A Chicago native, John Donohue began his radio career at age 17 working for stations in Wisconsin, then returning to Chicago to work with Westinghouse Broadcasting. He left radio in 1986 to enter the military, and following a 21-year military career, pursued other academic and professional interests in Washington, settling in Charlottesville in 2006. While serving with the Army in Vicenza, Italy in 1989, he was selected to read Scripture for the Midnight Mass at the Vatican for Pope John Paul II which was telecast to 52 nations. "Though just for an evening, it was a 'broadcasting post' I never would have dreamed of. Yet regarding my interests in classical music, from a very early age, perhaps the greatest influence came from my aunt, who was granddaughter to European conductor Hans Richter, first to conduct Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle at Bayreuth, and was the champion of many other 19th century classical composers of the time - Brahms, Bruckner, and Elgar in particular. You might imagine that the musical and theatric heritage she brought to our family made for amazing and sometimes startling conversations. With these experiences, I am grateful to host classical music at WTJU."