In the early 1990’s I met John Kovar at a fondue party, hosted by a mutual friend who lived in a house on Lake Macquarie. I found John to be a soft-spoken, gentle chap whose alternative lifestyle was a distinct contrast to my own. During the evening, we took it in turns to entertain one another. When it was his turn, John brought out his guitar and played a song, the title of which I remember to this day: ‘Red Wings’ - a song about growth and the sometimes painful journey one takes in finding your own true self.
 
Despite the passing of 30 years, and living in different parts of the world, we remained in touch. Years later, I asked John if he would like to be interviewed for a podcast series that I was thinking about. It was to be simply titled: ‘Crossroads’. “Why me?”, he answered. “I’m not famous or anything.” I then explained to him that the idea for the series was centred on those you meet in your life, famous or not, who trigger some kind of a change in yourself. Something pivotal. After I explained this to him, he kindly agreed.
 
I thought, finally I’m going to sit down with a gentle, old friend of mine and talk about his personal philosophy on life, his passion for music, while digging out some thoughtful, nuggety reflections. I decided to base it chronologically and start from the beginning:

“So, what was your childhood like, John?”

I didn’t realise that in asking that question, I’d just dug up Pandora’s Box.
 
This is the first part to John’s interview. The swearing is frequent and the audio is of a low-fi quality. Headphones are recommended. All music featured in this interview is owned and performed by John Kovar. I hope you enjoy this episode ...

Part 1 - Little Johnny: 'The Mother Hater'