Jump to content
The Official Site of the Vancouver Canucks
Canucks Community

DJ Red Robinson Turned 80 on March 30, 2017


DonLever

Recommended Posts

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – It’s a big birthday for this legend in local broadcasting. Red Robinson is turning 80 today. To mark the occasion, Mayor Gregor Robertson has declared March 30th “Red Robinson Day” in the City of Vancouver.

BC’s pioneer rock n’ roll deejay calls it a big honour.

“It was out of the blue,” he admits. “I even got to read the scroll. It was very nicely put and I’m delighted. I’m delighted that we salute our own once in a while.”

Red says today is all about celebrating with friends and family.

“Carole, my wife, has decided to throw a party. And we’re going to have about 60 guests and we’re going to have it at the Granville Island Hotel. My daughters are visiting from the States. So, it’s going to be fun.”

When asked about getting older, Red wasn’t afraid to dish out some of his trademark wit.

“My SIN card is so old, it’s in Roman numerals. I mean, it’s that bad,” he jokes. “[But] I think Dean Martin’s quote’s the best. ‘If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself!'”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Red Robinson was a Rock n Roll pioneer in Vancouver.  I've met him a couple of times.  What an engaging man.

 

While still in high school in 1954, Robinson started working as a disc jockey at the age of 16 at radio station CJOR. His first record 'spun' as a professional DJ was "Marie" by The Four Tunes. He was one of the first DJs to play Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and other Rock and Roll artists on a regular basis in Canada. In 1956, he won the Disc Jockey of the Northwest award from the Province newspaper in an audience poll, and he appeared frequently as guest host on the CBC Television network program "Cross Canada Hit Parade."

 

Robinson was emcee for the Elvis Presley show at Empire Stadium in Vancouver in 1957 and for the Beatles in 1964. - Wikipedia

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was working on a water main one summer, me and my 15 year old son, HOT and hard work in West Van...lo and behold who waves hello one afternoon over the fence but Red. After some friendly small talk we get back to work and then again lo and behold-- we look up and Red is approaching with two ice cold cokes. Well we had to stop to have those. I explained to my son who he was later. Every day he would drop cold pop or water and ice for me and my boy. Great great guy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Crabcakes said:

Red Robinson was a Rock n Roll pioneer in Vancouver.  I've met him a couple of times.  What an engaging man.

 

While still in high school in 1954, Robinson started working as a disc jockey at the age of 16 at radio station CJOR. His first record 'spun' as a professional DJ was "Marie" by The Four Tunes. He was one of the first DJs to play Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and other Rock and Roll artists on a regular basis in Canada. In 1956, he won the Disc Jockey of the Northwest award from the Province newspaper in an audience poll, and he appeared frequently as guest host on the CBC Television network program "Cross Canada Hit Parade."

 

Robinson was emcee for the Elvis Presley show at Empire Stadium in Vancouver in 1957 and for the Beatles in 1964. - Wikipedia

Red tells a great story about emceeing for the Beatles. I guess nobody bothered to fill in the Fab Four about Red, so to this day he can tell the story of the night he was told to "Get the F**k off the stage!" by John Lennon.

 

Personally, I'd wear that like a badge of honor....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well Happy Birthday!!!  Red is a legend in the Vancouver music scene from the good old days.  Here's wishing him a great time celebrating with family and friends.  Left the Island too long ago but hearing this brings me back to the days when CKLG and CFUN rocked the coast and Detroit churned out some great muscle cars...especially them Mopars.  All the best Red.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/31/2017 at 2:46 AM, Hairy Kneel said:

I was working on a water main one summer, me and my 15 year old son, HOT and hard work in West Van...lo and behold who waves hello one afternoon over the fence but Red. After some friendly small talk we get back to work and then again lo and behold-- we look up and Red is approaching with two ice cold cokes. Well we had to stop to have those. I explained to my son who he was later. Every day he would drop cold pop or water and ice for me and my boy. Great great guy.

 

Good story! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...