KISS HIM GOODBYE
LEGENDARY Cairns bluesman Ian “Johno” Johnson has been banned from busking after claims he made “sleazy” kissing noises and flopped a wrist in reference to a sporting hero’s sexuality.
The Far North’s answer to Keith Richards received a show-cause notice from Cairns Regional Council listing the alleged breaches to his permit.
“On about six occasions you were heard paying particular attention to groups of women as they walked past, giving loud kissing noises over the amplified microphone system,” the document stated.
“A witness has described the repeated incidences as sleazy, lecherous and inappropriate. You were observed packing up your equipment where the amplified microphone system was still on and were heard to say you were meeting a friend in the morning at the Lagoon for a swimming race, and that friend was Ian Thorpe.
“As you did this, you were seen to flop your wrist over to indicate a sign of someone being gay.”
Johno was back at the Lagoon yesterday for a swim.
He said the claims of sleaziness were strange given he used to be able to perform buck naked on stage and nobody would bat an eyelid.
“The letter they sent was pretty childish,” he said.
“If you’ve ever seen me playing, I’m like B.B. King. I’ve got my eyes closed and I’m making kissing noises in the middle of songs all the time.
“Mick Jagger does that too.
“It made me feel sad, actually, to think that Cairns has gotten to that stage.”
The former Johno’s Blues Bar namesake has been busking for well over a decade.
“I was doing it all for free for Cairns, and I never got one thank you from the council. All I got was a letter that said I was sleazy,” he said.
Music City owner Ric Montgomery jumped to his 75year-old friend’s defence and said Johno was part of Cairns history.
“You probably laughed when he sang Cupid and blew kisses to the girls in the audience,” he said.
“You probably chuckled as he made outrageous quips about famous people.
“You would also know the larrikin was born to sing and make people laugh.
“If you knew him well, you would know he is probably the most harmless and good-natured person ever to walk the planet.
“Johno hasn’t changed in the 50 years he has been doing his thing in Cairns, but the politically correct are doing their best to change the world around him.
“Personally, I think they should have issued him with a caution, and told him to bend to council’s will or else.”
A council spokesman said Johno had not responded to the show-cause notice and his permit had expired.
“The next step for Mr Johnson is to respond … ” he said.