The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced its 2009 inductees. The induction ceremony will take place in Cleveland April 4 for the first time since 1997. This year’s inductees are Jeff Beck, Little Anthony & The Imperials, Metallica,  Run-DMC and R & B singer Bobby Womack. In the Early Influence category this year they have added the name of Wanda Jackson, one of the few rockabilly stars during the heyday of rock and roll and rockabilly music. And here is something that pleases me no end: the induction, finally, of D.J. Fontana and Bill Black from Elvis‘ early days. D.J. was the beat behind the king and Bill Black  was the bass player. Elvis’ guitar genius Scotty Moore is already in the hall. I phoned D.J. Fontana and congratulated him on his long overdue induction. D.J. was delighted with the recognition. Congratulations to all… I was always a fan of actor Patrick McGoohan, who has died at age 80. The two-time Emmy award winning actor starred as a British spy in the 1960’s series Secret Agent ( the original British series was titled Danger Man) and gained cult status later in the decade as the star of the enigmatic series The Prisoner.  He also starred in a myriad of movies including Ice Station Zebra with Rock Hudson… Also passing away at the age of 88 is Ricardo Montalban, one of the first major movie stars from Mexico. He starred in many MGM musicals in the Forties and Fifties but might be best remembered as Mr. Roarke on the TV series Fantasy Island (“the plane, boss, the plane!”). He is also remembered for his role as Khan in the Star Trek TV show and movie  Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Personally, I remember his stand-up car commercials for Chrysler‘s Cordoba because of  his constant reminder that the interior of the car was outfitted in “soft Corinthian leather”. Of course that was just a name attached to regular leather but when he spoke the words it sounded like you were going to enjoy something special. I love this YouTube video: “The Wrath of… Corrrr-doba” is dedicated to the memory of Ricardo Montalban.

I would also like to mention that  our B.C. Minister of Agriculture Stan Hagen has died at the age of  69. I met Stan on many occasions and he was always very down to earth and friendly. He was one of the people responsible for putting my name on the Comox Valley Walk of Achievement in Courtenay. All  will be missed… I had a visit from old friend Jerry Naylor who came to town with his wife Pam on business. I sat Jerry down and interviewed him because this February 3 marks the 50th anniversary of the first real tragedy of rock and roll: the death of Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson ( The Big Bopper) and Ritchie Valens in a plane crash in a cornfield in Mason City, Iowa. Jerry became the lead singer  with the Crickets in the early Sixties and recorded many sides for Liberty Records in Los Angeles. You can see my interview Wednesday January 28 on Global Television with some exclusive footage of the late Buddy Holly…  You might remember Rocky Vasalino, the comedy rock band that played many gigs here in Vancouver in the late ’50s and early ’60s.  The band enjoyed sold out performances recently at the Bellingham Golf and Country Club and at the Silver Reef Ballroom. This is a one time only event on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of this unique group of performers. Take it in at the Hellenic Centre at 30th and Arbutus on February 28. Tickets can be charged by phone at 604-507-6355.  It’s a riot Ralph… Just got off the phone with Dave Somerville, lead singer with the Diamonds. He is going strong and played over 200 gigs last year, at casinos and on cruise ships.  A great  guy and one of the first Canadian groups to make it internationally back in the mid Fifties. He tells me the Dick Clark Theater in Branson, MO is now playing “legends shows” (lookalikes and soundalikes) as opposed to the real stars like Tony Orlando, Bill Medley, and Paul Revere and the Raiders. The real  stars have moved over to Andy Williams’ Moon River Theater, and may I add, it’s a gorgeous theater.  The guy that owns the Dick Clark Theater is a car buff and he stores his valuable collection there but the showroom is secondary to him. Too bad… new 104.9 morning man Scott  Miller can be heard from 5:30 am to 9 am. Scott has worked  around North America during his career and is a welcome addition to the Vancouver radio scene.  He understands the music he is playing and it shows… I hadn’t realized that deejay Terry Reid had retired from QM/FM’s morning show. Terry has had a long history with the station and his ratings have been consistent over the decades. I always found him to be a down-to-earth guy with absolutely no pretense. Who else would take off all his clothes and sit on a city bench in broad daylight to make a television commercial for his morning show? I personally wish him the best in the coming years and know that his voice-over work will keep him employed for years to come… I bumped into Michael Bublé in our building the other day. He is  in town resting after his recent tour. He looks great and has been seen taking in some Vancouver Giants hockey games. Of course, he is now part owner of the franchise… My friends at Mountainfest have added Paul Brandt and George Canyon to the lineup of the 17th annual blast in Merritt in July. Already on the bill are The Steve Miller Band, Jo Dee Messina and Emerson Drive plus headliner Kenny Chesney and Johnny Reid… You can hardly turn on the radio or TV without hearing ads for Fleetwood Mac coming to GM Place on May 15th…  Nanaimo’s Diana Krall will play, backed by members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, May 13th at the  Orpheum Theatre. After the show she doesn’t have far to drive to her home in West Vancouver… White Rock resident A.J. Buckley has landed a  major role in the TV series CSI: New York. He has had many roles in shows such as NYPD Blue, Without A Trace, and Supernatural.  But these were one-offs and not regular roles. Now he plays the permanent role of  techno geek Adam Ross on the show. The 31 year old actor moved from his home in Dublin, Ireland to White Rock with his family at age six…There are more opportunities for actors in B.C. than ever before since the arrival of so many movie companies and television production outfits on the scene here in the Evergreen Playground…