the boss, "Look, I've been here two or three years now. I'm kind of getting to the end of the scale, you know?" I said, "Is there any chance you can give me some more dough?" "No, that's it," he said, "You've come to the end of the road." He said, "That's how we kind of do it here. We're a medium-sized market."Andy Ockershausen: It's a market price.John Lyon: We got a chance to do a lot of stuff there. Did TV, nighttime radio program, and he says ... I said, "Well, okay. I'll be honest with you. I'm gonna start looking for work." He says, "Okay, good luck." I put audition tapes out to all the stations where I thought I could fit in, mainly in the Midwest 'cause that's where I was.Andy Ockershausen: Sure.John Lyon: I went to WGN Chicago, WCCO Minneapolis -Andy Ockershausen: Powerhouse.Fate? - Lyon Intended to Work in Midwest, DC Never Crossed His MindJohn Lyon: KMOX St. Louis, WOW Cincinnati, 'cause I thought, "I know these stations and I think I could work there." Well, I didn't hear anything from any of 'em. Somehow a tape ended up out here in Washington, D.C. I had no idea where Washington D.C. was. I said, "Point to the east and keep going." That's what I did and I think it was Harold Green called me and he said, "We're gonna have auditions", on whatever the date was. I said, "I'll be there." I made arrangements and I went and got a few bucks together and came out...