Legendary DJ Red Robinson reflects on 50 years in Broadcasting by Jeff Keller for TVWeek magazine
Red Robinson is a renaissance man --- he was there, on the frontline, during the renaissance of rock ’n’ roll. This year, Red celebrates 50 years in the business, and a career that won’t stop rockin’. TV Week caught up with Red for a chat in his memorabilia-filled office in downtown Vancouver.
What was your first memory of rock ’n’ roll?
Near my high school there was a guy with a jukebox. He owned the Oakway Restaurant at...can you guess where?...Oak and Broadway, and his jukebox was loaded with R&B. They called them "race records" back then. Then I began hearing Bill Haley and Pat Boone covering the same material, and that made it popular.
When did you get your first break?
The opportunity came in ’54. The show was called Theme for Teens, and the man who hosted it left. The program director said: "You do the show." So I did, the switchboard lit up and they gave me the job.
What was your first break on TV?
I knew in ’58 that television would be an important part of the future of rock ’n’ roll. But where could a Canadian boy like me go? There was only the CBC at the time. And then in December ’58, I had an offer from KING in Oregon to be the afternoon anchor at their radio station. I asked them why I’d leave a 54-per-cent market share. They said $22,000.00 a year ---- which at the time was twice the pay of the Canadian Prime Minister. So I said I wanted a TV show, and they gave me that too: Portland Bandstand.
What are your happiest rock ’n’ roll memories?
Seeing Bill Haley and the Comets --- 1956 at the Kerrisdale Arena. And next year, spending the day with Elvis and seeing his show at Empire Stadium in the evening. He was a nice guy. We were like two kids who just graduated from high school.
What’s your saddest rock ’n’ roll memory?
That would be 1959, when Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens died. I never met the Big Bopper, but I did meet Buddy Holly, and I’d brought Ritchie Valens to Vancouver for three concerts in December ’58, six weeks before they all died.
How does old time radio compare with today’s radio?
In ’64, the Beatles had No.1 with "She Loves You" and No.3 with "I Wanna Hold Your Hand". But No.2 was "Hello Dolly" by Louis Armstrong. There was a mix --- each Top 40 played a variety of music. As for deejays, we’re like railroad engineers. We’ve had our day. Radio has killed itself.
Would you tell us a bit about your family?
My family is the most important part of my life. Back in my CFUN days I met Carole Smith, and we’re still married after 41 years. We have two girls and a boy. Our daughters live in the States, and we have two grandkids. Our son died last year of Crohn’s disease. That was the toughest thing in my life. My mom was 84 and she had a good run, but when you lose your son at 33, it’s really,really tough.
After 50 years in the biz are you slowing down?
I guess I should be retired, but I continue to want to develop things. I just completed a book, with Greg Potter, called Backstage Vancouver, a history of entertainment in Vancouver. I’ve also got a cd out -- a limited edition -- of all my interviews with the Sun recording artists: Elvis, Charlie Ritch, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Sam Phillips, who founded the company. And three weeks ago I started my national TV series, Meet the Collectors. I still do my radio show at CISL, and I’m still writing a column for TV Week. I haven’t had a day since I was 15 when I didn’t want to get up and get to work -- cause it’s not work.
