Don Sainte-Johnn Memoir Added to Rock Hall Archives

RADIO ONLINE | Sunday, August 2, 2026 | 4:33pm CT

Don Sainte-Johnn

Veteran broadcaster and media educator Don Sainte-Johnn has received a notable honor with his memoir, San Francisco's LAST TOP 40 DISC JOCKEY, officially accepted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Library & Archives.

Sainte-Johnn shared the news in an email, calling the recognition a meaningful tribute to the legacy of KFRC San Francisco and the Bay Area's influential Top 40 radio era.

The memoir chronicles Sainte-Johnn's journey from his early years as Wilber Johnson in the segregated South to becoming one of radio's most recognizable personalities. The book follows his path through broadcasting school and small-market stations before arriving at legendary KFRC, where he spent two decades during the height of personality-driven Top 40 radio.

Blending autobiography with radio history, the memoir explores the industry's evolution from its golden age of live talent and bold promotions to an era of consolidation and automation. It also reflects on themes of perseverance, race, mentorship and the enduring impact of local radio.

Beyond his on-air career, Sainte-Johnn has worked as a broadcast consultant and media educator, teaching journalism and broadcasting at several California colleges, including City College of San Francisco, Ohlone College, Cosumnes River College, College of San Mateo and American River College.

A member of both the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame and the National Black Radio Hall of Fame, Sainte-Johnn is also recognized for breaking barriers in broadcasting, including becoming the first African American to hold a prime-time air shift at KFRC. His career has included radio stops in San Diego, St. Louis, Sacramento, Chicago and San Francisco, as well as nationally syndicated programming.

The addition of San Francisco's LAST TOP 40 DISC JOCKEY to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Library & Archives preserves Sainte-Johnn's personal story and offers future researchers a firsthand account of one of radio's most influential eras.