Wendell Johnson Remembered
- Thread starter Rudy
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To Neil's question about pancreatic cancer I can only answer based on lots of observation and a little bit of reading. The disease seems to have a strong heredity component, to which the family of Former President Jimmy Carter gives example. Both his parents, his brother, Billy, and sister, Ruth, died from the disease.
It also has been associated with diabetes and smoking. Apparently symptoms are not obvious until the disease is far advanced, which accounts for difficulty of treatment.
On the other hand, a family friend died of pancreatic cancer at age 64, but she's the only one in her family to do so.
Capt. Dave is right; there's much research needed to be done.
JB
It also has been associated with diabetes and smoking. Apparently symptoms are not obvious until the disease is far advanced, which accounts for difficulty of treatment.
On the other hand, a family friend died of pancreatic cancer at age 64, but she's the only one in her family to do so.
Capt. Dave is right; there's much research needed to be done.
JB
thetijuanataxi
Well-Known Member
Thanks for your kind words, Steven. I'm really hoping that I will get to make a recording of "Mississippi" in the near future. It is a song that very much deserves to be heard, especially when you consider how much better quality it is than the junk that is passed off as music these days. I would love to honor his memory that way and hope that I will get the chance todo so. When I think of how many scumbags there are out there who live to a ripe old age, many of them living off our tax money in prison, it seems so unfair to lose such a good man so young. Makes one wonder where the justice in this world is. Charles Manson would probably survive a nuclear holocaust, but good people like Wendell and John Ritter, for example, who bring joy to people's lives, die young. Doesn't seem fair.
David,
trying to cope with life's injustices............
David,
trying to cope with life's injustices............
I just read about the passing of our dear friend Wendell Johnson. I am stunned and sadddened. Rest in peace dear friend. My wife Mary also is battling cancer and in chemotherapy now. I see the pain and suffering that people with cancer go through. I pray The Lord will bless all of you with good health, peace, and comfort.
God Bless all of you!
Tom
God Bless all of you!
Tom
briancraig
New Member
I'm sorry that I never met Wendell even though we both lived in Memphis. He sent me an email a few years ago asking if the radio station I work for would be interested in a Herb Alpert show. I never even replied and I feel horrible about not at least thanking him for his interest in the station.
--Brian Craig
--Brian Craig
Don't feel too bad, Brian. We all make mistakes and I'm sure Wendell understood. He was just that kind of guy. Wendell was a "plugger" in every sense of the word. If he thought he could get a radio show devoted to Herb & The TJB, he would have gone for it in a hearbeat.
On a happier note, I shared a nice telephone conversation with Shirley Wilson (Cakeicer here at the Corner) this morning. She kept pretty close tabs on Wendell and was shocked to hear the news. However, we had a great time remembering him. We talked about many different subjects. You know, Shirley is only about an hour from here. We plan to get together soon. It helps to be able to share your feelings at a time like this, you know?
Jon
...who feels blessed to have Shirley and the entire A&M Corner Family, online...
On a happier note, I shared a nice telephone conversation with Shirley Wilson (Cakeicer here at the Corner) this morning. She kept pretty close tabs on Wendell and was shocked to hear the news. However, we had a great time remembering him. We talked about many different subjects. You know, Shirley is only about an hour from here. We plan to get together soon. It helps to be able to share your feelings at a time like this, you know?
Jon
...who feels blessed to have Shirley and the entire A&M Corner Family, online...
Jay Maynes/Juan Oskar
Member
I was shocked to hear the news. I've made notice of his passing on my site. http://www.juanoskar.biz/ May peace be with Wendell.
i got the news from dave last week,when he saw my query about wendell.i am saddened,and i too know what it's like to lose someone to cancer.my mother died from that disease,as well as one of my all time heroes,the legendary michael landon.it was thru wendell i discovered allthings herb/tjb related,as wellas the discovery of a&m corner. let's see if we can somehow get a message to herb,jerry,and gil that their biggest fan has left us,and show them how much wendell loved them.
Herb, Jerry, Lani and Sergio do check in from time to time. If they haven't heard by now, they soon will.
I've had a family racked by cancer as well. My Mom had half a lung removed five years ago (and she's doing great!) We've lost countless aunts and uncles to the disease as well, not to mention good friends. We can take comfort in the fact that cancer research has taken tremendous strides in the last several years. The survival rate for breast cancer has more than tripled in the last 20 years. This is a blessing for sure.
Jon
I've had a family racked by cancer as well. My Mom had half a lung removed five years ago (and she's doing great!) We've lost countless aunts and uncles to the disease as well, not to mention good friends. We can take comfort in the fact that cancer research has taken tremendous strides in the last several years. The survival rate for breast cancer has more than tripled in the last 20 years. This is a blessing for sure.
Jon
Captaindave
Well-Known Member
IMO, I do not think the strides have been long enough or big enough...we do not, as a society, have the elimination of this disease ranked as a high enough priority in terms of resource allocation and research effort...
I read a long article in the local newspaper within the last couple months which reviewed the history of cancer treatment and research over the last fifty years.
The conclusion was that many scientists are now saying that a cure for this disease is unlikely at any foreseeable time. Even bringing the disease into the status of a chronic condition; that is, a condition that can be managed and lived with, rather than in the category of terminal illness, is unlikely, again, in the foreseeable future. The so-called "smart" drugs - the ones that are supposed to "target" and destroy the malignant cells only - aren't working out to be as successful as once thought - these are offering limited success in specific situations at best. Bottom line - a cure remains elusive...
I am certainly not a biologist, but I understand cancer to basically be negative cellular mutation. Mutated cells begin to attack the body. So, until science is able to control this process and understands a whole lot more about the cell as the basic unit of life, this disease will most likely be around...IMO, this level of understanding and corresponding treatment possibilities aren't available in the foreseeable future without considerably more effort and greater priority of resources.
I do not pretend to know very much about diseases or scientific research - this is only a summary of a newspaper article I read. I do know of many who have died - and it didn't seem like there was any hope for them...specifically, I know of a 12 year old child with some kind of cancer - I can't name it - who is probably terminal in the near future - and it makes me very angry that this is happening...
As a society, we sure can blow off a lot of resources on a lot of crap, but here is a real problem that needs solved - and soon...
I'm sorry if this sounds like a rant, but the situation makes me mad...
I read a long article in the local newspaper within the last couple months which reviewed the history of cancer treatment and research over the last fifty years.
The conclusion was that many scientists are now saying that a cure for this disease is unlikely at any foreseeable time. Even bringing the disease into the status of a chronic condition; that is, a condition that can be managed and lived with, rather than in the category of terminal illness, is unlikely, again, in the foreseeable future. The so-called "smart" drugs - the ones that are supposed to "target" and destroy the malignant cells only - aren't working out to be as successful as once thought - these are offering limited success in specific situations at best. Bottom line - a cure remains elusive...
I am certainly not a biologist, but I understand cancer to basically be negative cellular mutation. Mutated cells begin to attack the body. So, until science is able to control this process and understands a whole lot more about the cell as the basic unit of life, this disease will most likely be around...IMO, this level of understanding and corresponding treatment possibilities aren't available in the foreseeable future without considerably more effort and greater priority of resources.
I do not pretend to know very much about diseases or scientific research - this is only a summary of a newspaper article I read. I do know of many who have died - and it didn't seem like there was any hope for them...specifically, I know of a 12 year old child with some kind of cancer - I can't name it - who is probably terminal in the near future - and it makes me very angry that this is happening...
As a society, we sure can blow off a lot of resources on a lot of crap, but here is a real problem that needs solved - and soon...
I'm sorry if this sounds like a rant, but the situation makes me mad...
DAN BOLTON
Well-Known Member
Captaindave said:
No, it's not a rant...it's a logical response to a real problem. The prospect of contracting cancer is a very real and scary thought. And, not nearly enough has been done in the way of research. It's very frustrating...and we need to be reminded of the possibilities of an awful reality for a lot of people.
Dan
I hear 'ya Captain. But if it weren't for modern cancer research, I wouldn't have my Mother today. I've also had many friends discover and overcome breast cancer due to modern treatments. Indeed, we still have a long way to go in the way of cancer research, understanding the cell structures and how they mutate -- this is true. However, after seeing five aunts, two uncles and countless friends suffer with this dreaded disease, I also know that had they known what doctors know today, many of these people would have had a fighting chance.
It's going to take time, yes. But certain areas of cancer research have gone much father than others, extending the life of many sufferers. My Mom, her sister and my Aunt Lathel are examples or such research.
No, yours is not a rant at all. In fact, you have a very valid point. Having lost so many to this dreaded disease, in whatever form, it makes me damn mad, too.
Jon
It's going to take time, yes. But certain areas of cancer research have gone much father than others, extending the life of many sufferers. My Mom, her sister and my Aunt Lathel are examples or such research.
No, yours is not a rant at all. In fact, you have a very valid point. Having lost so many to this dreaded disease, in whatever form, it makes me damn mad, too.
Jon
I can thoroughly empathize with all of you on this dreaded disease. Cancer research is complicated by the fact that it isn't just one disease, but many different kinds. A treatment that works for one just won't cut it with another. I do think great strides are being made, perhaps not as fast as we all would like.
I wasn't a member of the forum long enough to remember Wendell. But I would like to offer my sympathy to those of you who did. Losing a friend is one of life's terrible moments. Please know that I care.
Marilyn,
who used to work in the medical research field many moons ago (way back in the dark ages!!!)
I wasn't a member of the forum long enough to remember Wendell. But I would like to offer my sympathy to those of you who did. Losing a friend is one of life's terrible moments. Please know that I care.
Marilyn,
who used to work in the medical research field many moons ago (way back in the dark ages!!!)
thestitch said:
I remember when they finally figured out my mother had cancer...we walked in one day and read a booklet that was more like a catalog of the dozens of different types of chemotherapy available to combat different types of cancerous diseases. It was mind boggling! On her third and final bout with cancer, she was on a lower dosage chemotherapy targeted to one specific area of the body.
But it has certainly claimed a lot of the family on my mother's side! My mother and my grandmother both had it simultaneously. My grandmother's sister, Aunt Gert, lost her husband in his late 40's (or very early 50's), and her daughter at 31. She eventually got it herself...but like my grandmother, she was in her mid 80's. My mom's cousin (grandmother's niece) died from it, as did her husband who suffered it REALLY bad in the late 70's when not as much was known about it. Even my mom's brother had prostate cancer, which fortunately was caught early enough and treated through five weeks of radiation.
My dad's side is the heart attack/stroke side. My grandmother actually died in the hospital--went in for a bad gall bladder attack, and on the day she was ready to go home, all better, she keeled over in the bathroom from a heart attack. Dad's sister had a fatal massive heart attack during a bridge game nine years ago. His other sister has had one or two mild heart attacks. Various other relatives had heart attacks as well, and my dad suffered a stroke in 1990, as did a couple of other family members.
Thing is, with some of these cases, early detection may have saved them. My dad was a walking time bomb with his high blood pressure for all those years...he finally got on medication to get it down. In my mother's case, she never ever went to a doctor until she was hospitalized for what turned out to be cancer. Other older relatives were too stubborn to go, or just didn't think about it. Nowadays, it's best to get checked out regularly...remember, they can have all the treatments available in the world, but it's us who are responsible in getting ourselves in there regularly to watch for these things! Communication only works when it's bi-directional.
Wendell's unfortunate passing just brings this point home. 48 years is too young to leave the world. And look at Robert Palmer and John Ritter, two seemingly healthy individuals who left us in their mid 50's. It's been a hell of a wakeup call for all of us who are approaching middle age or smack dab in the middle of it!
Captain Bacardi
Well-Known Member
Yup, that's why I get myself checked out every year. I also have a family history of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. I get a complete physical every year. If I'm gonna get something, I want to know about it immediately so I can do something about it. It can be a pain to do each year, but better safe than sorry!
My next door neighbor just found out he has testicular cancer, but fortunately, they got it right away, and he just had to do a little chemo. We also have Lance Armstrong here in Austin, who is pretty much a poster boy for beating cancer. It's amazing what they've come up with these days in medicine.
Capt. Bacardi
My next door neighbor just found out he has testicular cancer, but fortunately, they got it right away, and he just had to do a little chemo. We also have Lance Armstrong here in Austin, who is pretty much a poster boy for beating cancer. It's amazing what they've come up with these days in medicine.
Capt. Bacardi
Captain...you're so right. Medicine has come a long way. And Neil, I know what you mean about early detection. Had it not been detected early in my Mom, I would not have her today. Now, take my Aunt Gayle, who was diagnosed with the same kind of cancer as Mom (years before in 1965) and you have a case of medicine taking incredible strides over the years. By the time they were able to diagnose the cancer in Aunt Gayle back in '65, it was too late to do anything. As a matter of fact, her doctor told her, "Go ahead and smoke because there's nothing that can be done about it now..." She died six months later.
These days, not only would they have detected the cancer at an early stage, but there are treatments to attack this particular form. It helps, also, that there are anti-smoking campaigns, whereas in 1965 they were just beginning to realize the dangers associated with cancer and smoking.
Oh, and I'm with the Captain on another thing: I have a physical every year as well. Like Captain Bacardi, I want to detect and treat any ailment, if possible, before it gets out of hand.
Jon
These days, not only would they have detected the cancer at an early stage, but there are treatments to attack this particular form. It helps, also, that there are anti-smoking campaigns, whereas in 1965 they were just beginning to realize the dangers associated with cancer and smoking.
Oh, and I'm with the Captain on another thing: I have a physical every year as well. Like Captain Bacardi, I want to detect and treat any ailment, if possible, before it gets out of hand.
Jon
Captaindave
Well-Known Member
Dave
Well-Known Member
Rudy said:
Gee, this is so sad to hear. Wendell was really what I have read about him here--a talented musician, a humanitarian, a good person and a really neat guy!
He and I posted a lot together at the old Discussion Board. I ordered at least ONE album from his J Music Enterprises that I could have found here. And we exchanged some eMail, as well.
He even offered advice on Breaking Into The Music Biz, as well.
And when "at odds" with someone who once posted here, too. 
I miss him and hope he can somehow remember us as we remember him.
My paternal grandfather died of pancreatic cancer almost 40 years ago, and way ahead of me meeting him. I hope research of cancer and other deadly diseases WILL someday become a priority again and that we will find a cure.
Like many I have seen suffering from these diseases, why do the good guys always have to be the first to go?
Dave
...wishing CANCER were just a sign of the Zodiac ...~8~...and my Rising Sign...
I'm sorry it took me so long to find out what had happened to Wendell. We emailed from time to time, swapped a few recordings, and I spent many a happy hour surfing his TJB site, a true labour of love. I knew the site wasn't being maintained but took a while to divert myself to the Corner.
I shall miss Wendell.
I shall miss Wendell.
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