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Jimmie "JJ" Walker.
 Way
back in 1973 an American sitcom like no other first appeared
on our televisions and triumphantly ran for six seasons. Created
by legendary producer Norman Lear, 'Good Times,' which comically
traced the plight of a poor black family struggling to survive
day to day life in the ghetto, originally began as a spin off
to 'Maude,' which had in turn just broken away from 'All In
The Family.' Despite running concurrently, all three of Lear's
show's enjoyed success right up to the end of the decade and
have earned a place in US television history. Although he was
closer to twenty-five at the time of the show's inception, a
tall, gangly and appropriately semi-literate and virtually unknown
stand up comic by the name of Jimmie Walker lucked into the
role of wise-cracking eighteen year old JJ Evans, and with the
famous catchcry, "Dyn-O-Mite!", a star, if a harshly typecast
one, was born.
Years go by, and as far as Australian viewers at least were concerned, Jimmie "JJ" Walker was soon relegated to the 'Whatever happened to?' list. Except that he wasn't.
"I was always a stand up so that always put me into the comedy circuit, so I was a whole different story," Walker responds. "I never really fell into that so it never really bothered me. I mean, you know I wouldn't mind being on another sitcom show, but only from the financial stand point, that wouldn't bother me. Other than that, I'm not a guy who says, 'Oh God, I'm an actor and I'm not working!' From a financial stand point it would be nice because it does give you a cocoon to work in with tremendous financial resources."
After the 1979 cancellation of 'Good Times' Walker returned to his original vocation, also nabbing many bit parts on television and in film including the 1980's comedy classic, 'Flying High' (as the windscreen wiper man), and in 'Home Alone 2.'
Now self-educated Walker is still very much in demand on TV chat and game shows, as well as hosting his own talk-back radio show which tackles more important topics including social issues, politics and sport. In fact, it wasn't until towards the end of our hour-long conversation that we thought it best to get off such subjects and discuss his upcoming comedy show here in Adelaide.
"On the talk back show we're dealing with a lot of serious issues, whether it be the economy in the United States or the Iraq war, and of course we have an election coming up so that's also an issue. And with my act, again it deals with the issues of the day but it's straight-ahead comedy so it's just everything from John Howard to David Beckham. Then there's other people on the show who are hopefully funny too," he says with a laugh.
As our easy and amiable conversation comes to an end, I awkwardly ask him to give me my own personal recorded copy of his best "Dyn-O-Mite!" He politely declines. "Well, the 'dynamite' thing, you know, that's no longer in the act."
Okay, but can I please just get one over the phone? I mean, how cool would that be?
"No, no," he resists. "Like I said, I really do appreciate that anybody does remember anything that I've ever done, but I don't kind of do that any more, you know? We did it on the show back then and that really was the last time I did it."
JJ Evans has well and truly left the tenement slum. Still, in his place JJ Walker must be doing something right as Time Magazine once dubbed him the, 'Comedian of the Decade'. And he's one hell of a nice guy, I must add.
Steve Jones
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Jimmie "JJ" Walker performs at the Governor Hindmarsh on Fri 23 April.
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