Vancouver – Happy Birthday Young Man ! Throughout Vancouver, the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley, everyone knows Red Robinson or at least, has a story about Red. A 16 year old kid in the 1950’s who broke ground by playing that rock n roll music that corrupts youth. Today, we call that Oldies radio. He introduced Elvis and the Beatles on stage at Empire Stadium. He influenced countless young broadcasters like me. Red is in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland. I worked with Red at a few stations including 650CISL and 104.9 OldiesFM/Clear FM. When I was 19, I started at CJVI Victoria (in 1979) and they were owned by Selkirk Communications. They also owned CKWX Supercountry 1130. Red was doing mornings at the time- then he was only 42. I would constantly ask Red and his Program Director Ted Farr for advice. To this day (I’m now 57) both still call me “kid”. I learned a lot from the “Red-man” and quite frankly, during a few dark times professionally and personally, he was always there for me.
Time to give back and simply say to my Radio Obi-Wan, my mentor….Thank You.
Don Lehn
News Director/Editor
FVN – Fraser Valley News
Bio Courtesy of Vancouver Broadcasters/Northwest Broadcasters/Radio West:
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Red Robinson – DJ CJOR Vancouver 1954-56; DJ CKWX Vancouver 1957-58; MC Elvis Presley show Empire Stadium Vancouver 1957; DJ/TV host KGW/KGW-TV Portland 1959-60; DJ CKWX 1961; PD CFUN Vancouver 1962-67; CBC-TV Vancouver 1963-65; PD CJOR 1968-70; AMD CKWX 1971-83; multiple program host including Red’s Classic Theater KVOS-TV Bellingham; host cross Canada oldies show Reunion 1985-93; AMD CISL Vancouver 1993-2000; host Red Rock Diner CISL 2001-07; host Meet the Collectors Prime TV 2004; host Red Rock Diner CKCL-FM/CFUN-FM Vancouver 2007-11; host Red Rock Diner CISL 2011-current. BCAB Broadcast Performer of the Year 1969; Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame Pioneer DJ 1994; CAB Hall of Fame 1977; Rockabilly Hall of Fame 2000; member B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame Starwalk at the Orpheum; member Canadian Association of Broadcasters Half Century Club 2004; Red Robinson Show Theatre Coquitlam named in his honour 2006-13; awarded doctorate degree University of the Fraser Valley 2012; appointed to the Order of British Columbia 2016. CCF Biography Red Robinson Website LinkedIn profile |
