This photo of me with Clyde McPhatter was taken backstage just before our interview at Vancouver’s Georgia Auditorium in 1957. In 1956 and early 1957 two “Show of Stars” presentations came to Vancouver. The first was an all-Black show in the sense that the stars were basically Rhythm and Blues stars and not mixed up…
Celebrating April 1
The Beatles Invade!
The Beatles invasion of Vancouver was more than an orgiastic experience for the 20,621 fans who assembled in Empire Stadium on the sultry Saturday night of August 22, 1964. For law enforcement authorities, it was also a deadly serious exercise in in crowd control, civil defense and the protection of several hundred youngsters who literally…
Jack Cullen, Radio Rebel
The Red & Al Show
It was a wonderful night Friday at Elements Casino in Surrey to support the Centre for Child Development. I’d like to thank everybody who came out to Hearts, Horses & Hope, with a special thanks to old friend, MC and Canucks PA announcer Al Murdoch. Hope you enjoy our chat as much as I did! Please…
Mike Cleaver signs off
I’m saddened to hear of the death of fellow Vancouver broadcaster and newsman Mike Cleaver. Mike had a distinguished news career at CHUM/Toronto and included stops at CKNW and CTV on his resume. He would have been 73 next week. A couple of years ago we sat down for a wide-ranging interview as part of…
Coming Back To CKWX, 1961
My 1961 return to CKWX was a total disaster. CKWX was continuing to operate a Top Forty station with a middle of the road format. The station line-up consisted not of young deejays but with what can only be described as staff announcers playing Top 40 records. The station had a penchant for “features”, little…
The Day The Music Died – February 3, 1959
It has been exactly 60 years since the bulletin came across the wire February 3, 1959 that Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) and Ritchie Valens had died in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. This was the first great tragedy of the rock and roll era. The irony, for me, was that…
C-FUN Fun Bug, “This Is Vancouver” jingle, 1964
Two of the things I treasure from my time at C-FUN/Vancouver: the Fun Bug (above) and the “This Is Vancouver” jingle (below) that I wrote with fellow DJ Brian “Frosty” Forst. Great memories from a time when radio stations had personality plus! #TBT…