Me with John Candy in the control room at KNX FM, Los Angeles.
I have always loved John Candy, as a comedian on SCTV, and an actor, in fact "Trains, Planes and Automobiles" is one of my all-time favorite movies, but after I got to work with him for five hours in 1989, I found out I also loved the man. I was doing mornings at KNX FM, Los Angeles, which was a hybrid rock format for part of 1989 when John came out with his own syndicated radio show, "Radio Kandy". The station was going to air the show and John was there to promote it on my show. I got to spend five hours on the air with this amazing person, talking, laughing, sharing, and yes, playing music. Several of John's old SCTV buddies came in as well, but because the control room studio was so small, they had to join us through the glass window in the production room next door. I don't remember everyone else who came, but I do believe Andrea Martin and Eugene Levy were there. Even though we all know John Candy as a man who put smiles on our faces, I found him so polite, so humble, so kind, and a little bit shy in his own way. I immediately felt a connection to him, and even after the five hours was over, he hung around to talk and take pictures. "Gentle Giant" would be a good description of John Candy, a big guy, so genuine and so gentle. I will always treasure getting to meet him and spend time with him. I cried when he died, and I cried as I wrote this.