Red Robinson

Click to hear me in 1955 at CJOR

The former CJOR at 600 on the AM dial is going dark and the station is flipping to FM.  It is fascinating that it is happening 54 years to the day I began my career there.  I had been hanging around CJOR in 1953 with Al Jordan and his Teen Canteen show.  I created a fictional character called Rod Gat, a satirical take-off on the popular writer Mickey Spillane’s anti-hero Mike Hammer.  It garnered a following and hundreds of letters poured in each week. It always ended with a cliff hanging situation which meant you had to tune in the following week to find out where the story was going.

Then suddenly Al Jordan took off to work in Penticton and was replaced by Rod Hume. He lasted six months. I had gone to Penticton on Remembrance Day Weekend 1954 to visit Al. Upon my return program manager Vic Waters told me that Hume had been let go and that he and others had decided to give me a try with a “live” audition. Vic said, “listen kid, if you can handle it you can have it and build it”.  I went on the air right after the four o’clock newscast and kicked the show off with a doo-wop/R&B song called Marie with the 4 Tunes. The phones lit up and at the end of the show Vic said I had the job.

Click to hear Vic Waters remember how it started

I built the show to a point where I had over 25,000 club members and it became an advertiser’s delight. I stayed at CJOR until April 1957 when I joined CKWX for more money… but more importantly to take my rock and roll records to a station that was going to broadcast with 50,000 watts. That would make it one of the nation’s top stations with an unbelievable reach.

I was replaced at CJOR by Brian Forst (before he was known as Frosty -  a name some have indicated he got from Seattle deejay “Frosty” Fowler). He had won a contest to replace me.

CJOR will always be with me. Even as a teenager I knew the station’s history.  Alan Young (Mr. Ed), Bernie Braden and Barbara Kelly, who became a sensation on BBC in England, and others had carved their careers at 600 on the radio dial.  I can remember the last days of old time radio with a live broadcast from the Commodore each Saturday Night with Doug Kirk’s Orchestra, Town Meeting in Canada from our radio studios on Howe Street, and Harmony House from the stage of the Orpheum Theatre.

The station had a reputation as a major source for news and entertainment. In the Fifties and Sixties the tradition continued with personalities such as Vic Waters, Monty McFarlane, Jack Webster, Dave Abbott, Pat Burns, Fanny Kiefer and a host of other great and talented people. Vic Waters, it must be added, aided and abetted the careers of many including Frosty, Fred Latremouille and myself. Sadly, Vic passed away this past summer.

I can still picture the rain on Howe Street illuminating the CJOR call letters, the Grosvenor Hotel and the main studios downstairs, Joe the shoeshine guy around the corner next to the dry cleaners on Smythe Street, the Orpheum a block away and down at the other end Robson Street, with  Danceland, where Jack Cullen had his studios, and of course Sam’s Shirt Shop where I spent gobs of money buying Elvis inspired clothing. These things are indelible in my mind.

Goodbye, old friend. You are going out without much fanfare but  the memories you have provided will live on with many of us. An era has ended.

Singer Yma Sumac, the Peruvian Songbird with the 5 octave range, has passed  away at 86. The only Peruvian in Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, she was born Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chavarri del Castillo. “Yma Sumac” means “how pretty” in her native Quechua language. Her original albums are collectors items… Also gone at the age of 75 is Nick Reynolds, a founding member of The Kingston Trio. The group was formed in 1957 in San Francisco: Dave Guard on banjo, Bob Shane and Reynolds on guitar. Five of the trio’s first 6 albums hit #1 for  a total of 46 weeks. The Kingston Trio charted 17 hits on the Billboard  Top 100… Michael Crichton, who wrote The Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park and created the  popular TV drama ER has died of cancer at age 66. His books have sold more than 150 million copies worldwide. Crichton wrote his  first novels while attending Harvard Medical School. A global warming  skeptic, he stirred controversy with his 2004 best-seller State of Fear, with eco-terrorists as the main villains. He was one of my favorite writers… Elvis lives! With the talents of DJ Spankox, a new  album of remixed Elvis Presley songs is set for release this month. Re:Versions is the first of its kind to be released in  North America, using the latest technology, 11 classic Elvis songs  have been reworked and rearranged giving them a new and modern twist  but keeping intact the original feel of Elvis’ beloved music… “Doc” Harris has been let go from CISL 650. With the forthcoming changes the veteran deejay has been given his walking papers from the frequency. If memory serves me right this is the fourth time he has come and gone from the same outlet.  “Doc” is one of the most well-known radio personalities in our town’s history. No reasons for his sudden departure were given… it was  my 22nd year at BCIT’s Scholarships presentation on November  5. The Red Robinson Achievement Award for Excellence in Radio  Broadcasting was awarded to Craig Wilkie from Nanaimo. My personal congratulations to Craig on winning the award… upcoming concerts at the Red Robinson Show Theatre: David Clayton-Thomas November 22, The Fab Four November 23, and the Good Noise Vancouver Gospel Choir featuring the Sojourners and Elvis tribute artist Jeff Bodner present A Gospel Christmas November 29…

Puget Sound Radio reports CISL is extending its programming to include music and  features lost when 600AM became redundant. It is a smart move. You  have to understand that this great 50 plus audience has been totally ignored with the exception of CISL and 600AM. I applaud General Manager Brad Phillips on this strategic move. My good friend and icon, Dal Richards is moving his popular show up the dial to 650.

Some of the comments on the site are interesting opinions but not necessarily based on any facts. One respondent asks “Why save a dead format?”

Who says it is a dead format?

He continues: “My insinuation that Adult Standards is a dead format (in Vancouver) would come from the fact that Pattison didn’t decide to carry it over to FM.  It’s not as if the commission has forbidden Standards on FM.”

I just couldn’t let that  comment go by without a response.

In Canada we have a marketing board mentality. Of course the CRTC is not made up of broadcasters. but bureaucrats much like you would find at the post office. They don’t forbid a jazz format,  a classical format, a classic country format or a standards or oldies  format but they create stupid rules that make it impossible to  have a pure format on any radio station. They justified bringing in  a series of rules to protect AM radio.  With the demise of so many AM stations what are they protecting in 2008?

People are amazed to discover that radio stations have to play up to 40% Canadian content and must obey the Hit/Non-hit ratio for music  played. This means you are restricted to only 49% of the music played being in any given format. If you play “oldies” on FM you must play 51% non-hits, so there has not been an oldies station worth a damn on FM in Canada. We are also  too limited in the number of heritage Canadian country acts to conform to the 40% Cancon rule. The same applies to jazz and other formats we  don’t hear in Canada. Add to this the hit/non hit ratio and you have a blueprint for bad radio.

I can understand the rules for contemporary country, rock and pop, but beyond that the Cancon rule should go the way of the dodo. I really believe we have talent and it can stand on its own now. I also really believe that radio would be so much better if the government got out of our faces. This is not  CUBA. Why are Canadians so afraid of speaking out against draconian situations like this?

I just returned from two marvelous weeks in Palm Springs where the temperatures were in the high 90s. Carole and I were visited by good friends from California — Darwin Lamm and his lovely wife Mimi.  We all took to the hot springs downtown, which are the original springs discovered by the Native Americans centuries ago.  Actor Ralph Bellamy encouraged many of Hollywood’s greatest to visit the town and it soon mushroomed into one of the world’s great desert resorts. Darwin is president of Elvis International magazine and at one time he was a pop singer with a group called Darwin and the Cupids. He originally lived in Vancouver, WA where he recorded for a Washington label. I met him back in 1959 while working at KGW in Portland… The following weekend Wink Martindale and his charming wife Sandi joined us for two days. We dined at the magnificent Bing Crosby’s Restaurant. The memorabilia from Bing’s private collection is something to behold. The food and the service are top drawer and I recommend it if you plan on visiting Palm Springs.  We spent two days in the sun with the Martindales and Wink is busy with many new projects which I will tell you about in the coming weeks.

Then it was back to reality. We came home to rain. But all was not dreary we were blown away with two shows at the Red Robinson Show Theatre.

Kevin Statham photo

Friday night saw the incredibly talented Neil Sedaka take to the stage for a fantastic program that brought forth many standing ovations.  Neil not only had his own hits (Calendar Girl, Happy Birthday Sweet 16, Breaking up Is Hard to Do ) but he wrote for others. One of the biggest hits he wrote won an Emmy: the classic Love Will Keep Us Together for The Captain and Tennille. Daryl Dragon and Toni Tennile had a successful television series and this became their theme song. Neil also wrote Stupid Cupid and Where the Boys Are for Connie Francis.  He was a child prodigy and at the age of 13 attended Julliard School of Music in New York. Neil was a classically trained musician and competed and won in many classical piano concerts over the years. The reaction from the crowd was overwhelming.

Kevin  Statham photo

It was to be repeated the next night when one of the true icons of popular music and one of the last of his kind came to town to sing. Tony Bennett was in fine form with his band the following night at the Red Robinson Show Theatre. I was surprised, while waiting offstage, to have him bring me out on stage with him for an acknowledgement. It was truly one of the highlights of my life. He is such a professional. He is truly a class act. Tony is 82 years young and I do hope he returns soon.

Cam McCubbin, one of the best news readers in anyone’s city has been let go from 600AM and 93.7 JRfm.  He is the latest casualty of the switch from AM to FM for these Pattison owned companies. This talented man still wants to continue working in radio and I just feel that someone with intelligence beyond room temperature will want to have this man in their stable… Sad to hear of the passing of Dionne Warwick’s younger sister  and Whitney Houston’s cousin Dee Dee Warwick. She had a major hit with I Want To Be With You in 1966 and a great version of Suspicious Minds in 1971. She was 63.. The Vancouver Sun has informed all their writers for the former West Coast section of the paper that their services are no longer required. Both Chuck Davis with his This Day In History In Vancouver column and my B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame piece is no longer. I guess the “Seriously West Coast” banner is gone also. My guess is orders came from headquarters to cut back…

Russ Hamilton, who was a Liverpool star long before the Beatles, has died. He made the U.S. and Canadian charts with Rainbow in 1957, a song which has been covered by at least 100 other singers. Despite having a giant hit with Rainbow he made very little money. His real name was Ronald Hulme. He was 76… Congratulations to the B.C. Country Music Association on the success of their annual awards show held this year at the Red Robinson Show Theatre. Great to see my friend and former CISL morning show producer Curtis Pope from Abbotsford’s Country 107.1 win the On-Air Personality of the Year award… my most recent interview with Suzie McNeil will be shown on my weekly appearance on Global TV in the coming weeks. Susie was one of the stars on Rockstar: INXS and will sing at half time during this year’s Grey Cup football extravaganza.  Look for her new hit Let’s Go. It’s a winner…

On a personal note, my daughter Kellie came to Vancouver to launch her children’s storybook and colouring book titled Jeff Talks about Crohn’s Disease.  This is a book designed for parents of  children and the children who are diagnosed with this dastardly disease. Her inspiration for this book was the love of her late brother and our son Jeffrey who passed away at 33 from complications of surgery. Kellie took five years to make this book happen. It is the first time I have ever seen such a concept.

Kevin Statham photo

The launch took place at the Chan Health Centre at Children’s Hospital on Oak Street in Vancouver. Many specialists in this field were on hand plus  some of the research scientists from the centre set up to search for a cure.

Kevin Statham photo

C.H.I.L.D. Foundation CEO Grace McCarthy introduced Kellie in the lobby of the facility. Kellie thanked publisher Kirk Integrated Marketing for donating their talents in producing the book and she also thanked the incredibly talented Graham Harrop, editorial cartoonist with the Vancouver Sun for his fabulous illustrations which make the book so extraordinary.  Graham also donated his talents to the project.

Kevin Statham photo

After the formal introductions a group of children aged 5 to 8 sat down at some tables and began colouring their books. This was the litmus test that the books are going to be useful for youngsters afflicted with the disease.  All of the children on hand are courageously fighting the disease.  If you or someone you know has a child with Crohn’s and would like a free book just contact me here.

The latest BBM Radio survey is out for the past summer. QMFM is down considerably from an 8.3 share to a 7.0. The Beat goes on and on with a great increase from 7.0 to 9.8. CKNW stayed almost even, going from a 11.4 to 10.8 . JR Country has slipped slightly going from a 7.1 to a 6.3. It is also interesting to note that most of the stations that cater to a younger audience have gone up, including CFMI Rock 101, 95Crave and CFOX. The Beat of course leads the way. Summertime might explain the youth oriented formats having bigger numbers than usual. I could have predicted the CBC Radio 2 slide from 6.5 to 4.1. It was fine the way it was but insiders at the Mother Corp thought they would play with the programming and the results speak for themselves. Even their AM side CBC Radio 1 slid down from a 9.1 to an 8.5. 600AM moved up from a 2.2 to a 3.2 just as it is about to sign off forever. Sports station TEAM 1040 is hanging in there with a 3.1 and doing just fine thank you. To me the big news is that CKWX News 1130 has shot up from a 4.1 to a 5.4. I think advertisers are awaiting the Portable People Meters to take ratings. The current method from the 1940’s where ratings  are formed from individuals filling out a diary is so antiquated it is hard to believe that in the computer age they are still using it…

“Click me - I talk!”

I hope you will take time to listen to Red Rock Diner on 1049 fm — The Greatest Hits Of All Time. My new time slot is 8 am to 2 pm each Sunday… I have had a particularly busy week with interviews. Singer/songwriter Ron Sexsmith came to Vancouver to perform at the Chan Centre at UBC. I caught up with him on a  blustery day at the Hotel Vancouver. This is a singer/songwriter that so many respect including Feist and Elvis Costello. He is a shy person, however the interview was enlightening and you will be able to see it on my weekly Global TV appearance each Wednesday morning at 8:15 am. The next interview on the same day was with Sheryl Crow at GM Place. We talked about the American elections, Buddy Holly, her music, her awards, her participation with Revlon on raising money and awareness for Breast Cancer research. We also discussed her association and admiration for Sarah McLachlan. Sheryl worked with Sarah on the Lilith Fair tours and at her Central Park TV special where Sarah was one of the guests of honor. I don’t need to tell you she is an attractive person but not just in appearance, she has an inner glow of sincerity and warmth. I want to thank Sheryl for accommodating my interview which is the only one she granted at her Vancouver stop. It doesn’t hurt that I also love her music…

Kevin Statham photo

At the Red Robinson Show Theatre the same weekend it was Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits and his outstanding and entertaining show that had the audience laughing and singing along with Mrs. Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter, Leaning On The Lampost and I’m Henry The Eighth I Am. You couldn’t meet a more cordial person. Peter is not wrapped up in his celebrity. He is now 60  but looks 45…

Kevin Statham photo

Appearing at the theatre they named after me the next evening was Boyz II Men. What unbelievable harmony and showmanship. The audience was in love with them even before the curtain rose. All in all it has been a busy week. Most of these interviews will be shown on my Global TV program in the coming weeks… The Great Big Boo! is the ultimate musical show to celebrate Halloween! At the Bell Centre in Surrey, Centennial Theatre in North Van, New Westminster’s Massey Theatre, McPherson Playhouse in Victoria and Nanaimo’s Port Theatre. After the show you’re invited to meet the stars of the show and trick-or-treat with them inside the theatre. Details at their scary website… and don’t miss The 32nd annual BC Country Music Awards show Sunday, October 26 at the “Red”. Performances by George Canyon, Jessie Farrell, Aaron Pritchett, The Higgins, Ridley Bent, Gord Bamford, and Nashville’s Deric Ruttan.

Roy Orbison dropped dead of a heart attack in the last, wintry month of 1988. It was a damn shame.

In 52 years of life, Roy Kelton Orbison had transformed himself from a shy, nearsighted kid from Wink, Texas, to a towering founding father of rock and roll, a peerless balladeer of sweeping symphonic odes to lost love who had come up through the same Memphis studio that gave us the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Elvis. 

more from John P. McLaughlin in the Vancouver Province

He’s been called the “Voice of the Hydros” and the “Founding Father” of Northwest’s ’60s rock renaissance.

But before he was a disc jockey, a pioneering concert promoter, a hydroplane-race announcer and now a drug-and-alcohol treatment center owner — before Pat O’Day was any of those things, he was a Tacoma teenager named Paul Berg who had lost his father and was subsequently shuffled to Iowa for six months.

More from Andrew Binion in the Kitsap Sun

Some notable passings: Actor Paul Newman has died from cancer  at the age of 83. One of his quotes: “It’s absolutely amazing that I survived all the booze and smoking and the cars and the career…” Newman is  survived by his wife Joanne Woodward and five children. He was an amazing actor and his movies — Hud, The Hustler, Cool Hand Luke, The Sting, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid — are among the classics… also passing away is Connie Haines at 87. The singer made over 200 recordings in a long career that also saw her appearing on disc with Frank Sinatra… We lost J.J. McColl to complications of ALS. She had the  distinction of becoming Vancouver’s first female DJ/talk show host with CJOR radio. From there she went on to host a daily two hour music/talk program on CBU-FM in Vancouver. She will most likely be best remembered as host of 50 Up on CBC Television and as the playwright of Menopositive, The Musical.  J.J. was 72. All will be missed… In other radio news: it has been a wild and crazy week with old friend Jim Fraser departing CKAY up the Sunshine Coast. Owner/operator/announcer and chief bottle washer Bob Morris received the license a few years ago but I am sure he is finding it difficult to bring in revenues in such a small market. Bob appreciates talent and is a talent himself so I am guessing this is the reason for Jim’s departure… A beautiful addition to any radio station is Charlee Morgan but with the change in format at the former Clear FM management most likely felt her style did not fit the “oldies” format. To my recollection she had been on the air only a few months. It must have come as a shock but like I said in my latest Reditorial, Charlee don’t take it personally… On that note I can think of three super talented women who are not on the air on a regular basis  at the moment: Carol Alexander, Julie Brown, and Colleen Troy. If any of the three mentioned here are on the air please let me know as I have lost track of you… My friend and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame colleague Pat O’Day will be playing hits from the Sixties tomorrow at the Kitsap County Historical Society’s “Cruisin’  the Sixties” fundraiser event this Saturday at the Admiral Theater in Bremerton. Old deejays never die, they just fade the music. I ought to know… Congrats to new Canucks captain, goalie Roberto Luongo. Honestly you can knock me over with a feather… never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to see the Canucks in a 6-0 position in the preseason… A busy month for music lovers: At the Red Robinson Show Theatre: Herman’s Hermits October 3, Engelbert Humperdinck October 17, Chicago October 18, Neil Sedaka October 24, Tony Bennett October 25… at the River Rock Show Theatre: Boyz II Men October 3, Kris Kristofferson October 10… at GM Place: Sheryl Crow October 4, Celine Dion October 20, Neil Young October 22, Bob Dylan October 24… at BC Place: Madonna October 30.

“A little love goes a long way.”

That old saying is so appropriate in today’s broadcast scene. Most on-air performers are in it not for the money but for the love of the business. I began my career when radio was sexy. Today young people opt for the movie business, animation, the computer world, recording studios, anything but radio. The main reasons are lack of opportunities to progress, little compensation, and a very small chance of ever receiving a bonus or raise. Add to this the fact that the business has lost its lustre. If you are an on-air talent you will quit in frustration because you don’t belong to the expected cookie cutter designation. You may actually be creative and inventive. Didn’t you notice the sign on the door at your broadcast outlet? “No variations please”. It might also read “Don’t rock the boat”.

People like Pat Burns, Jack Webster, Fred Latremouille, Jack Cullen, Dave McCormick, Doc Harris and a host of other talented performers made radio a “must listen” medium. Today “vanilla” is the only flavor available. The more average you sound, the happier your employer will be. God forbid you should make too much money — you could lose your job simply by being paid too much. Oh, the reason will be that they are changing direction, or some other baseless excuse, and you don’t fit. Sadly, many performers take this personally, but this happens on a daily basis and it is not personal, it is policy. In the Vancouver market alone I have counted over 60 professional radio people who can’t get arrested in a city with so many stations and three more signing on before next April.

One station manager had the brass to suggest to me that I was old fashioned and belonged in a period when radio was fun and now it is a business. “Why can’t it be both?” I asked. I hope I live long enough to see the left brainers, the accountants and lawyers in the background again. In the world of sports it is the stars that put asses in seats. The sports world knows this and pays handsomely for their stars (sometimes too much but nevertheless they know where the money is made). Isn’t it interesting that the movie business has highly paid talent as does television.

I think with the recent crap on Wall Street we are going to begin to question our current business practices and get back to serving the public and not the shareholders as much. Yes, the shareholders have a stake in all this but not at the expense of the listener. We have to begin with a new thrust — looking down the road for the long haul and not the short term. Asians think long term, and look at their progress.

It is fascinating that today radio advertises for announcers, writers, and even sales people because the list of candidates has shrunk so much. I said in a Board of Trade speech in the late 1970’s that if we don’t begin to invest in tomorrow’s performers today we will wake up with no prospects at our door… and here we are. I have said it throughout the last decade and I will repeat it. If I was 16 again and looking for a  career it would be anything but radio.

Wake up! It is later than you think.

Read comments at Radio West
Read comments at Puget Sound Radio

If you tuned in for Red Rock Diner Saturday night you only heard wall-to-wall music and no Red.  The good news is I am moving the show to Sundays from 8am to 2 pm starting next Sunday, October 5.

An advertisement in the Sunday Province said “Now Playing, The Greatest Hits of All Time on fm104.9“. To give you the flavor of the format they’re playing almost uninterrupted hits, but more ingredients will be added quickly to make this the best taste on the radio dial.

I have received many calls and emails today asking if I was going to be the new morning man on 104.9. The answer is “NO!”… I put in 20 years between CKWX and C-ISL doing mornings and enjoyed it all, but tired of the crazy hours and lack of a social life. When major changes like this occur there are many rumors, and this is one rumor that I can quickly squash right here and now.

I look forward to a return to Sundays, but especially to be a part of an FM station that will play mostly music from the past. I always felt and stated over the years that if we are ever given the opportunity in Canada to play our music on FM it will be a winning format. Why hasn’t it happened until now? The answer lies with the CRTC and their regulations on playing hit to non-hit quotas.  This prevents a “gold”, jazz or classical format, or any original and unique programming concept.

Canadian Content is a good thing and a bad thing. Good… because we needed it thirty years ago and there should be some content regulations for playing it on contemporary stations because they have a lot to choose from. Bad… because Cancon did not come into being until 1970 and before that date we had a limited supply of Canadian recordings. Applying marketing board rules and regulations to radio entertainment makes no sense, and I believe much of this is being reviewed by our broadcast overseers in Ottawa.

I hope you will join me from 8am to 2pm Sundays on fm 104.9 for The Greatest Hits of All Time.