Category Archives: People

October 1957: 18 year old Frankie Avalon and 20 year old Red Robinson… just a couple of kids enjoying the rock'n'roll music at The Biggest Show Of Stars at Vancouver's Georgia Auditorium. #TBT A post shared by Red Robinson (@redrobinson_1) on Aug 2, 2018 at 10:05pm PDT…

Let’s turn back the hands of time to exactly 62 years ago… today! Bill Haley And His Comets came to Vancouver on this day in 1956 and 6,000 kids packed the Kerrisdale Arena for the first rock concert in our history. (video courtesy lisa g nielsen) CKNW deejay Jack Cullen was the sponsor, along with clothier…

My thanks to Harbour Publishing and author Robin Brunet for permission to use this excerpt from Red Robinson: The Last Deejay. The incident is as vivid in my memory as the day it happened – Red Meanwhile, Robinson continued to generate headlines with his publicity stunts, most of which he never thought merited public outcry. Certainly he…

Almost 1000 teenagers and their parents filled the community hall Saturday night for the rock ‘n’ roll show put on by CJOR entertainer Red Robinson. Here’s Red with two of his admirers, Barbara Woodcock and Carol Hargreaves, snapped by Archie Waldref.   “Well, There’s Good Rocking Tonight” was the attitude in the air last Friday…

It happened sixty years ago today! On October 23, 1957 Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, the Everly Brothers, Eddie Cochran, Paul Anka, Buddy Knox, the Drifters, LaVern Baker, Clyde McPhatter, Buddy Holly and the Crickets, and Jimmy Bowen and the Rhythm Orchids came to Vancouver’s Georgia Auditorium for the Biggest Show of Stars. I was the…

I’ve been involved with the BCIT Radio Arts and Entertainment program for almost 30 years. Each year a Red Robinson Achievement Award for Excellence in Radio Broadcasting goes to a deserving student. It’s always fun when Radio Arts students come in to my office to talk. Syd Wong and her crew spent some time here…

I became friends with Johnny Cash in 1959 when I worked at KGW and he appeared at Portland’s Division Street Corral. After returning to Vancouver I brought him into CKWX for an on air interview. This continued for years. I can’t remember how many times I was emcee  for his shows. He was always a warm…

We recently said goodbye to not only a great performer but a genuinely nice guy. Over the years I interviewed Glen Campbell many times. This interview took place while I was the morning man at CKWX/Vancouver. That evening I took my entire family to his show. We were given front row seats. Near the end of the…

Just recently found out that former CKWX personality Cal George died in Penticton in late July at 96. Cal was a decent man who had a long and varied career. He was the epitome of a gentleman. Cal was from the old school of radio announcers, hosting quiz shows at the old CKWX studios on…