Winnipeg's Garry Robertson Passes Away

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Winnipeg's Garry Robertson Passes Away

Postby jon » Sat Aug 04, 2012 1:46 pm

'Founding Spirit' of CJNU Passes Away
by Don Keith, CJNU Webmaster

Garry Robertson passed away on Friday August 3, 2012. He is considered by many at CJNU to be the 'founding spirit' of the station since it first went on the air in late 2006.

Garry had faced serious health issues over the last few years of his life, while always retaining his positive outlook and enthusiasm - particularly enthusiasm for CJNU. Garry was 72. Our condolences go to all those close to him, particularly his two daughters. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Garry was always captivated by music, and among other things played the music for graduation ceremonies at River Heights Junior High. That evolved to work with the campus station at the University of Manitoba, and eventually to his first radio job at CKRC in 1959.

Over the years he was on the air in Brandon, Yorkton, Kenora, and mostly here in Winnipeg at CJOB. As many people will recall, Garry was also 'The Music Man'. He founded Garry Robertson Music Services, with franchises spread across Canada, and provided the entertainment for countless weddings, parties and celebrations.

At last year's Nostalgia Broadcasting Cooperative AGM, station manager Bill Stewart presented Garry with the first 'CJNU Builder's Award'.

"Garry and I had started out in radio in the late fifties and early sixties when we both worked at CKRC and CJOB," Stewart said. "Garry had always demonstrated a great entrepreneurial inclination - in 1964 we were both shareholders in a cotton candy machine. Later on, we both ran 'hi-fi' stores. Garry's greatest success was in developing Garry Robertson Music Services - a household name for party music in many parts of Canada.

"Garry had always been able to dream and imagine and then with great passion and persistence and persuasion make it happen even when reality might show the project as near impossible. After several 'nostalgia' stations had come and gone, Garry convened a meeting of 23 interested persons at his house in September 2006. From that CJNU was born and went on the air only three months later in December 2006 as a member owned and operated coop. Coupled with his passion and persistence was his optimism that enabled him to face and surmount many obstacles, including health issues that would defeat most lesser beings."

Garry was presented with a plaque as a permanent reminder that his efforts to give Winnipeg a nostalgia music station are much appreciated.

CJNU Voice in the Night announcer Tom Bryant recalls first meeting Garry in 1959, when auditioning for a job at CKRC. Garry was the board operator, and that brief encounter marked the beginning of a life-long friendship.

Later, a terribly stupid incident of his own doing saw Tom fired from the CJOB staff. While wrapping up affairs with the station, Cliff Gardner, Tom's supervisor at the time, asked, "OK, so now that I've fired you, do you know of anybody who might be interested in taking your job?" Tom, hoping to not burn too many bridges, replied, "You might want to phone Garry Robertson at CJRL in Kenora. He's really good, and I think he'd love to work for 'OB."

Cliff took that suggestion, and as a result, Garry began his successful run at CJOB. By the way, Bryant was re-hired by 'OB about a year later.

Another person who knew Garry before becoming part of the nostalgia radio family was Jim Bowes, a CJNU on air personality and producer of Radio Classics. He was employed for a number of years by Garry Robertson Music Services.

"I knew Garry as a employer, mentor and friend," Jim recalls. "He was always kind, respectful, helpful and loyal. He taught me the recorded dance music business in the early '70s and I am still playing to this day. Garry was able to give me a chance to fulfill my life long dream of being a radio announcer. For that I will be forever grateful. Good bye dear friend. I will miss our coffee time together, your great attitude and smile."

Don Keith, the webmaster (and writer) of this site also had the pleasure of knowing and working with Garry. The first time I heard Garry on the air, he was working on CJRL Kenora (I was just passing through town). I thought at the time that he was a person with ability and talent that was likely to take him beyond that small northern Ontario town.

A couple of years later, I had the good fortune to work with Garry when we were both at CJOB Winnipeg. Back in the 1960s, we were both obviously in the early days of our careers, but I had the good fortune to work 'on the same team' as Garry again near the ends of our careers when I became the CJNU webmaster, in part because of his encouragement to become involved with nostalgia radio. Garry was one of the nicest all round people I've had the pleasure of knowing.

ref. - http://www.cjnu.ca/gr-memorl.shtml
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jon
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Garry Robertson passes

Postby Shawndx » Fri Aug 10, 2012 7:42 pm

This is a link to the Obituary for Garry Robertson who passed away recently. He worked for many stations out West.

http://passages.winnipegfreepress.com/p ... ame%7CASC/
Shawn Axelrod VE4DX1SMA
Winnipeg MB
amandx (@)mymts.net
REMEMBER ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN HEAR FOREVER
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