Roger Goode’s personality is larger than life

If you thought that Roger Goode has energy on air, wait until you meet him in person. There is no end to his enthusiasm for life, the universe and everything (apologies to Douglas Adams).

Goode dressed up as Tool Time Tim for his interview and, for once, the conversation was not planned to the usual radio career wah-wah buff-puff about the past, present and future behind the microphone. Getting to know 5FM’s Roger Goode is far more interesting.

The grand tour of his northern Johannesburg house was like stepping into a museum of Roger Goode-ness. And that is because so much of where him, his wife and their young daughter call home, has been shaped by his imagination and handiwork.

Goode’s garden is the first pit-stop, and walking through it is inevitable, as his front door has been barricaded from the inside with fencing. Actually, an entire area from outside through to inside the house has been demarcated as a safe area for his toddler. He said: “Halo (her name) once slipped down the stairs and since then I have been somewhat paranoid to ensure that the areas where she moves in are super safe.”

The garden walk from the driveway starts with a forest-like feel that opens up into a beautifully manicured pool area. Here, Goode’s shrubs are pruned into sculptures, not dissimilar to English gardens of old. A large pool is head-boarded by a half-moon entertainment area. And music plays everywhere.

He is really proud of his home, which he said was a wreck when he bought it. Goode and his wife spent a long time renovating the fixer-upper into the beautiful suburban home it is today.

He said: “I have a passion for working with my hands, for creating things, and keeping myself really busy.”

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From the outside patio, the first thing a visitor will notice is the stunning retro pinball machine on the left, and to the right, a fully restored arcade game. Goode rebuilt the pinball machine into working play while during lockdown he and his wife Kyla rebuilt the arcade game. In the next room leading off, a Yamaha digital piano and some guitars along with a vinyl turntable at the opposite end.

Goode said: “This is extremely exciting for me, to be able to share my passions outside of being in front of a microphone. It is my escape, my go-to place where I get to create and have fun at the same time.”

During the grand tour, a pit-stop in the kitchen sees Goode reach for a beer. A non-alcoholic Heineken. He said: “I gave up alcohol completely. After years of living the fast life, I decided that it was time to slow down. My family, my wife and my daughter are the most important aspects of my days.” He said that you do not have to become inebriated to have fun, and his journey change evidenced that.

There is a room in his home where girls are not allowed. It is his man-cave. Here Goode takes a step back from life and chills hard, on his own or with mates. This is also where he keeps his collection of Gameboy arcade replicas. He said he is addicted to having them, and orders them online frequently.

Climbing over the in-house fencing system he built for Halo, the stairway down to the garage brings his workshop into view. This is where Goode is busy building a miniature arcade game. He said: “When I am done with it, it will be fully functional, with buttons and everything.” He holds up a wooden board full of wires and circuitry and explains how it works. The technicalities lost on the journalist, but Goode’s passion, is infectious.

He works from home and also downstairs, but around the back of his home, is a fully kitted out studio. He said: “This is where I did several of my shows from during lockdown.”

His studio is also where he writes drops, stings, jingles and promos for radio stations around the world and produces his own, too. He never thought that would turn into a business. Goode remembered: “When I started out at 5FM I had the graveyard slot and that places you quite low on the pecking order. So, to get my own effects for my show was always a challenge. And that is when I decided to create my own. It became a business, completely happenstance.”

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Before saying cheers, Goode absolutely had to share his workshop. It is a tiny stone building at the back of the garden where he spends a lot of time, too. Making stuff. He was busy putting up a shelf earlier that morning. But he’s OCD, he said, and spirit levels rule his tool-time. He said: “If a piece of shelving or whatever I make is not perfectly correct, I strip it down and do it again until it is.”

And that is the kind of man Roger Goode is. He works his derriere to the bone to get things right, to create, and takes immense pleasure in doing things himself. His energy allows him to Duracell-bunny through his days, and nothing ever seems to be too much trouble or effort.

He is a really nice guy, and the kind of person that equally draws a legion of loyal fans while at the same time is the perfect companion for a weekend braai. He is that talented, that friendly and that kind.