John Laws opens up to Glen Williams about his amazing life, his great love, and why he’ll never be contented.
On the eve of his return to radio, John Laws is in a reflective mood, gazing intently at the lapping waters of Sydney Harbour as they ebb and flow beneath his plush Woolloomooloo apartment.
“I’m very happy with being undisturbed and living with this peace and quiet,” he says calmly, as one of his many elaborate antique clocks strikes the hour and sets his three much adored British shorthair cats – Leo, Pushkin and Ernest – scurrying. “You know I don’t think there’s a single radio in the house.”
At 75, John is happy in himself and more in love than ever with third wife Caroline … just don’t call him contented.
“I don’t think contentment is a good idea. Contentment leads to mediocrity and mediocrity is an offence. I think you get self-absorbed if you’re contented. If you’re totally content you tend not to think about others and that’s a pity.”
Perhaps that’s the reason he’s returning to the slaughterhouse that is commercial radio.
“Retirement didn’t agree with me. Radio has been my life, I don’t know anything else. And I lived it 24 hours a day for 55 years, and it’s very difficult to get out of your blood, particularly when you live in a vibrant country with so many things that people want to talk about. And I like to hear what the average Joe has to say about things.”
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