Johnny and Jazzbo is a true story that runs the gamut, loaded with adventure, danger, suspense, murder, drama, comedy, and romance. As one endorsement on the back of the book cover states, “It is side-splittingly funny at times and heart-wrenching at others; this true story of historical events is an inspiring lesson on forgiveness, friendship, hope, and a testament to what’s possible with grace, kindness, and courage.”

This compelling and powerful true story is about two young Southern men of opposite color facing this evil that has no color other than the bloodshed stains left behind by hate, greed, and ignorance. Both raised in the backwoods of Northwest Florida, they shared an insatiable, untamed determination to never be poor again, bringing them together on a journey of realization and self-discovery. Better yet, for these two, it is more about a journey through the school of hard knocks.

Now, the book begins in 1961on the uninhabitable, frozen continent of Antarctica, aboard the icebreaker USS GLACIER. It was called Operation Deep Freeze. After bravely defying death and heroically surviving historic explorations during two tours of Deep Freeze, twenty-eight-year-old Dr. Johnny Savage makes history, even having a glacier named after him, all before leaving the United States Navy and returning home to civilian life. He moves to Atlanta during one of the most turbulent, historic times in the history of Georgia, where everyone’s lives were influenced in some way by the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, political assassinations, the space age, and the beginning of free love, drugs, and rock n roll.

So, in Atlanta, Johnny Savage and Otis Ikner began this profound and politically charged adventure together. Johnny builds a successful dental practice, hires the handsome twenty-six-year-old Black man Otis Ikner as a houseboy, and, through bold, progressive moves, is elected to the legislature as a Republican in the Democratic state of Georgia. Working among political powerhouses such as Barry Goldwater, Lester Maddox, Jimmy Carter, a young Newt Gingrich, and the Martin Luther King family, he quickly builds a popular reputation among voters as a non-politician and a power to be reckoned with, bringing changes, fresh ideas, and innovative policies to the floor that benefited every citizen in Atlanta, including the Black community. Even the Atlanta Constitution Headline news wrote, “Never go against the Savage! The non-politician, politician”

In the meantime, Johnny discovers that his devoted, self-educated houseboy’s aspirations to become successful were the same as Johnny’s, but society had not allowed the same opportunities for Otis. So, what does Johnny do? Johnny takes matters into his own hands. Jeopardizing his entire professional and political career, Johnny illegally forges a high school diploma for Otis to obtain a dental hygiene degree and become America’s first Black male dental hygienist. A decision that was certain to come with consequences. In the book, Johnny's reaction to Otis’ desire to become a dental hygienist was profound. It was right at the same time Lester Maddox became the newly appointed governor of Georgia. It goes like this…

            Shaking his head, Johnny leaned back with his hands resting behind his head. “Well, hell, if a high school dropout such as the likes of Lester Maddox can be governor of Georgia, then I don’t see why you, Otis Ikner, who never had an opportunity to receive a high school diploma, can’t be a dental hygienist.”

Now, fast forward to the era of the seventies, where Otis began to establish himself in a professional career, supported by Johnny, of course. Not only that, but Otis was also drawn into Johnny’s elite circle of close and sometimes crazy friends, gaining financial and social opportunities as he climbed that ladder to success. And, with his good looks and athletic ability, he became an avid water skier and successful snow ski instructor, among other athletic feats, traveling the world with Johnny and friends. Not to mention, on many occasions, Otis was known for entertaining blond-haired beauties behind closed doors.

However, not everyone accepted Otis into Johnny’s world, including Johnny’s new bride… and that is only the beginning of Johnny’s troubles! It didn’t take long before overtly racist professional and political colleagues blackballed Johnny’s career, threatening his and Otis’ lives while encountering dangerous confrontations with unsavory characters and white supremacy groups. In one of many instances, Johnny’s closest friend’s lake house is burned to the ground after Otis is invited to waterski on an all-white lake. And oh, wait until you read what happens when the Georgia Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan shows up at Johnny’s dental office to have Otis Ikner clean his teeth. On another occasion, fingers point to Otis after a local murder takes place, leaving both Johnny and Otis scathed but not yet defeated.

Throughout the book, the Savage/Ikner duo continues to encounter these multifarious incidents and threats, leaving them with hidden secrets that could destroy both their lives. But the key here, and what makes Johnny and Otis’ story so overwhelmingly important, is how they worked even the worst of situations to their benefit.

It was with wit, fortitude, cunning, humor, and compassion that Johnny and Otis fought to right the wrongs in their lives no matter what the cost. Never giving up, these two young mavericks managed to find success, love, marriage, heartache, death, and murder following them as they, brilliantly and at times, hilariously trend their way towards an unpredictable destiny in a legendary way.