Making something out of nothing

Suzie Harrison

Moving to Newport Beach in 1956, when he was 13, Steve Johnston’s

future looked bleak: His family was homeless for six months and then

lived in a garage. His father was an alcoholic, and his mother

couldn’t drive a car.

“I remember when I was in the seventh grade at Horace Ensign

Middle School and was called into the office; they gave me a box of

clothes,” the 60-year-old Johnston said. “I didn’t realize how poor

we were. I was wearing holey jeans, the same thing five days in a

row.”

He said he was so embarrassed, so chagrined that he thought at

that point that no one was going to stop him to better his life.

Johnston decided he wasn’t going to live like that, so he walked

to Thompsons Market at 30th Street and Balboa Boulevard. He was hired

as a box boy and cashier at age 13, and became the manager of the

market by the time he was 16.

He paid for his first dentist visit out of his pocket, after 13

years of never having dental care.

Working every day and attending Newport Harbor High School, he

managed to be a track star and a lead in a play.

He graduated from Orange Coast College, went to Long Beach and

earned a degree in radio, becoming a radio announcer for the U.S.

Army in Germany for four years.

“I won an Army commendation and other awards for radio and

productions,” Johnston said.

Everything was going well. He went from a private to an E-6 in

little more than two years and was called by the Pentagon to go to

Hollywood to do radio and produce some things there for the American

Forces Radio and Television Services.

From there, he accomplished many things in his career, including

being a radio DJ in Orange County and owning an advertising agency

for 20 years with a high school friend. He now performs Bible

narration and other productions.

“I started narrating Bibles in 1981 and do all the National Park

driving tapes, such as Yosemite, Yellowstone Park -- all the parks,”

Johnston said. “I dramatize it, put actors in. It’s very popular. I

just finished ‘Shiloh,’ a little documentary, with more than 40

voices from South Coast Repertory and sound effects.”

He said he was born working on ideas.

“I started with nothing but ideas and built things on air,”

Johnston said. “The truth is, I always thought of life as an

opportunity. If you choose life, you choose opportunity.”

His philosophy is that it doesn’t matter where one is in life,

it’s important to take advantage of opportunity.

“As you grow older, you need to reinforce more and more that there

are nothing but opportunities out there for you,” Johnston said.

Believing in those words, he started a syndicated radio program

aimed at baby boomers.

“It’s a radio program on XM satellite radio called ‘Don’t Act Your

Age,’” Johnston said. “The show is for grown-ups with lots of living

to do. It’s hosted by Rick Scarry and Martha McFarland.”

The show features different people -- such as “CSI” actor Robert

David Hall, who turned his life around later in life -- and Johnston

has a large collection of interviews that he and his buddies did back

in the Army in Frankfurt, Germany.

“We had a reunion and decided to pool our talents. All contribute

to this program, all did interviews,” Johnston said.

Janis Joplin, Tiny Tim and Ella Fitzgerald are in their collection

of interviews. They have about 50.

Addressing issues that baby boomers and older people face is

another important part of the show.

“We set up the stage so people can live active, full and rich

lives and stay enthusiastic at the same time.”

Johnston said it’s important for him to help people find what they

love to do -- and have them change their lives to do what they love.