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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, January 29, 1993                   TAG: 9301290132
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Chris Gladden
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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HALF THE FUN

Jim Johnson may be the only guy in America who is more interested in the Super Bowl half-time show than in the game itself.

Johnson a retired band leader and music teacher who moved to Roanoke in 1986, made a small claim on sports history back in 1967 when he arranged some of the half-time music for Super Bowl I, a scrap between the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs.

He was at the University of Arizona then, both as graduate student and teacher. On New Year's Day, the director of the university band called Johnson and informed him that the musical ensemble would be performing at half-time festivities. Would Johnson arrange the music?

Johnson had his own academic pressures to consider, but this was an opportunity to arrange music for the musically and physically formidable Al Hirt.

Things have changed since then. The Super Bowl has become a gargantuan entity, and the half-time show - as elaborate as it is - takes a back seat to commercials. Johnson recalls that there were 11 uninterrupted minutes in that first show.

Still, at half time, Johnson won't be in the kitchen for a snack. He'll be glued to the tube, remembering his contribution to that first Super Bowl.

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