Packed up my family
and headed to Saskatoon
Had to promise them though
we’d be back real soon.
Knew upon arrival
I’d need my own team
If this move was
gonna kick start my dreams.
When my wife presented me with my daughter Candis, it put me through some changes.
Deep down, I knew I wasn’t good enough as a musician to support a family, so when Bill Grogan offered me the Music Director’s job at CKY, I left the Jury. ( Bill Grogan pictured above with Frank Roberts and Vic Edwards)
Deep down, I knew I wasn’t good enough as a musician to support a family, so when Bill Grogan offered me the Music Director’s job at CKY, I left the Jury. ( Bill Grogan pictured above with Frank Roberts and Vic Edwards)
Leaving the Jury was tough sledding; it meant giving up on a dream Rolly Blacquiere and I had dreamed about since we were kids.
Surprisingly, a few days later, I got a phone call from Randy Bachman, who wanted me to join The Guess Who.
Surprisingly, a few days later, I got a phone call from Randy Bachman, who wanted me to join The Guess Who.
When I laughed and said, “Hell, Randy, I’m not even good enough to play in my band, let alone yours. He said, “I can teach you the music; it’s that other stuff you do that The Guess Who needs.”
As flattered as I was, I told Randy thanks, but I wanted to give radio a good shot.
Looking back now, I realize that I’d made the right choice because, without knowing it, I had lucked out.
Looking back now, I realize that I’d made the right choice because, without knowing it, I had lucked out.
When I started at CKY, most of the on-air people were Americans, so right from the start, I learned how to do things bigger and better.
Unfortunately, when the Americans left, like most radio stations, CKY wasn’t as much fun anymore.
The only fun I had now was when my buddy John Wells and I would go up to Chan’s Moon Room to drink somebody goodbye.
While at Chan’s, we, of course, would flirt with all the ladies, and my favorite was our receptionist, Embree McDermid.
Now, Em wasn’t a wild woman by no means, but she sure was an MYLF. (Em is pictured below)
Then, from out of nowhere, I received a surprise phone call from my old boss, Jim Hilliard. (Jim pictured below with me)
Jim had just become the new program director of WFIL in Philadelphia, and he wanted me to fly into Philly to talk about my working with him at WFIL so I could produce promos like I used to do for him at CKY in Winnipeg.
Jim had just become the new program director of WFIL in Philadelphia, and he wanted me to fly into Philly to talk about my working with him at WFIL so I could produce promos like I used to do for him at CKY in Winnipeg.
As soon as I arrived, I completed all the necessary paperwork, so we jumped into Jim’s red Caddy rag top and picked up his wife Barbara for dinner at Bookbinders.
When we got there, the place was filled with lawyers who were all in uniform, you know, navy blue pin-striped suits, matching vests, yellow and red striped power ties, and of course, the regulatory suspenders.
When we got there, the place was filled with lawyers who were all in uniform, you know, navy blue pin-striped suits, matching vests, yellow and red striped power ties, and of course, the regulatory suspenders.
However, as slick as they looked, they were no match for our table.
Jim was wearing a wine-colored Nehru suit with a huge gold medallion hanging around his neck, and Barb was wearing what can only be described as a toga.
Jim was wearing a wine-colored Nehru suit with a huge gold medallion hanging around his neck, and Barb was wearing what can only be described as a toga.
The Toga was white with gold trim; her white Roman sandals had straps on them that crisscrossed their way up her legs to her knees.
The rings on her fingers were gold, as were the bracelets on her arms that snaked their way up to her elbows. Oh, and her blonde hair was piled high and, of course, was crowned with a golden tiara.
As I was returning an album to the on-air studio one day, I overheard George Dawes saying, “Thanks but no thanks,” before hanging up the phone.
When I queried him about it, he said, “CKOM in Saskatoon is looking for a Program Director, but I’m not interested.”
The rings on her fingers were gold, as were the bracelets on her arms that snaked their way up to her elbows. Oh, and her blonde hair was piled high and, of course, was crowned with a golden tiara.
We spent most of the evening catching up on what had been going on since we last saw each other in Winnipeg, which included the fact that Lana was pregnant.
At some point during our reminiscing, I noticed that everybody was staring at us, and when I mentioned it to Jim, he said, “They’re just pissed that I make more money than they do.”
At some point during our reminiscing, I noticed that everybody was staring at us, and when I mentioned it to Jim, he said, “They’re just pissed that I make more money than they do.”
How could I be anything but excited about the possibility of working for Jim in Philadelphia?
Unfortunately, we soon discovered it was a little more complicated than we realized.
Unfortunately, we soon discovered it was a little more complicated than we realized.
You couldn’t just wander across the border; you needed a work permit.
Getting a work permit meant putting your name on the bottom of a very long list, and by the time mine worked its way to the top, Jim was running a chain of radio stations out of Indianapolis, and I was the Station Manager of CFTR in Toronto.
Getting a work permit meant putting your name on the bottom of a very long list, and by the time mine worked its way to the top, Jim was running a chain of radio stations out of Indianapolis, and I was the Station Manager of CFTR in Toronto.
Meanwhile, after returning to Winnipeg from Philadelphia with my tail between my legs, I was becoming even more restless and bored, but before I could do anything stupid, fate intervened again.
As I was returning an album to the on-air studio one day, I overheard George Dawes saying, “Thanks but no thanks,” before hanging up the phone.When I queried him about it, he said, “CKOM in Saskatoon is looking for a Program Director, but I’m not interested.”
When I told George that I was really interested, he kindly called them back for me, and the next thing I knew, I was on an airplane bound for Saskatoon, where I became their new Program Director.
Becoming a PD for the first time was exciting, but not so much for my family. Not only was I taking the first grandchild away from both grandparents, but my wife wasn’t thrilled about leaving our brand-new home behind.
Oh, and did I mention that I knew nothing about programming?
Oh, and did I mention that I knew nothing about programming?