- Met his wife, the former Canadian actress Beryl Braithwaite on the set of his Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans (1957) series. They wed ten days later in February of 1957. The union lasted 52 years, until his death, and produced a daughter, Robyn.
- Replacing actor Clayton Moore as The Lone Ranger in 1952 due to a dispute over pay involving the star, John appeared in 52 episodes. He returned to The Lone Ranger role in later years--on a 1981 episode of The Greatest American Hero (1981) and a 1982 episode of Happy Days (1974).
- Served in the Army during World War II.
- Worked as a cowboy during the summers while growing up.
- Loved to surf and lived near the California/Mexico ocean for much of his life.
- He acted in two episodes of The Lone Ranger (1949) before he himself portrayed the famous Masked Man from 1952 to 1953 replacing Clayton Moore for a year. The episodes were "Sheriff at Gunstock" (episode # 1.46) 27 July 1950 playing "Duke, Henchman" and "Rifles and Renegades" (episode # 1.34) 4 May 1950 playing "Sergeant of the Guard." Later he gave a very convincing portrayal as Hawkeye in Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans (1957).
- Interviewed in Tom Weaver's "Eye on Science Fiction" (McFarland & Co., 2003).
- Born in Los Angeles, he grew up in San Marino and graduated from South Pasadena High School. His mother was a drama critic for the Pasadena Star-News and he later trained at the Pasadena Playhouse where he was discovered by a Paramount talent agent and signed.
- Upon his death, he was cremated and his ashes were scattered into the Pacific ocean.
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