Month: January 2017
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Happy 80th, Don Everly!
Don Everly turns 80 today (2/1/17). I have known Don and his late brother Phil since 1957 when we first met at The Biggest Show of Stars in Vancouver. Their harmony was second to none and the Beatles admired them. As a matter of fact it took Paul McCartney to bring them together for a…
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C-FUN Train Robbery, 1962
Desperadoes and lawmen clashed in a train robbery on the West Coast Railfan Association‘s annual excursion run recently. C-FUN Radio, Vancouver personalities (left to right) Buzz Leboe, Red Robinson, Ken MacDonald and Bob Young staged the hold up and chase, much to the delight of neatly 400 railfans and the thousands of spectators who lined the…
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CKWX Teen Canteen Promos, 1957
The Teen Canteen was a name I used for my radio show when I moved from CJOR to CKWX in 1957. The CJOR show was called Theme for Teens and they owned the name so I changed it. When The Biggest Show of Stars came to Vancouver I took my trusty tape recorder and a…
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Rick Nelson Interview, 1976
This photo of Rick Nelson 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…
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Bill Doggett Interview, 1957
I met Bill Doggett when the Show of Stars came to Vancouver in early 1957. This is a different line-up from the show in October with the Everly Brothers, Paul Anka, Eddie Cochran and Buddy Holly and The Crickets. It was mostly black performers including Bill, LaVern Baker, Fats Domino, Clyde McPhatter and Chuck Berry. Not a shabby line-up to…
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Red Around Town: 2016 In Memoriam, Part 2
Bobby Curtola’s death June 4 at 73 came as a real shock. I will always remember his youthful enthusiasm and how he loved to perform. Bobby was Canada’s first singing idol. Ottawa’s Paul Anka moved to the U.S. and in hindsight Bobby should have gone too – most of his early recordings were made in Nashville. He…
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Red Around Town: 2016 In Memoriam
Within days recently two iconic artists passed away, and they were related to each other. Debbie Reynolds was 84 and her daughter Carrie Fisher was 60. Carrie was best known as Princess Leia in the Star Wars movies. Debbie and Carrie were major Hollywood actresses at the same age – 19. She starred in many…