Make the ‘good stuff’ even better

Author and television producer Charles “Chas” Floyd Johnson has led a life steeped in his roots of faith, tenacity and a strong work ethic.

One of six seasoned authors who make up the Longwood Writers Workshop, the Camden native and his fellow members are promoting their anthology, A Gathering of Voices, a collection of essays written by Johnson and five of his notable friends.

Those friends include novelist and actress Denise Nicholas (In the Heat of the Night and Room 222), anesthesiologist Otto E. Stallworth Jr., businesswoman and novelist GW Williams, author Denise Billings and TV and Broadway veteran Hattie Winston (Becker and The Electric Company).

Four of the six workshop writers were interested in writing their memoirs. The group initially came together around Nicholas’ dining room table and turned to Zoom during COVID.

They then re-grouped in person afterward to soldier on.

With a foreword from Tony-winning Broadway veteran Phylicia Rashad, whose TV credits include The Cosby Show and The Gilded Age, A Gathering of Voices is a varied collection of personal, introspective and even lyrical stories.

“With a mind to make the ‘good stuff’ even better, they joined the Longwood Writers Workshop, a small, select group of people with diverse backgrounds, extensive life experiences and like minds,” Rashad wrote.

“Shared enthusiasm and commitment to purpose defined this circle of support as they gathered to read, listen to and offer critical analysis of their own and each other’s work.”

The anthology’s stories resonate with memories of struggles waged, battles won and lost and experiences that illuminate the writers’ mature wisdom and resilience. According to Johnson, the workshop members pored over essays they had each written over the years outside of their memoirs.

“We knew nothing about publishing an anthology,” he acknowledges, “but we looked at all of our pieces, spread out and asked, ‘Now, how do we connect these?’ “They were different pieces from different cycles in (the writers’ lives), and we felt like putting them together.

“You have to focus them in some way for readers to pick it up and enjoy the book,” Johnson added of the anthology, which was published in February.

A noted TV producer

Born in Camden, Johnson spent a great deal of his childhood in South Jersey towns – including Haddonfield and Magnolia – as well as Philadelphia and Delaware. He says his roots were steeped in an East Coast mentality.

“I was an only child with a lovely and loving family,” he recalls, “who helped me to understand how to get through life, with faith and with belief in myself. My parents were wonderful at that.

“That was my foundation.”

After a rich and diverse career as a television producer for shows that included NCIS, Quantum Leap and The Rockford Files, Johnson is a veteran of more than 1,000 hours on the small screen.

He believes people have to be ready to make their marks in whatever creative, educational or business endeavors they pursue.

“My theory is that opportunity has to meet preparation,” Johnson observes. “This means that when the door opens, you’ll be ready. I have been in the entertainment business since 1971, starting in the mailroom at Universal Studios.

“My career has been a series of serendipitous kinds of things,” he continues. “There’s so much in life that happens with networking and connections. People have to know you to want to work with you.”

When asked why he believes NCIS is still thriving as it starts its 23rd season, Johnson credited the cast, top-notch actors who kept interest alive.

“I met one viewer who had seen 400-plus episodes, watching them during the marathons, and she said it felt like a warm blanket,” he remembers.

The big names

One of Johnson’s essays in A Gathering of Voices tells the story of his personal and welcoming interactions with three famous people: former First Lady Michele Obama; O.J. Simpson defense attorney Johnny Cochran; and talk show host Oprah Winfrey.

Johnson was invited by Reuben Cannon, one of his mailroom buddies, to Oprah’s TV studio. Cannon was one of her producers and was honored for his work casting the hit film she starred in with Whoopi Goldberg, The Color Purple.

“As I described in the book, I changed my plane tickets to stop in Chicago and meet her,” Johnson explains. “The reason that this chapter came to mind is that she openly supported me when I got there, despite not knowing me before that.

“She came out of the studio to the front, took me around, and the director of the show that day, Ivan Dixon, was someone I knew from my days of The Rockford Files.”

Winfrey also told Johnson he had to meet a guy who was on set that day, Roots creator Alex Haley, who took time with Johnson and rode with him to the airport.

“So, this is an interesting story about three celebrities, who are also interesting human beings that I have had different encounters with in my life,” Johnson notes. “No matter what their success and what they’ve accomplished, they have that incredible ability to meet people and make them feel important.”

Sage career advice

After a rich personal life and varied career, Johnson advises anyone who wants to pursue a career in acting and screenwriting to always be prepared.

“You have to study; you have to be in the thick of it,” he points out. “Do plays, see plays and work hard whenever you can.”

And when a chance comes along?

“Be ready when the opportunities come,” he says. “Look for opportunities; meet people; and, if someone likes your work, take it to the next level. I’ve been lucky to be able to keep reinventing myself.

“I don’t think you ever stop learning.”