Year: 2012

  • Bright Nights At Stanley Park

    Carole and I joined former CJOR newsman Clark Gray, his wife Penny, their son and two children at the Stanley Park Bright Nights spectacular last night. Old friend Steve Halliday and his wife were along for the train ride around the park too. Steve took this photo and sent it to me. He is heading…

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  • Wayne Cox: Tribute To A Pro

    I remember first hearing Wayne Cox on CKNW when Hal Davis brought him in from the Interior. I thought he had the highest voice In radio. Wayne will admit that he hadn’t developed his voice yet. However, he was always entertaining, always productive and the most affable guy in our business. He graduated from CKNW…

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  • Burton Cummings At The “Red”

    Burton Cummings and I are holding his latest disc Burton Cummings At Massey Hall.  He gave us a two hour non-stop show and continues to sound as he did in the halcyon days of the Guess Who. I refer to him as “King of the Keyboards” and he does not disappoint.  He now spends much…

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  • Bill Townsend Passes

    Bill Townsend, former executive director of the B.C. Lions Society for Children with Disabilities passed away a few days ago from pancreatic cancer. Bill was the driving force behind the concept of Timmy’s Christmas Telethon — over a period of 23 years the show raised over $100 million for kids. Bill had me host this…

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  • 2012’s Passing Parade

    For many years I wrote for TVWeek magazine and closed each year with a salute to friends who passed on. Here are the folks we said farewell to this past year: Celeste Holm, 95 — Movie and TV actress Ernest Borgnine, 95 — Star of McHale’s Navy, won an Oscar for Marty Phyllis Diller, 95…

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  • Trailer Park Boys At The “Red”, Michael Bublé Home For The Holidays

    The Trailer Park Boys set up their RV’s at the Red Robinson Show Theatre and wowed the crowd on hand. It was a total sell out and every audience member was in on the act. Before the show I was sitting in “Red” stage manager Steve Stenner’s office and my phone rang.  It was Michael…

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  • Happy Birthday, Mel Cooper!

    My friend Mel Cooper turns 80 on December 10. I have known Mel since 1957. I joined CKWX and Mel left for CKNW so we never got to work together. I often wondered if my appearance at the station made him decide to leave for greener pastures! We have remained friends throughout all these years.…

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  • Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen In Vancouver

    I place Paul McCartney‘s appearance in our town among the top five concerts I have seen in my career. Carole and I enjoyed every minute of the show. He is such a professional and it was all about the music. Paul could have played for another six hours just to cover the material in his…

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  • John Mackie Remembers Ritchie Valens

    Vancouver Sun writer and heritage expert John Mackie just wrote about Ritchie Valens‘ Vancouver appearance in November 1958. Vancouver’s Fabulous Stripes would open the shows and Ritchie would hit the stage for his set. He was a delightful young man who was just 17. Ritchie also appeared in Cloverdale, Bellingham and Seattle. We arranged to…

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  • Paul McCartney Is Back!

    Paul McCartney returns to Vancouver Sunday, his first visit since the Beatles‘ appearance on August 22, 1964. The experience of that night at Empire Stadium is still with me. The excitement in the air, the push and shove of the audience and the music of the Beatles. What most people don’t realize is they only…

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