Red Robinson's Legends

Red recalls how his career started around this time in 1954, meeting Elvis, retirement, voicing Michael Buble's Christmas specials, Red Rock Diner, and his plans for his vast archive. Recorded in Vancouver, November 2014.

Rich Elwood was a Vancouver radio personality, actor, stand-up comedian and comedy club owner. His comedy career started doing Bill Cosby routines in front of his Grade 7 class and he polished his act in Toronto's notorious Yonge Street strip clubs. "They were a good training ground," he told the Vancouver Sun's Lee Bacchus, "You would have about 200 guys out there all yelling 'Bring out the broads!' You had to be good or you'd be doing the last 10 minutes to heckles and boos." Rich says, "Doing standup was always a blast. However, bands typically didn't care for standup warmups. In one case, the last thing they said to me before going on was 'Keep it short and don't touch our equipment.' I was only going to do five minutes and would not need to touch their gear, but it became a twenty minute set that ended in me giving myself a cymbal crash. 'Don't say don't to a comedian', I said to them coming off. I opened for many acts over the years including Tom Jones (a class guy and very gracious), The Righteous Brothers (quiet but nice), Howie Mandel (a super person and very funny), Dennis Miller (very bright), The Temptations (very cool people) and Ray Charles, who was so nice to me and I was very much in awe of him. Man, did he have stories!" Punchline's was the first real comedy club in Vancouver. Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Carrey, Norm Macdonald, Howie Mandel and other greats all headlined. Rich also opened the door to up-and-coming comics Ryan Stiles, Rick Ducommun, Patrick McKenna and many more. His Vancouver radio career in Vancouver included CFUN (as DJ Rich Kelly) and CKNW as a talk show host. He was MC for Red's 50th Anniversary In Radio celebration in 2004, and he would also step in for Red on CISL's morning show. Among Rich's acting roles over the years was a part in Adam Sandler's Happy Gilmore in the mid-1990s. After getting out of the club business, he was an in-demand corporate comic and producer. Rich wrote comedy for the hit political series Double Exposure, and he developed several TV projects with writing partner Patrick McKenna. Rich Elwood died on December 2, 2021 at the age of 67. Old friend John Oliver says, "One of the funniest people I have ever known and a true friend. A risk-taker, an entrepreneur who never quit in his efforts to bring quality comedy to Vancouver." Tom Jeffries replaced Rich at CFUN: "He was most gracious and we had so much fun when he ran Punchline's. A very talented and hilarious man ― I miss him. I was blessed to call him a friend." Recorded in Vancouver in 2013.

Glen Campbell was a fantastic 12-string guitar player who became part of a group of studio musicians later known as The Wrecking Crew. Glen played on hits by The Beach Boys, The Everly Brothers, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash, Bobby Darin, Ricky Nelson, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, and many more. Red says, "I recall Glen coming to Vancouver as part of the annual C-FUN Teen Fair in the early Sixties. He had only two or three songs out at the time and none were in the Top 10, but his single 'Universal Soldier' (penned by Canadian artist Buffy Sainte-Marie) was charted in Billboard magazine along with a version by Donovan. I could not get him an interview with anyone in the media. A couple of summers down the road, 'Gentle On My Mind' became a major hit, followed by 'By the Time I Get to Phoenix' and 'Wichita Lineman'. Suddenly everyone wanted an interview with Glen. Anyway, years later when he achieved superstar status, he returned to Vancouver and played to a sell-out audience at the Coliseum. Toward the end of the show he picked up the mike and said, ‘It's nice to be back after all those years. When I first came to Vancouver I couldn't get arrested, but there was one man who believed in me. He's here in the audience tonight, and I want him to stand up.' He meant me! I was startled, but I stood up and the Coliseum crowd cheered.” Glen was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2011, and he was still well enough to embark on his final tour, which was documented in the award-winning film Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me. Red says, "The last time I saw Glen was onstage at Vancouver's PNE. I asked for an interview and he said he wasn't up to it, but he relented in the end. Glen was going through the early stages of Alzheimer's and did not want to ignore me, but he was uncomfortable. He remembered me and the PNE dates from the past. We had such a great trip down memory lane." Glen Campbell died in Nashville on August 8, 2017, at the age of 81. Glen's wife Kim founded the I'll Be Me Alzheimer's Fund with director James Keach, who directed Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me. For more information, please visit ibmaf.org. Planning a trip to Nashville? Make sure you visit the Glen Campbell Museum and celebrate the life of a pop/country giant! Recorded in Vancouver, 2012

Concert photographer Dee Lippingwell's very first concert was a Pink Floyd show in Vancouver back in 1973. Over a 50 year career she photographed some of rock's royalty: The Rolling Stones, Queen, Aerosmith, David Bowie, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Eric Clapton, KISS, Van Halen and many more. Her first book, “The Best Seat in the House,” was followed by the self-published “First Three Songs… No Flash,” and Dee and Red sat down to talk about her new book. Dee was inducted into the BC Country Music Association's Hall of Fame in 2011, an honour in part based on her extensive work with the Merritt Mountain Music Festival. “I don't think I was ever tired of rock and roll, I love rock and roll,” Dee said, “but country music opened my eyes to other music out there.” Her photos of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Dwight Yoakam, Tim McGraw, Randy Travis, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban and other country stars were documented in her third book, 2021's “Memories From the Mountain”. Dee Lippingwell died May 9 after a battle with cancer. She is survived by her husband Paul, sons Marc and Chris, grandchildren Shauna and Tyler, and her brother David. Bryan Adams' writing partner Jim Vallance told music trade magazine Billboard Canada, "If you were lucky enough to live a hundred years, you wouldn't come across a lovelier, more classy, more talented, more humble person than Dee Lippingwell." For a wide selection of Dee's work, including books, prints, scarves, tees and tote bags, visit deelippingwell.net. Recorded in Vancouver, 2012

Sad music news... Chad Allan passed away on November 21 at age 80. He is survived by his wife, Christine. Chad was born Allan Kowbel in Winnipeg and took his stage name, Chad Allan, in tribute to a favourite 1950s singer, Chad Mitchell. His first band was Allan and the Silvertones and then Chad Allan and the Reflections/Expressions, which evolved into the Guess Who. Chad left the Guess Who in 1966 to attend college. In 1967, he hosted the Winnipeg version of the weekly CBC TV music program Let's Go. Chad was a guest at the grand opening of the Red Robinson Show Theatre, and Red interviewed him on the September 21, 2000 edition of CISL Radio's "Wakeup Club". Here, they talk about the early days, some of the people Chad worked with, and the first time he heard "Shakin' All Over". In 2015, he was inducted as a Member of the Order of Manitoba for his contribution to Canadian music. A true rock'n'roll pioneer. RIP Chad!

Every year C-FUN counted down the Top 300 listener favourites in our "Soundathon". Over 150,000 votes decided which songs would appear, and we usually played them from 7:00am December 29 until midnight New Year's Eve. This annual tradition was so popular we started running "Summer Soundathons", celebrating the biggest summertime hits of the Sixties. The final C-FUN Soundathon ran in summer 1967: the #1 song was The Beatles' "Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby", followed by Bryan Hyland's "The Joker Went Wild", "Monday Monday" by The Mamas & Papas, "Wild Thing" from the Troggs and "Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones. To promote Soundathon 1964, we decided to produce a series of promos taking a light-hearted jab at some of the C-FUN Good Guys and our news staff. Big laughs all around, and we've included some of our favourite 1964 C-FUN "Channel 14" jingles. Enjoy, and Happy New Year!

Diana Ross and The Supremes had just finished a two-week run at the legendary Cave Supper Club in October 1967, touring on the strength of their #1 hit "The Happening". Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson heard a Motown cover band at an after-hours club and alerted Motown Records CEO Berry Gordy. Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers signed a recording contract with Motown, and Gordy produced “Does Your Mama Know About Me,” their debut single. The song was written by band members Tommy Chong and an old friend from my "Let's Go" TV show, Tom Baird. Tommy went on to huge success with comedy duo Cheech & Chong, and Tom Baird made a name for himself as a songwriter, arranger and producer for a number of Motown acts like Rare Earth, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder. At a 1968 Chicago concert, The Jackson 5 opened for Bobby and he arranged for them to audition for Berry Gordy and other Motown executives. The group was signed to Motown, and Bobby Taylor became their first producer. Bobby left Motown three years later after a financial dispute, recording sporadically into the mid-1970s. In 2006, Bobby dropped by my CISL/Vancouver morning show for this interview. We covered a lot of ground: our early days together at CBC-TV's "Music Hop" and "Let's Go"; an early band member named Jimi Hendrix; the real meaning behind “Does Your Mama Know About Me”; the musical genius of Tom Baird; a young Bruce Allen protégé named Michael Bublé; and my meeting with Sam Cooke and Bumps Blackwell. These were special moments with an old friend. Bobby Taylor died in 2017 at a hospital in Hong Kong, where he'd been undergoing treatment for leukemia. Tommy Chong remembered him as an extraordinary singer: “He used to do 'Danny Boy' and make everybody cry in the audience. He would hit notes that were unbelievably high and he could sound like anybody he wanted to sound like – Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Smokey. I've been with a lot of singers, but nothing like Bobby.” Image: Nora Tam, South China Morning Post

"WKRP in Cincinnati" premiered this week in 1978 on CBS-TV, airing for four seasons and 90 episodes. My late friend Terry Moore sat down with Gordon and his wife Anna in 1981 for this CKNW interview. The show, created by Hugh Wilson, featured the staff of a struggling radio station and was based on his experiences in sales at WQXI/Atlanta. New program director Andy Travis switches WKRP's format from easy-listening music to rock with help from deejays Dr. Johnny Fever and Venus Flytrap, station manager Arthur Carlson, sales manager Herb Tarlek, news director Les Nessman, receptionist Jennifer Marlowe and producer Bailey Quarters. Gordon reflects on his broadcast background and the inspiration for his character; the strengths of the show's cast; the advantages of syndication; he and Anna discuss how success has changed their lives; the truth behind Hollywood's "Tinseltown" myth; the importance of good management; and how they spend their free time. Arthur "Big Guy" Carlson was Gordon's signature role, and he starred in a short-lived revival of the show, "The New WKRP in Cincinnati" which ran in syndication from 1991 to 1993. He also appeared in the final season of Seinfeld, in which he played George Costanza's boss at a playground equipment company. You probably also remember when he took over the Maytag repairman role from Jesse White. Gordon Jump died at his home in Glendale, CA on September 22, 2003. He was 71.

It's August 31, 1957 in Vancouver and Elvis Presley is about to take the stage for his first — and only — visit here. With my heart pounding with excitement, I left Elvis in his dressing room and walked toward the stage at the north end of Empire Stadium. A huge curtain hung from the rear of the stage, and it was in this area that I waited for my turn to appear on the platform and bring on the legendary Elvis Presley. The acts on stage at this time were the Jordanaires, a gospel group from the US South who had recently been added to the background sound of Elvis' RCA recordings. They gave a more well rounded sound to the drums of D. J. Fontana, the bass of Bill Black and the incredible guitar of Scotty Moore. Road manager Tom Diskin stood with me on the backstage platform, and when the Jordanaires completed their set I walked out on stage. I can't describe the feeling of standing at one end of a stadium and looking out at a sea of 25,000 faces. I had to gather up every ounce of courage. Tom had told me to point to the right of the stadium when introducing Elvis, and he would run out of the tunnel and step into a large black Cadillac limousine. My introduction was brief. An off stage announcer shouted my name as MC, I walked out to thundering applause, and said "On behalf of the Teen Canteen, Canada's largest teen show, I'm proud tonight to present to you, ELVIS PRESLEY!!!" With that short announcement I pointed to my right, and right on cue Elvis came running out of the tunnel and hopped into the waiting limo. The crowd went berserk. It sounded like a city of a million all screaming and yelling in unison. My greeting had been generous, and I knew that it was more for the fact that I had been instrumental in getting Elvis to Vancouver than for my own appearance, but the ecstatic greeting for Elvis was pure joy for seeing the one man who had brought the whole world of Rock'n'Roll together. Elvis Presley was the centerpiece of the art form and the idol of their generation and here he was — in the flesh! Elvis wore only the top jacket from his solid gold suit. When I asked him backstage in the dressing room why he hadn't worn the whole gold suit, he explained that the creases in the pants caused them to look terrible and unsuitable to wear. The gold suit had been a Colonel Tom Parker concept. Here was the golden boy of music in the Fifties and the Colonel was going to have him appear in gold, real gold, to show the world just how big his boy was. "The Colonel" knew the value of glamour and he used it masterfully. What follows is a recording of my introduction, Elvis' entrance, and the reaction of 25,000 fans. A night I'll never forget.

We're celebrating the life of Jerry Allison, drummer for Buddy Holly and The Crickets, who died this week (8/22). This extended interview was recorded at Vancouver's Legends of Rock'n'Roll show at EXPO 86. One of my favourite lines in the interview is when Jerry says, “I think we were the first ugly band... and then The Rolling Stones just took it and went all the way with it!” Jerry and Buddy met in high school in 1956 and the two began playing as a duo — Allison on drums, Holly on guitar and vocals. One year later, they linked up with bassist Joe B. Mauldin and guitarists Niki Sullivan and Sonny Curtis to become The Crickets. Jerry also co-wrote a couple of their biggest hits: “That'll Be the Day” and “Peggy Sue”. After Buddy left The Crickets in 1958, the group continued to tour and record into the Sixties and beyond, with Jerry Naylor replacing Holly after his death in 1959. Jerry Allison's career flourished as a studio musician at The Crickets' label, Liberty Records in Los Angeles, working with artists like Eddie Cochran, Bobby Vee and Johnny Rivers. Along with fellow original Crickets Mauldin, Sullivan and Curtis, Jerry Allison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Smokey Robinson at a special ceremony in 2012. Smokey said, “Buddy Holly wasn't just Buddy Holly. He was a Cricket. One day they gave us ‘That'll Be the Day,' on another ‘Maybe Baby'. They were indeed the original rock'n'roll band.” Jerry Allison's drums are the best part of some of my favourites: “Peggy Sue,” “Everyday” and especially “Not Fade Away”. “That'll Be The Day” was Jerry's favourite. It was the first song he and Buddy recorded together.

I first met Susan Jacks on the set of Let's Go, Vancouver's weekly contribution to the CBC TV series Music Hop. The show allowed Canadian talent to get exposure from coast-to-coast on television. Susan was a wonderfully talented, stunningly beautiful lady with a voice like silk. Susan and husband Terry created some of Canada's most memorable hit records as the Poppy Family. Their hit song “Which Way You Goin', Billy?” was Vancouver's first million-seller! My friend John Mackie said "She was a natural singer, with a cool, clear voice that fell somewhere between Karen Carpenter and Tammy Wynette." Susan was inducted into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame in 2010. I loved playing Susan's music on the radio, and my listeners loved our very own homegrown talent. She was a frequent guest and we've managed to preserve those interviews. Here, in 2006, she talks about growing up in Haney, BC and auditioning for Let's Go. Susan faced many personal traumas and health issues in later years, but her inner strength always kept her moving forward. She was one of the most positive, warm and friendly people I ever met. I will always remember Susan's voice, her stage presence and her love of music. In our interview she mentions a couple of her influences, Dusty Springfield and Jackie deShannon. And I know that somewhere out there, a little girl is listening to Susan's music and being inspired by that beautiful voice. Susan, you'll be missed by all of us who knew and loved you. I'd like to say goodbye by remembering the lyrics of one of your best songs: "I Thought Of You Again": "The train moved on... and with my nose against the glass... I hummed a song. It made me smile... and for a while... I just forgot that you were gone."

Rock'n'roll pioneer Rick Nelson would have celebrated his 82nd birthday today - May 8. This photo of Rick and me was taken in his car when I worked at KGW in Portland, OR in 1959. Notice the tape recorder. It was called a Mohawk, and like the haircut of the same name, it cut out the interview. When I got back to the station there was nothing on the tape. The same thing happened in 1958 backstage at the PNE Forum, no sound. It wasn't until 1976 when he returned to Vancouver for a concert at the PNE Star Spectacular that I was able to get an interview. I showed Rick the picture and we had a laugh about my bad luck. Rick was the first teenage idol, and there is no doubt about that, but in those early days in the 50's he had no stage presence. He would sing a song and then take a drink of Coca-Cola. Having seen the dynamic Elvis on stage at Empire Stadium, the audience booed him. He didn't deserve to be booed. He was a great guy and one of the early rockers who really could rock and roll. He was a very quiet man. Many people said if James Dean could sing, he would have sounded like Rick Nelson. I had booked Rick for the Legends Of Rock'n'Roll show at Expo 86, but sadly he was killed in a plane crash near Dallas on December 31, 1985. Rick Nelson was just 45.

Here's a Christmas favourite from Vancouver's Stonebolt. The "news" voice you hear is another Vancouver favourite: legendary CFUN deejay Daryl B! Stonebolt's David Wills has the story: "I can't recall exactly whose idea it initially was — likely Daryl's. He was a good friend of our managers at the time, and was very supportive of the band; so much so he even helped promote some of our shows. I believe we recorded this in the late fall of either 1977 or 1978. We were all familiar with the Simon & Garfunkel version, and since it wasn't something our record label was involved with, we decided to do it as a special Christmas promo at our own expense. The recording of the music and vocal tracks was done in a hurry, at the original Ocean Sound back when they had their first studio in North Vancouver. As with the original version, Daryl chose a bunch of the really sad and disheartening news stories of the day, and wrote and voiced the nameless ‘newsman' copy, which was then mixed to gradually fade in over the top of our song, just like AM radio stations' signals used to drift in late at night. CFUN played the heck out of it that Christmas season, and I think other stations across the country picked it up too. Stonebolt reunited in 1997 to play some events, and had so much fun that we did it off and on afterwards, between our other music projects. Around the time of our Regeneration/Best of CD in 2000, Ray Roper and I decided to record an updated version of Silent Night, with updated news copy. Ray tracked the new keyboards and strings at his home studio, and he, I, and Brian Lousley did all new vocals. Since Daryl was in Winnipeg and in very poor health by then, we recruited Tom Lucas — another CFUN alumnus — to be the news guy. We did updates again in 2001, and once more in the late 2000's, this time using Tom Jeffries (yet another CFUN-er) to voice the news. There never seems to be a shortage of bleak news stories to update the Silent Night broadcast. Maybe next year the guys and I will produce a ‘good news' version! RIP Daryl B! Love - the Stonebolt boys."

Happy Birthday, Andy Kim! Andy is from Montreal, where he began singing at parties and school functions as a kid. When he was 14, he traveled to New York, where he met producer Jeff Barry. They produced a dozen chartmakers including "Baby I Love You", Andy's first million-seller. In 1969, Andy had a #1 record, but not under his own name. He was a member of The Archies, and that monster hit was "Sugar, Sugar". Andy continued recording throughout the early 70's and once again had a Number One hit with 1974's "Rock Me Gently". The song sold three million copies and it was Andy's second gold record. A couple of years later he "rebranded" himself as Baron Longfellow and continued to record, but the big hits were behind him. When I interviewed Andy in 1990, we talked about meeting Jeff Barry, his influence on Andy's music, and how Andy thought his songs stood up in a new era. Andy Kim is truly a Canadian legend! In 2017 performing rights organization SOCAN honoured Andy with their Cultural Impact Award. In recognition of his 50-year career and sales of over 30 million records, Canada's Walk Of Fame inducted him in 2018. Andy is also member of the Songwriters' Hall of Fame and the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. He continues to perform, and he's hosting The 17th Annual Andy Kim Christmas Special on Wednesday (12/8) at Toronto's Massey Hall. All proceeds support @camhfoundation Gifts of Light. You can help people experiencing mental illness on their journey to recovery at give.camh.ca. Visit Andy and see what he's up to these days at andykimmusic.com

Happy birthday, Freddy Cannon! Freddy's music was a rock'n'roll radio staple in the late 50's and early 60's. His first hit "Tallahassee Lassie" was written by Freddy and producers Bob Crewe and Frank Slay. As Freddy tells me in the interview, the idea for the song came from his mother! Dick Clark (who co-owned Freddy's label Swan Records) suggested the record be edited to highlight the pounding bass drum, and Freddy became known as Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon for the thumping power of his music. "Tallahassee Lassie" hit the Top Ten in July 1959, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. His next record, "Way Down Yonder In New Orleans", rocketed up the charts in January 1960. It was his biggest hit and also sold a million. One of Freddy's biggest hits came in June 1962 with "Palisades Park", written by Chuck Barris. The song was originally written for Dion and it was called "Amusement Park" but producers Crewe and Slay changed the title. Another Top 10 million seller! Freddy came to Vancouver in 1963 for a show with Gene Pitney, The Chiffons, and Bobby Vinton. He signed with Warner Brothers that same year and he recorded his last two hits "Abigail Beecher" in 1964 and "Action" (the theme song to the TV series "Where the Action Is", a spin-off of American Bandstand) in 1965. Both failed to crack the Top 10. After leaving WB in 1967, he continued to work with Dick Clark at his Bandstand reunion concerts and to tour all over the world. Did you know Freddy appeared on "Bandstand" more than 100 times? Freddy returned to Vancouver in 1985 for The Legends Of Rock'n'Roll preview show. That's where we recorded this interview. Freddy lives in sunny Oxnard, CA today and you can keep in touch at freddycannon.com

On this day in 1964, three months after the Beatles' Empire Stadium concert, British hitmakers The Dave Clark Five arrived in Vancouver! A month after the Beatles smash February performance on the Ed Sullivan Show, the DC5 visited Sullivan and performed their first hit "Glad All Over". They returned the next week with two more songs and an encore of "Glad All Over". The group appeared on Ed Sullivan twelve times over a span of three years. Rock'n'roll competitor CKLG was just getting established and they were eager to take away some C-FUN listeners. To counter this I arranged for the Dave Clark Five to be available for an exclusive press conference right in the radio station's studio. Preparations were carefully made to ensure a minimum of interruption from avid fans who might invade the station. The first knowledge that fans had of the Dave Clark Five's presence in the studios was when they hit the air with their live press conference. CKLG complained bitterly to the show promoters... but to no avail. The Dave Clark Five — Dave Clark, Mike Smith, Rick Huxley, Dennis Peyton and Lenny Davidson — racked up some major hits between 1964 and 1967: "Glad All Over", "Bits and Pieces", "Do You Love Me", "Can't You See That She's Mine", "Because", "Any Way You Want It", "I Like It Like That", "Catch Us If You Can" and "Over and Over" Their last big hit, 1967's "You Got What It Takes", was released a couple of months before the Beatles' landmark "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album. Suddenly, music had changed and the formula hits stopped coming. The group disbanded in early 1970. Exactly 44 years after their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Dave Clark Five was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 by Tom Hanks. They might have lacked the originality of The Beatles, but The Dave Clark Five did make a contribution. They were among the most memorable of the British acts that played Vancouver. Just a coincidence, but The Dave Clark Five just reissued their debut US album “Glad All Over” today! Remastered by Dave Clark at Abbey Road Studios and released on limited edition white vinyl, it includes the hit singles “Glad All Over”, “Do You Love Me”, “Bits and Pieces” and more. Pre-order your copy now at DC5.lnk.to/GladAllOverFA

With all the excitement surrounding my 2000 "retirement" from the CISL Wakeup Club, another finale last week almost escaped my attention. On the 30th anniversary of my first radio show, I "retired" from the morning show at CKWX (now @CityNewsVAN) to concentrate on my ad agency and other projects. I treasure this photo taken with some old friends on my final day on the air. Sadly, they're all gone now but the memories are still vivid! While twirling across the Vancouver radio dial as a kid I became a steady listener to a different kind of deejay, CKNW's Jack Cullen. That's Jack on my right. Cullen talked to his listeners on a one-to-one basis and had a total disregard for convention. He was a character and an incredible performer. If you didn't listen to Jack Cullen, the next day your friends would say, "Did you hear what Cullen did last night?" He was my idol. While I was still in high school I made a new discovery. In addition to Cullen's CKNW "Owl Prowl", I was fascinated with Al Jordan's "Theme for Teens" on CJOR. Al played the hits of the day and invited listeners down to the studio to take part in the show. I visited after school one day and stayed on to join in the fun each afternoon. It was the most exciting moment in my young life and it inspired me to work harder to get my own show. Al Jordan made my career possible. That's him on my left. That's former C-FUN Good Guy and old friend Tom Peacock in the background. Tom moved on from C-FUN to CKWX in 1967 and by now was General Manager of the station. Tom was a homespun guy from Nanaimo, a great DJ with a booming voice who will be remembered by local hockey fans as the first PA announcer for the Vancouver Canucks. CKWX program director Ted Farr says, "We saw Red's 'retirement' as an opportunity. We had always played a smattering of hits from the 50s in our country music mix. I suggested he recreate his original 1957 CKWX program, Teen Canteen. We called it 'The 50s at 5' and the ratings went through the roof. When Red did leave the airwaves, 'The 50s at 5' became the centerpiece of our afternoon show. This was about the same time that we were having conversations about changing formats on our FM station. CISL had not yet relaunched itself as the Oldies Station, JR Country didn't exist, and we were enjoying the unexpected success of The 50s at 5. We thought 'why not take country music to the FM dial and relaunch CKWX as the Oldies Station?' I don't remember who got cold feet over such a bold move, but it didn't happen. CISL subsequently made a huge impact on Vancouver radio with the Oldies format. March of 1986 saw the launch of JR Country, and the beginning of the end of CKWX as a music station." Thanks, Ted! Now, let's return to those final moments of my CKWX morning show... on November 12, 1984.

Happy birthday, Petula Clark! Petula's huge hit "Downtown" started climbing the charts about this time in 1964, and by January 1965 it was #1 everywhere. Petula followed up with a string of hits emphasizing the softer side of the British Invasion: "I Know a Place", "My Love", "A Sign of the Times", "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love", "Who Am I", "Colour My World", "This Is My Song", "Don't Sleep in the Subway", "The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener", and "Kiss Me Goodbye". Petula visited the River Rock Casino Resort in 2008 and we sat down to talk about her music and her long and illustrious career in the entertainment business. An amazing talent and a genuinely nice person. Stay in touch with Petula at petulaclark.net

Twenty-one years ago last week, I retired from day-to-day radio and we celebrated with friends on CISL's Wakeup Club. Ra McGuire was one of those friends and we talked just before Trooper's 25th anniversary show at the Commodore. In this interview, we cover some of Ra's favourite Trooper music and he comes up with a great retirement project for me! Now it's Ra who's taking life easy. Just got word that he and Trooper guitarist Brian Smith are "officially" retiring. This from Trooper's Facebook page: "They've already been *unofficially* retired for a year and a half, so they've just decided to continue not working, since they've realized that they're getting pretty good at it." Trooper keyboard player Paul Gogo, bassist Scott Brown and drummer Clayton Hill will keep rockin' with new singer David Steele and guitarist Steve Crane. Best of luck to Ra and to Brian! And take it from me - this "retirement" thing rocks!

Bill Henderson has been part of my musical background since the early days, as part of Vancouver bands The Collectors and Chilliwack. Three members of The C-FUN Classics - Howie Vickberg, Claire Lawrence and Glenn Miller - along with Bill and the late Ross Turney - formed The Collectors in 1966. Howie left the group in 1969, and Chilliwack was born the next year. The group played together for more than 30 years, and produced some of my favourite hits: "Lonesome Mary", "California Girl", and "My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)". Bill and Chilliwack were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2019. Lots more Collectors and Chillwack lore (and some amazing photos) at gonegonegone.com It was a thrill to have Bill as a guest during my final week of day-to-day radio on CISL's Wakeup Club, and so great to have him at Red's Rockin' Gala! We had a great time comparing notes on our kids and talking about the musical memories we shared. Hope you enjoy it too!

Mel Carter's smooth singing voice propelled his million-seller "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" to the #3 spot on the C-FUNtastic 50 in July 1965. His followup single "Band Of Gold" charted in May 1966, but by then the musical tide had turned and Top 40 radio was focused once again on harder-edged rock'n'roll. Mel was a special guest during my final week of CISL Wakeup Club shows and we reminisced in this 2000 interview. Catch up with Mel at mel-carter.com

Ray Peterson's RCA teen tragedy "Tell Laura I Love Her" topped the charts in 1960. Many radio stations refused to play "Tell Laura I Love Her", fearing the song would incite teens to commit suicide. It was songwriter Jeff Barry's first big pop success. Ray's other hits included "The Wonder of You" (later covered by Elvis), "Missing You," and "Corinna, Corinna" (produced by Phil Spector). "Tell Laura I Love Her" was a CISL listener favourite, and every time I played it the song got great reaction. When I retired from day-to-day radio and CISL's Wakeup Club in 2000, Ray was nice enough to take part in the celebrations from his home in Tennessee. Ray passed away in 2005. He was three months shy of his 70th birthday.

Jimmie Rodgers was the foremost folksinger and hitmaker of the late 50's. His first smash was "Honeycomb" on Roulette Records in 1957. In the midst of the first stages of rock'n'roll, Jimmie was a winner with his own unique versions of standard folk songs. His version of folk emphasized a background beat that made his music unique. Starting with "Honeycomb" his string of hits lasted until 1967. It's interesting to note that "Honeycomb" was the only number one hit he ever had although his 10-year string of hits was impressive. I met Jimmie Rodgers years later when he came to perform at Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Theatre. He was most sincere and his folk songs offered a definite balance to the outpourings of hard rock. During my final week of daily radio in CISL's Wakeup Club this week in 2000, Jimmie was part of a group of special guests who made an impact on my career. Jimmie passed away January 18 at 87. I found him to be one of the warmest young singers I had ever met. I will always remember him and the influence he had on the music we loved!

As I wrapped up my daily radio career on CISL's Wakeup Club this week in 2000, I took the opportunity to catch up with some of the friends I met along the way. Howie Vickers and I go all the way back to around this time in 1958 when he and his group The Four Quarters opened for Ritchie Valens at the old International Cinema Theatre on Vancouver's Granville Street. I worked again with Howie on CBC Vancouver's "Let's Go" from 1964-1966. This was not your typical dance party show. The program involved local talent and ended up being an excellent showcase for promising newcomers. The Vancouver Sun's Les Wedman wrote, "If producer-director Ain Soodor isn't grooming Red Robinson to host a teen-age show, he should be because this venerable DJ turned 'Let's Go' into the swingiest of shows at the weekend in the unavoidable absence of regular host Fred Latremouille. Having an array of strong talent to back him up didn't hurt Robinson any, and if that's what teenagers like musically they got it for the first time in the series." Wedman was also partly responsible for my demise on the show. By late 1965 he was having second thoughts. His Vancouver Sun column stated, "Teenage shows don't have to be run by fellows their own age — Dick Clark and Red Robinson, for example. But it helps to have someone in charge not yet of voting age." I was 28. In this interview, Howie and I reminisce about our time on "Let's Go", the Ritchie Valens shows, and Howie's experiences with the C-FUN Classics and the Collectors. Thank you, Howie, for being a friend all these years!

It's the twenty-first anniversary of the final week of my day-to-day radio career, and we're catching up with some of the hitmakers on CISL's Wakeup Club! Lenny Welch's wistful romantic ballad "Since I Fell For You" was a huge hit around this time in 1963 and it's a perennial favourite with CISL listeners. In this November 2000 interview, Lenny and I talk about Archie Bleyer, the creative genius behind Cadence Records. You'll instantly recognize two of Lenny's Cadence labelmates: The Everly Brothers and Andy Williams. I pass along a compliment from a mutual friend, and Lenny and I talk about my retirement. Keep in touch with Lenny at lennywelch.com

When I wrapped up my daily radio career on CISL's Wakeup Club this week in 2000, old friend Lesley Gore was among the first to get in touch. Lesley topped the charts in 1963 with her debut single "It's My Party,” produced by the legendary Quincy Jones! The song sold more than a million copies. Lesley followed up with "Judy's Turn to Cry", “That's the Way Boys Are,” “She's a Fool,” “Maybe I Know,” “Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows” and another million seller, “You Don't Own Me.” Lesley was part of the lineup for the Legends Of Rock'n'Roll at EXPO '86, and she was my guest on Timmy's Christmas Telethon in 1989. In this 2000 interview, Lesley talks about how her career started, working with Quincy Jones, the shows we've done together over the years, and the enduring appeal of her music. Lesley Gore died of cancer at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan in February, 2015. She was 68. Her credentials speak volumes. One of the great ladies of rock and roll.

Terry Jacks (pictured here with legendary Vancouver DJ Fred Latremouille at Red's Rockin' Gala) is probably best known for his 1974 international multi-million seller "Seasons In The Sun" but he and I go all the way back to 1965 and CBC-TV's Music Hop/Let's Go. In this interview during my final week on CISL's Wakeup Club, Terry tells me how the Poppy Family got started, we reminisce about the "good old days" in his career and we talk about my impending retirement.

The Crystals were one of the most successful "girl groups" of the early 60's with hits like "There's No Other (Like My Baby)", "Uptown", "He's Sure the Boy I Love", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "Then He Kissed Me" and "He's a Rebel", which hit #1 around this time in 1962. In this 2000 interview, Dolores talks about legendary producer Phil Spector and the enduring success of their Christmas album. Dolores says "I am still singing today! We do theme parks, concerts halls/theatres, private parties for lots of high profile people, many cruises, theme parties and even some weddings! We've done lots of corporate dates, political parties etc. We have done them ALL over the years! We get kids of all ages in our audiences and they are well pleased. We have a lively, fun show! The girls with me are singers and actors.They've been in movies,TV and Broadway shows. We would love you to contact us to see if you'd like us to sing for your special affair." Contact Dolores on her Linkedin page: linkedin.com/in/dolores-kenniebrew-40262a28 and read more about the Crystals at thecrystals.net

On November 8, 2000, I retired from daily radio and CISL's Wakeup Club morning show. One of the many friends we talked to that day was legendary Canadian singer Anne Murray. Anne had just taken a year off, and I asked her what I should be doing with all this "free time".

On this day back in 2000, I retired from daily radio and CISL's Wakeup Club morning show. We celebrated all week with calls from Anne Murray, Lesley Gore, Spencer Davis, Terry Jacks, and many more. I couldn't think of a better person to celebrate with than my old friend Pat O'Day. We grew up together in radio, Pat in Seattle and me in Vancouver, and our paths crossed frequently. We were both among a group of pioneer DJ's recognized by the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1995, and Pat was an honored guest on my final CISL Red Rock Diner broadcast in 2017. Sadly, Pat left us last August, but not a day goes by that I don't think of our friendship and the good times we spent together. Hope you enjoy this snippet from my on-air retirement celebration!

September 30, 1973 — #14CFUN is back! Program Director Chuck McCoy has an interesting story about the promotion: "I selected veteran DJ Daryl 'B' to be the MC and star of our call letter change. I asked Daryl to announce that all regular programming on the new CFUN would be suspended while he dialed randomly selected numbers waiting for the first person to answer 'CFUN is back'. That person would then instantly win $5,000. I'm not sure most people know why we selected September 30 as our launch date. Wouldn't October 1, the beginning of a new month be the right day to announce the 'beginning' of a new CFUN? CRTC regulations prohibited any radio station from giving way more than $5,000 in promotional winnings in any given calendar month. What if we gave away no cash prizes from September 1-September 29? In that way, the entire month's allowable $5,000 prize could be awarded on September 30. It was a tricky way to stay within the law and the very next day, being able to go back and start giving away more cash prizes." Thanks, Chuck! A big "thanks" also to Doug Thompson and the late Mike Cleaver for their help with this audio composite of the big night and a sample of the amazing radio that followed. We honour the voices of #14CFUN in 1973: Fred Latremouille, Daryl 'B', Bob Magee, John Rode, Peter Benson, Tom Jeffries, Russ Tyson, J. Lee Smith, Jim Hault, Bill Edwards, Tom Lucas, Jack Casey, Russ McLoud and Bob Merchant.

American radio legend Pat O'Day, a huge influence and dear friend, passed away a year ago today and I'm constantly reminded of his brilliance. Enjoy this snippet from Pat's onstage introduction of Herman's Hermits at the Seattle Center Coliseum in July 1967. O'Day's KJR dominated Seattle radio and Pat's concert business was a huge success. Here, Pat takes time to acknowledge and thank the people who made it possible. Author Robin Brunet wrote this tribute to my late friend in his book Red Robinson: The Last Broadcast, from Friesen Press. Pat would want me to mention it's out on Amazon Kindle at amzn.to/3dMGkK5 "Like Robinson, O'Day distinguished himself from other top-rated deejays in Seattle by possessing that 'magic something' of being able to talk to his listeners as if they were old friends. Since first going on the air in Astoria, Oregon in 1957, he understood that any radio station should strive to help listeners create a theatre of the mind, and in the book 'The Hits Just Keep Coming' by Ben Fong Torres, his communication prowess is revealed in a brief broadcast excerpt; "Number One in Seattle, this is KJR, and is this great 'Soul and Inspiration,' the Righteous Brothers, 75 degrees from All-American, All-Request Radio. My soul and inspiration is Jerry Kaye, who, on a warm day like today, he's in the newsroom, and he's taken all his clothes off. He's sitting on the teletype, and the machine is printing the farm news on his behind. Let's see if I can read it. It says: There's a difference between fryers, and that's why Washington Fryers are easily the freshest of all chickens." Torres notes that in 30 seconds, O'Day delivered an intro and identified the record, plugged his station, gave a basic weather report, mentioned a fellow deejay, and conjured a visual image via a joke that tied seamlessly into live commercial copy. Extend that 30 seconds to an entire broadcast, and repeat this degree of off-the-cuff creativity everyday for years, and that's why O'Day, Robinson, and many other deejays of their generation are respected as masters of the medium." Ladies and gentlemen... Pat O'Day!

Comedy legend Jackie Mason has died at 93. Known for his quick-witted observational humor, he entertained us for decades with stories from his orthodox Jewish background. His family moved to New York City, where he became an ordained rabbi. He broke into comedy in the Catskills in upstate New York in the 1960s and his career started to take off. Jackie enjoyed success in the 1980s with a solo show called "Jackie Mason's The World According to Me!" Other successful one-man shows followed, including "Jackie Mason: Brand New" in 1990-91; "Jackie Mason: Politically Incorrect" in 1994-95; "Love Thy Neighbor" in 1996-97; "Much Ado About Everything" in 1999-2000 and "Jackie Mason: Freshly Squeezed" in 2005. His final show was called "Jackie Mason: The Ultimate Jew." Mason also had a recurring role as the voice of Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky, the father of Krusty the Clown, on "The Simpsons". Jackie was promoting "Much Ado About Everything" when we recorded this interview on CISL/650.

On July 20, 1986, partner Les Vogt and I presented Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield, The Righteous Brothers, at the Legends of Rock'n'Roll show at EXPO 86. Their music was referred to as "Blue-Eyed Soul" and their worldwide smash ballad "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", produced by Phil Spector, made a huge impact on radio. We first met at the Cave Theatre Restaurant back in 1962 and again in 1964 when The Righteous Brothers opened for the Beatles at their Vancouver show. Other hits included three 1965 Top Tens – "Just Once in My Life", "Unchained Melody", "Ebb Tide", and the massive 1966 #1 hit "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration", plus the 1974 comeback hit "Rock and Roll Heaven". My friend John Mackie, writing for the Vancouver Sun, applauded the duo's "solid, well-paced performance" and noted "Medley has to have the deepest voice this side of Gary Puckett, and when he leans into a lyric, he leans into a lyric, goin' way, way deep down blue." Bobby Hatfield died in 2003 and Bill Medley continued to perform as a solo artist. It was a thrill to have Bill perform at the Red Robinson Show Theatre's grand opening in 2008 and again in 2010 and 2012. And who else but Bill could wrap up my final CISL radio show in 2017 with his huge hit "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life"? The Righteous Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. Bill Medley re-formed The Righteous Brothers with Bucky Heard and they continue to perform as a duo. Visit Bill and Bucky at righteousbrothers.com Coming up: a one-week break for the Legends, and what a surprise, Chuck Berry cancels! Tenth in a series celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the Legends of Rock'n'Roll.

During one of my frequent 1961 visits with Gary Bruno at KMBY/Monterey, he introduced me to Mark Carroll, who had been stationed at Fort Ord but was now the morning DJ at the station. Gary thought that Mark was one of the finest voices he had ever heard. Just before I left Fort Ord, Gary made arrangements for the three of us to get together for dinner at a restaurant on Cannery Row opposite KMBY. Mark was a natural talent, forthright in his approach and had a most personable way about him. I liked him immediately. During our dinner conversation I asked him why he was using the name Mark Carroll. At the time there was a proliferation of "Marks" on the airwaves in America. It seemed like every little dot on the map had a "Mark": Mark Richards, Mark Jones, Mark Elliott, ad nauseam. He said he used the name "Mark" because he wasn't happy with his given name, "Robert Morgan". I insisted that this was a good, easy to remember name — so why not go with it? He said he would consider resorting to his own name. @OfficialRobertWMorgan moved to Fresno the next year, where worked with legendary programmer Ron Jacobs and old buddy "Big Daddy" Dave McCormick at Top 40 pioneer K-MAK. Morgan went on to KHJ/Los Angeles in the mid Sixties and Angelenos soon caught on to the expression "Good Morgan", the calling card for Robert W's morning show. "Boss Radio" was first introduced to the citizens of Los Angeles on May 5, 1965 and within six months KHJ ruled Top 40 radio in Southern California. Morgan, with his quick wit and clear intelligence, quickly rose to the heights of success on KHJ. His radio voice was rich and clear, you might say almost perfect. In 1973 Robert W. Morgan was named Top 40 air personality of the year by Billboard Magazine. Morgan was one of the original KHJ Boss Jocks and he also co-produced and narrated the first-ever “rockumentary”, the 48-hour History of Rock and Roll. Robert W. Morgan retained his incredible following upon the demise of KHJ. He worked many markets in the following years before ending up at Oldies KRTH in L.A. He was the number one morning man in Los Angeles until 1997, when he retired for health reasons. Morgan died on May 22, 1998. He was only 60. A fantastically talented and hard working radio guy. One of the very best ever as a deejay. Ladies and gentlemen… here's Robert W. Morgan on K-EARTH in 1993. Listen and enjoy!

Lesley Gore topped the C-FUNtastic Fifty for the third straight week on this day in 1963 with “It's My Party,” produced by the legendary Quincy Jones! The song sold more than 1 million copies. Lesley followed up with "Judy's Turn to Cry", “That's the Way Boys Are,” “She's a Fool,” “Maybe I Know,” “Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows” and another million seller, “You Don't Own Me.” Lesley was part of the lineup for the Legends Of Rock'n'Roll at Expo '86. She was a guest on Timmy's Christmas Telethon in 1989 and that's where we recorded this interview. In the early 2000's Lesley played the Silver Reef Casino south of the border. She called me from her home in New York and asked if I would introduce her at the Silver Reef. I agreed and said it would be an honour. Her credentials speak volumes. Lesley Gore died of cancer at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan in February, 2015. She was 68. One of the great ladies of rock and roll.

On this day in 1961, Del Shannon's first hit "Runaway" hit # 1 on Vancouver's C-FUNtastic 50. The song held the top spot for five weeks. In this interview, Del talks about the unique sound keyboard player Max Crook brought to "Runaway". Del had other hits with "Hats Off to Larry", "Little Town Flirt", "Handy Man", "Do You Wanna Dance?" and "Keep Searchin' (We'll Follow the Sun)". Del's 1963 version of the Beatles "From Me To You" was the first Lennon–McCartney composition to make the American charts. C-FUN played both records, with "From Me To You" peaking at #14 that August. Del Shannon died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on February 8, 1990 at his home in California. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 by Everclear frontman Art Alexakis. Billy Joel and Bonnie Raitt performed "Runaway" at the induction ceremony. Sadly, "Runaway" co-writer Max Crook recently passed about a year ago. Max and Del kept a long-standing friendship over the years and collaborated as co-writers again on a few songs. Check out delshannon.com for details on the making of "Runaway" and a great profile of Max Crook. A comprehensive Del Shannon box set in the works from the UK's Edsel Records will comprise all of Del's output from 1961-1990, including unreleased titles, lost tracks, and demo recordings. Music historian Harvey Kubernik, along with Del Shannon archivist Brian Young, Del's estate manager Dan Bourgoise, and film producers Todd Thompson and Mark Bentley, are working on a Del Shannon documentary for Stars North. Old friend Andrew Loog Oldham will narrate the film. More at starsnorth.com/portfolio-item/del-shannon-the-runaway/

In early 1962, I had returned to CKWX and I was trying to regain my following. It was a hopeless cause. The action was now with C-FUN and I knew it. I approached Program Manager John Ansell with the question, "Are you going to be carrying baseball live this Spring?" Ansell said he had been thinking about it but nothing definite had been decided. I went to the sales department of the station and they said that they had signed contracts and baseball would definitely be carried on CKWX. Baseball was going to cut into my nightly program and I felt that CKWX had no hope of competing with C-FUN for the Top 40 audience with this mixed bag of programming. Station management didn't see it quite this way. A simple memo was posted on the wall at CKWX: "It is with regret that we announce the resignation of Red Robinson. He will be leaving us on March 31. His exact plans for the future are not yet definite but I am sure you all join with me in wishing him the very best of luck in whatever he pursues. Sincerely, Bill Speers, Station Manager." CKWX did not realize that I had made arrangements with Dave McCormick and new C-FUN Station Manager Doug Greig to move to their operation. I started at C-FUN on April 1, 1962 and remained until the end of 1967. It was an era like no other and I was glad to be a part of it. It was a new decade, a new station, a new era for the growth of rock'n'roll and the delicious call letters, the best in Canada, made it even more fascinating. Here's my final CKWX Platter Party, broadcast March 16, 1962.

When Gene Vincent performed in Vancouver in 1958, the opening act was Bonnie Guitar. Bonnie started her career in Seattle. She recorded "Dark Moon" on Dot Records in March of 1957, an instant hit even though initially she had strong competition from singer-actress Gale Storm. Her next smash was "Mister Fire Eyes" and her stage presentation was smooth as glass. Bonnie sat down with me at CKWX the day before the concert for this interview. When I look back it was a good balance at the time. There was much interest in Bonnie Guitar in those days because she was one of the very few female singers to make a hit record. I was to enjoy many visits with Bonnie over the years as she later became involved with Bob Reisdorff and Dolton Records, based in Seattle. The label fostered groups like the The Ventures and the Fleetwoods, songs by Bonnie herself, Vic Dana, and others. Bob had a good ear for music. The Fleetwoods - Gary Troxel, Barbara Ellis and Gretchen Christopher - were students at Olympia High School. They wrote a song called "Come Softly To Me" and it was a smash number one song in the Spring of 1959. Their gentle sound preceded The Carpenters by a dozen years. Their last Top Ten hit was a revival of the Thomas Wayne classic "Tragedy" in 1961. In a 2006 interview with No Depression magazine, Bonnie said "Because they had so much air in their voices, I had to do a lot of different fooling with microphones to get enough sound on the tape to saturate the tape.” You'll hear a Fleetwoods promo for my CKWX show right after the interview. Bonnie left Dolton in 1960 and became part owner of Jerden Records with my old friend, the late Jerry Dennon. Dolton was merged with Liberty Records in 1966. Liberty had distributed Dolton releases since "Come Softly to Me" became a hit, but discontinued the Dolton label in 1967, transferring its artists to the parent label. Bonnie Guitar retired from performing in 1996. She died in 2019 at the age of 95. She'll always be remembered as a multi-talented businesswoman who made an impact in the male-dominated music industry.

Dean Torrence and partner Jan Berry were a couple of California boys who produced many hits together. Dean credits Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys for arranging and writing many of their songs. They pioneered the surfing sound with the 1963 Wilson-penned hit Surf City. It went to the top of the charts that year, and paved the way for all that followed. They continued their association with Wilson until 1966 to great success. You can hear Jan and Dean singing on the Beach Boys' Barbara Ann, an improvised live version that wasn't supposed to be released. Jan was partially paralyzed in a car accident in Beverly Hills in 1966. He was in a coma for two months. I greatly admired both: Dean for standing by his friend on stage and Jan for the courage to continue touring. Dean was a talented graphic artist who created album covers for the Beach Boys, the Ventures, Linda Ronstadt, Harry Nilsson and many others. I booked them for The Legends Of Rock'n'Roll at Expo 86 (where we recorded this interview) and I worked with them at again at Music ‘91. They were great friends and they even allowed me to sing some of their hits with them on stage in Osoyoos that year. They also appeared at the PNE later that summer. I talked many times with Dean after the passing of his buddy Jan in 2004. You'll want to check out Dean's book Surf City: The Jan and Dean Story at amazon.com. In this segment, Dean sets the scene: the beach at Malibu, the impact of surf music and the early days.

Dean Torrence and partner Jan Berry were a couple of California boys who produced many hits together. Dean credits Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys for arranging and writing many of their songs. They pioneered the surfing sound with the 1963 Wilson-penned hit Surf City. It went to the top of the charts that year, and paved the way for all that followed. They continued their association with Wilson until 1966 to great success. You can hear Jan and Dean singing on the Beach Boys' Barbara Ann, an improvised live version that wasn't supposed to be released. Jan was partially paralyzed in a car accident in Beverly Hills in 1966. He was in a coma for two months. I greatly admired both: Dean for standing by his friend on stage and Jan for the courage to continue touring. Dean was a talented graphic artist who created album covers for the Beach Boys, the Ventures, Linda Ronstadt, Harry Nilsson and many others. I booked them for The Legends Of Rock'n'Roll at Expo 86 (where we recorded this interview) and I worked with them at again at Music ‘91. They were great friends and they even allowed me to sing some of their hits with them on stage in Osoyoos that year. They also appeared at the PNE later that summer. I talked many times with Dean after the passing of his buddy Jan in 2004. You'll want to check out Dean's book Surf City: The Jan and Dean Story at amazon.com. In this segment, Dean covers working with Brian Wilson, his interest in graphics, Jan's accident and the movie "Dead Man's Curve".

Dean Torrence and partner Jan Berry were a couple of California boys who produced many hits together. Dean credits Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys for arranging and writing many of their songs. They pioneered the surfing sound with the 1963 Wilson-penned hit Surf City. It went to the top of the charts that year, and paved the way for all that followed. They continued their association with Wilson until 1966 to great success. You can hear Jan and Dean singing on the Beach Boys' Barbara Ann, an improvised live version that wasn't supposed to be released. Jan was partially paralyzed in a car accident in Beverly Hills in 1966. He was in a coma for two months. I greatly admired both: Dean for standing by his friend on stage and Jan for the courage to continue touring. Dean was a talented graphic artist who created album covers for the Beach Boys, the Ventures, Linda Ronstadt, Harry Nilsson and many others. I booked them for The Legends Of Rock'n'Roll at Expo 86 (where we recorded this interview) and I worked with them at again at Music ‘91. They were great friends and they even allowed me to sing some of their hits with them on stage in Osoyoos that year. They also appeared at the PNE later that summer. I talked many times with Dean after the passing of his buddy Jan in 2004. You'll want to check out Dean's book Surf City: The Jan and Dean Story at amazon.com. In this segment, Dean talks about the future, enjoying being a performer and the business of music.

Twenty years ago today (2/24) we lost a great friend and a cherished radio companion when Rick Honey lost his courageous battle with cancer. Rick left CKNW in 1997, but afternoon host Jon McComb asked a group of Rick's friends to join him in this tribute shortly after his passing. I was honoured to be there along with Wayne Cox, Neil Soper and Mel Zajac. Another Vancouver broadcast legend, Fred Latremouille, joined us by telephone from Hawaii. My thanks to Larry Gifford, CKNW and Corus Entertainment for permission to replay the show. How do you sum up Rick's life and the impact he had on all of us? His old friend Wayne Cox said it best: "I first met Rick when he joined NW to host the 3 to 6 'Road Show' when Brian Forst moved to the morning show. I was hosting the noon to 3 shift, so we crossed over every day, and developed a strong off air relationship as the years went along. Rick would arrive for his shift more often than not, dressed in a jacket and tie. I had to remind him that he didn't have to do that, it was radio! But the truth was, he was usually coming to work after attending meetings or luncheons downtown, and was dressed more for that than his work on the radio. He had a wonderful list of contacts in the city. Rick knew all the powerful and influential people in town, and they all knew him. Nobody could throw a house party quite like Rick. He had a marvelous way of attracting friends from all walks of life. When you went to a Rick Honey party you never knew who you would meet. There were the obvious radio and TV friends, but you could also be partying with a fisherman from Richmond, a car dealer from Surrey... you just never knew, and it was always a fun night with lots of music and lots of laughs. I was witness to the early days of Rick's passion for magic. Every day before his shift, and while mine was ending, he'd try out the vanishing coin trick on me, then it was the vanishing foam balls, the silks, it went on and on and he got very good. He started using his magic act as part of his MC work at dinners and conventions. Add to that his gift of comedy, and Rick became the Master of all the masters of ceremonies in this city. Rick was one of the only 'NW staffers who reached out to me after I left. Always checking in to see how things were going, making sure everything was alright. Something I've never forgotten about him. He was a terrific talent, and a wonderful friend. And he left us way too early."

Here's a rare recording of the legendary Daryl B on CHUM/Toronto with good friend and fellow Winnipegger Burton Cummings in 1990, followed by a composite of Daryl's show. You'll love the ending, where Daryl honours a listener request for "Rainy Night In Georgia"! I brought Daryl to work at C-FUN in late 1965 from CKY/Winnipeg when Fred Latremouille left to move to CKLG. Daryl and his family lived at our house for a while until they could find accommodation. We had many good times at C-FUN. And the listeners loved his brand of radio! Myles Murchison remembers: "In 1965 C-FUN had a massive playlist consisting of fifty songs, an R&B Top Ten, a Country Top Ten and Twin Pick Hits. You wouldn't believe the amount of homework I had to ignore every day just to soak all this up! To hear Daryl segue from 'I Can Never Go Home Anymore' by The Shangri-Las into The Beatles 'Day Tripper' with an economy of words that was truly astounding in its brevity was pure magic. Then, as the fading record slammed into a five second-long shotgun stinger followed by 'She's Just My Style' by Gary Lewis and the Playboys - making its debut on the CFUNTASTIC FIFTY chart that week ... well, time and temperature never sounded so good." In 1967, he moved to CKLG, staying until he got the opportunity to join “The Big 8” CKLW/Windsor in 1969. Daryl returned to CKLG in 1970. Just before arriving, he put in a word for his good friend Rick Honey to 'LG management. It was on Daryl's recommendation that Rick, then working in radio in Sydney, Nova Scotia, was flown into Vancouver for an audition. Honey became a very popular personality at CKLG. Daryl moved back to C-FUN shortly after CHUM bought the station in 1973. In 1974, a throwaway line Daryl tossed out on his show became the inspiration for a massive hit record for Randy Bachman's band Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Apparently Randy was listening to the radio one day when he heard B say, "It's Daryl B, and we're takin' care of business on C-FUN!" Miraculously a song that Randy had been plugging away at for awhile called 'White Collar Worker' had a new title, all thanks to Daryl. Daryl headed to CHUM in 1977. He was back at C-FUN from 1979-84, and then CHUM again from 1984-92 until post polio syndrome forced his retirement. Daryl B died in Winnipeg February 27, 2001 after suffering a stroke. He was only 58. He was a fantastic talent and I never really felt he knew how good he was. Daryl's boss at CFUN, Chuck McCoy, summed it up beautifully: "Listening to Daryl B as a teen, working with him as a DJ at CKY/Winnipeg then acting as his PD at CFUN/Vancouver are radio memories that stand out among all the others over my 52 years in broadcasting. He was an amazing talent but more than that, a good friend over all those years. I spoke to Daryl just days before his passing back 20 years ago on the special toll free phone that NABS had initiated so we could all call and talk with him in his last year. His influence on me and so many other broadcasters will always be treasured. To this day I follow Daryl's advice: 'Stay out of trees!'"

Longtime CKNW afternoon host Rick Honey called it a day after 24 years on May 30, 1997. Rick came to Vancouver in late 1969 from Nova Scotia to work at Top 40 CKLG and quickly developed a following. Rick was also a top-notch MC and an accomplished magician! I loved Rick's sense of humour, and it was evident when I called him from my CISL morning show to check up on him. Rick was named Broadcast Performer of the Year by the BC Association of Broadcasters in 2000. He died in Vancouver February 24, 2001. Rick Honey was only 53. A tremendous loss for his loyal listeners and his many friends in the radio business. RIP Rick!

Happy Birthday Smokey Robinson, 81 today (2/19)! I worked with Smokey many times over the years. The Miracles' "Shop Around" was Motown's first million seller in 1960. Over the next 10 years Smokey gave us some truly memorable music: "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" (1962), "Mickey's Monkey" (1963), "Ooo Baby Baby", "Going to a Go-Go", "The Tracks of My Tears" (1965), "(Come Round Here) I'm The One You Need" (1966), "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage", "I Second That Emotion" and "More Love" (1967) and "The Tears of a Clown" (1970). Smokey topped the charts as a solo artist with "Cruisin'" (1979) and "Being With You" (1981). "Just to See Her" and "One Heartbeat" were Top 10 hits for Smokey in 1987. Smokey was also a major writer and producer for Motown. He has written 4,000 songs in his distinguished career. In this interview, recorded at the Legends Of Rock'n'Roll show at EXPO 86 in Vancouver, Smokey recalls meeting Ray Charles, his early days at Motown, working with Mary Wells, the success of "Shop Around", his perspective on Motown founder Berry Gordy, how having kids changed his work ethic. Smokey Robinson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and was awarded the 2016 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for his lifetime contributions to popular music. He recently joined forces with singers Leona Lewis, Tori Kelly and Sam Fischer for a new rendition of Burt Bacharach's classic “What the World Needs Now,” to benefit the American Red Cross in its disaster relief efforts. Smokey's life story, "Grateful And Blessed" is available now on audible.com. Catch up with Smokey at smokeyrobinson.com. He's on Facebook at @thesmokeyrobinson and Twitter at @smokeyrobinson. Happy Birthday old friend!

Little Anthony and the Imperials were named for lead singer Jerome Anthony "Little Anthony" Gourdine, who was noted for his high-pitched voice. The group signed with End Records in 1958 and their first single, "Tears on My Pillow", was an instant hit. The group followed up with "Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko Ko Bop" in 1960. One of the highlights of my brief Portland Bandstand TV hosting appearances in 1960 was offering dance sheets to KGW-TV viewers so they could learn the new dance craze based on the song. With the help of record producer/songwriter Teddy Randazzo (a childhood friend of the group), the Imperials found success on the new DCP (Don Costa Productions) label with the dramatic pop-soul records "I'm on the Outside (Looking In)" (1964), "Goin' Out of My Head" (1964), "Hurt So Bad" (1965), "I Miss You So" (1965), "Take Me Back" (1965), and "Hurt" (1966). They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 4, 2009 by longtime friend Smokey Robinson. In this interview, recorded at the Legends Of Rock'n'Roll show at EXPO 86 in Vancouver, Anthony tells me how pioneering DJ Alan Freed came up with the "Little" part of his name; how Freed helped popularize black music; how rockabilly and R&B combined to form rock'n'roll; Don Costa's influence on his music; and why he loves entertaining. Anthony just turned 80 and he lives in Florida with his wife, Linda. Visit him at littleanthonyandtheimperials.org.

Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly were both born in West Texas: Buddy in Lubbock, and Roy in Vernon, 180 miles east. They never toured together *except as holograms in 2019's "Rock'n'Roll Dream Tour"), but Buddy recorded two Orbison songs on his debut album with the Crickets. Here, Roy tells me about meeting Buddy and hearing his first record on the radio.

30 years ago today, on January 18, 1991, Brian Beirne was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Brian was a DJ for K-EARTH 101 in Los Angeles. "Mr. Rock'n'Roll" is considered one of the foremost historians on rock music. His 40 year radio career included stints in San Francisco, Chicago, Cleveland, and Sacramento. Brian retired from KRTH in 2004 but he continues to host and produce rock and roll shows around the country. Visit Brian at legendaryshows.com.

Chubby Checker's “The Twist” was a #1 song not once but twice — in 1960 and again in 1961. The song that started a worldwide dance phenomenon was a cover of an old Hank Ballard B-side. Chubby had more big hits with “Let's Twist Again” in 1961, “Slow Twistin'” (with Dee Dee Sharp) in 1962, and “Twist It Up” in 1963. Checker followed his success with with popular songs about other dances, including “The Hucklebuck,” “Pony Time,” “(Dance the) Mess Around,” “The Fly,” “Limbo Rock” and “Let's Limbo Some More.” You'll find them all on Dancin' Party: The Chubby Checker Collection (1960–1966) a reissue from Philadelphia-based Cameo-Parkway. "The Twist" spawned a host of hits including "Twistin' the Night Away" with Sam Cooke, "Peppermint Twist" featuring Joey Dee and the Starliters, "Dear Lady Twist" with Gary US Bonds and "Twist and Shout" with the Isley Brothers. In our interview, Chubby talks about his influences, the impact of The Twist, visiting Vancouver in the Sixties, his lasting success and his real name. Recorded at The Legends of Rock at EXPO 86 in Vancouver

When Pat O'Day died August 4, I lost a great friend and the Pacific Northwest said goodbye to a genuine legend. Son Jeff O'Day wrote a fitting tribute to his father in a Facebook post: “The Pacific Northwest will always seem a little empty without the legendary Pat O'Day. All we can do is focus on the incredible role he had in making the Emerald City a better place to live, and the difference he made in people's lives.“ The son of a coal miner turned preacher, Pat was born in Norfolk, Nebraska, on September 24, 1934. When he was 7, his father accepted a job with a Tacoma church and soon landed a radio ministry show on Tacoma's KMO. “He didn't pound the pulpit, but he could move people emotionally,” O'Day remembered in a 2018 Seattle Times story. “I knew then that I wanted to be on the radio. Every night I'd go into the bathroom and practice announcing into the bathtub because it made my voice resonate.” While attending radio and TV school in Tacoma, Pat landed his first radio job as a studio engineer at KTAC. After spending three years at small-market stations, he made his Seattle debut on KAYO in 1959. A year later, O'Day moved to KJR, his favorite station growing up in Tacoma. Pat combined rock'n'roll music with the personality, drama and theatrics of pre-TV radio. He was promoted to program director of KJR and felt that all of his childhood dreams had come true. Pat O'Day owned the Seattle afternoon airwaves, averaging 35% of the radio audience. KJR moved into #1 in the ratings and stayed there for almost 15 years. Pat says, "Other stations would attempt to compete now and then, but we had the talent, we had the momentum and we had a tradition. We believed radio had to make people laugh, or cry. It needed to be perpetual motion." Pat was named the nation's top program director in 1964 and 1965, and “Radioman of the Year” in 1966. Pat began calling hydroplane races on KJR in 1967. That was the beginning of a 46 year stretch broadcasting the hydros on Seattle radio and TV. As Pat explains, "A hydroplane race is like a rock 'n' roll festival with Rolls-Royce engines instead of guitars. Young people were re-energized about the sport because their favorite radio station was right in the middle of it." O'Day & Associates staged teen dances all over the Pacific Northwest, showcasing local bands and touring acts like Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis. In 1967 Pat's dance business became Concerts West, staging shows for Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin, Chicago, the Beach Boys, the Moody Blues, the Eagles, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Elton John, the Rolling Stones, and many others. After undergoing treatment at Schick Shadel Hospital in 1986, he became its radio and TV spokesman. Pat always said it was his second passion, and he loved talking about the thousands of lives Schick Shadel helped to save. In 1989, Pat moved to San Juan Island, where he operated a real estate brokerage. I'll always treasure visiting him in Friday Harbor, our lunches at Downriggers and the clam chowder in Roche Harbor! Pat O'Day was among a group of pioneer deejays honoured by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. It was the thrill of a lifetime to be there with Pat, Dick Biondi, Cousin Brucie and many others that day. A guest of honour on my final radio show in 2017, Pat was in vintage form. He regaled our audience with tales of Frank Sinatra's visit to KJR, falling victim to an elaborate Paul McCartney wedding prank, his role in the success of "Wooly Bully"... you can hear them all in my series "The Last Broadcast". In the closing moments of that last show, Pat left me with some advice that still resonates today: "We waste so much time saying 'no', and we accomplish nothing with the word 'no'. But the word 'yes' can open the doors to magic." Thanks, Pat O'Day, for opening the doors to so much magic - and for inviting us in to watch a true magician at work!