Soterios Johnson

"Soterios" redirects here. For the indigenous people of Brazil, see Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau.

Soterios Johnson is an American radio journalist and the former local host of National Public Radio's Morning Edition on New York City public-radio station WNYC.^[1][2]

His first name comes from his Greek heritage. A native of Highland Park, New Jersey, Johnson graduated from Highland Park High School, where he participated in the school's radio station.^[3] While attending Columbia University in New York City, he worked at a small FM station in his hometown^[4] and at the college's WKCR-FM (89.9 FM) radio station.^[2] In 1990, he graduated with a degree in American history. He then earned a master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

The New York Sun newspaper wrote, "A steady, soulful tenor of a voice — combined with a first name that is as mellifluous as it is unusual — has won public radio host Soterios Johnson a legion of devoted fans, some of whom have gone so far as to write songs in his honor and name pets after him."^[1]

He has reminisced: "As a kid, I always wanted to be in the know...and to spread the word."

In the summer of 2016, Johnson left WNYC to join the University of California, Davis as Director of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Programs. He moved to join his husband, who had been based in California since December 2014.

Influence on music

His name inspired the name of New York City three-piece band Satirius Johnson.^[1]

Jonathan Coulton, a folk-rock artist based in New York, wrote a song called "Dance, Soterios Johnson, Dance", which presents a fictionalized secret life of Johnson as a club-goer.^[1]

Awards

• 2006 New York Press Club award