Year: 2016
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Rick Nelson in Portland, 1959
Rick Nelson became a singing sensation by closing his parents’ TV show Ozzie And Harriet with a song at the end of each episode. He recorded 20 Top 10 hits. Rick came to Vancouver in the autumn of 1957 and played the Forum at Exhibition Park. He was booed on stage because of his laid-back…
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Elvis In Vancouver, 1957
Vancouver was one of only three cities Elvis Presley played outside the United States, and the Empire Stadium show was the last performance he ever gave outside the U.S. Vancouver’s first rock-and-roll show had taken place barely a year before, when Bill Haley and the Comets drew 6,000 people to the Kerrisdale Arena. Now Elvis…
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Happy Birthday, Roy Hennessy!
If you listened to the radio in Vancouver in the Sixties and Seventies it was hard to ignore “Real” Roy Hennessy, morning man at CFUN‘s top 40 rival CKLG. Roy capped off his near 50-year broadcast career when he returned to Vancouver in 2008 as Chairman of Shore Media‘s CHHR-FM (now sporting a variation on…
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Clarence Dixon at CJOR, 1955
In my early days in radio it was not uncommon for artists to drop by the station. This photo was taken at CJOR and Clarence Dixon from the Four Knights is holding a bottle of 7-Up (a sponsor). The Four Knights were not rock and roll but a pop group. They accompanied Nat King Cole…
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The Paris Sisters at CJOR, 1955
The Paris Sisters – Priscilla, Albeth and Sherrell – were much like The Andrews Sisters, who preceded them by a decade. The sisters played the Cave in Vancouver for a week in 1955 and came to visit me during my night time show. They were talented and gorgeous. The Paris Sisters recorded many records for…
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Remembering Bill Bennett
B.C. Premier Bill Bennett was decisive, and could appear cold, but in fact he was a true leader. As Jim Pattison said at his memorial, “He was a strong leader in a strong province. He didn’t bend for political convenience. He never sought the limelight. He walked the talk and he worked hard.” I knew…
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I Am What I Play : Pat O’Day
Carole and I joined Pat O’Day and his wife Stephanie in Bellingham last night for a showing of the Canadian documentary I Am What I Play. Pat’s story stood the test of time. The doc was basically about the transition period when rock switched from AM to FM. Only four deejays appeared in the film.…
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Buddy Knox & Jimmy Bowen, October 1957
Back when rock was young I had the pleasure of being the MC for The Show of Stars at Vancouver’s Georgia Auditorium on October 23, 1957. The all-star cast included Chuck Berry, Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers, Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers, Paul Anka, Eddie Cochran, Buddy Holly and The Crickets, LaVern Baker, George Hamilton…