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Former Toronto Rocks Host John Majhor Dies Of Cancer

01/23/2007 | CityNews.ca Staff

His name always looked like a typographical error. But there was no mistaking the voice of John Majhor.

From 1975 until 1986, John Majhor was the major voice of rock and roll radio in Toronto, usually driving you home from work every weekday afternoon on 1050 CHUM.

But Majhor was more than just a disembodied voice playing tunes on the radio. He also became an afternoon icon to millions of fans on his daily Toronto Rocks show, which aired live on Citytv starting in 1984.

He was a pioneer of the genre, sitting in a closet-sized space that looked considerably larger on your set. It lasted more than 400 episodes and became must see TV for kids coming back from school every day.

Now that pioneer voice has sadly been stilled. Majhor lost his battle with a deadly form of cancer at his home in Minnesota on Tuesday. He was only 53.

Like many alumni from Chum, Majhor would eventually leave his rock and roll roots behind, taking on more serious attempts at journalism, hosting " Lunch Television" on Citytv in the early 90s.

That show would eventually become " CityNews at Noon" and it was Majhor's work that got viewers used to tuning into the channel at that hour.

He showed his range on the show, interviewing a wide variety of guests encompassing everyone from psychics to cops.

Majhor was born in San Bernadino, California but became a Canadian in 1996 and held dual citizenship that allowed him to work on both sides of the border.

He was one of the original anchors of the U.S. network E!, a channel similar to our own Star! And he worked at a variety of radio stations across the U.S.

But he never forgot his time in Canada and would frequently refer to his on air stints here as among the most enjoyable of his career.

Majhor was also famous for something the audience rarely saw. Whether he was on TV doing Toronto Rocks or his CHUM radio gig, he often performed without shoes and socks, earning him the nickname "the barefoot disc jockey."

It wasn't meant to be a gimmick. Majhor just insisted he felt more comfortable that way.

It was a feeling he gave to his listeners during his years on the air here. And those who knew him regret that that booming voice filled with so much youthful energy is now forever silenced.

To see an April 1985 segment from John Majhor on "Toronto Rocks", click the video links above.

To leave a message of condolence on John's MySpace page, click here.

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Former Toronto Rocks Host John Majhor Dies Of Cancer

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