Gord Robison (1951-2008)

General Radio News and Comments, Satellite & Internet Radio and LPFM

Postby Promotions Guy » Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:13 am

I am tryuly sorry to hear of Gord's passing. He has been called a legend, and many other things. In the early 70's when some of us were starting our careers we hear or, and about people like Gord. Although he as younger then some of us we all wanted to be like Gord when we grew up! I never had the pleasure of working with Gord, but I came across his voice in many markets.

When he returned to the Corus family and found a home on Cool 880, I was pleased to instantly recognize that voice. No need to mention the name, we knew the voice.

I have worked with several people who had the opportunity to work with and learn from, GR. Not a bad word was said about Gord. And we all had stories to tell about some of the 'stars' we worked with.

Looking back I guess it is safe to say Gord was a 'Good Guy' in more ways than one.

We will all miss you Gord, even those you never met, but influenced from afar.

Say hello to the other great ones like my buddy Barry Boyd.
Last edited by Promotions Guy on Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Promotions Guy
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 146
Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2007 9:11 pm

Postby Cliff Bashly Kinkade » Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:33 am

Allow me to join with my condolences to Gord's family and friends.

And also allow me to correct something in Promo Guy's post, Corus is many things, however FAMILY is not one of them.
nudeswithviews.com / where right is never wrong
Cliff Bashly Kinkade
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 954
Joined: Tue May 09, 2006 11:54 am

Postby Jack Bennest » Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:57 am

Farewell To A Friend
Posted 3/24/2008 8:30:00 AM
It was the summer of '69, when Bruce Springsteen got his first real 6 string. I was taking a radio announcer correspondence course. The first time I was on the air was in 1970 at CKXL in Calgary. I did one line in a commerical for the school before heading off to my first job in Ft. St. John. A DJ named Gord Robson was at that Calgary station. My path eventually took me to 630 CHED a couple of years later. Gord Robson was also there, in the heady days when rock and roll was king and the Journal said, "As sure as the sun rises in the east, it has 630 CHED stamped right across it", or something to that effect. Gord was the embodiment of those great rock jocks. Over the years, he also lit up the airwaves in Montreal and Vancouver. In the last few months, as I've had the opportunity to also read news on COOL 800, Gord Robson was also there, reprising the hits he loved the first time around. Gord Robson died suddenly over the week-end. He was one of those who could truly say, "We built this city on rock and roll". Gord Robson signing off at 56.


Posted by: Bob Layton
User avatar
Jack Bennest
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 4471
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:25 pm

Postby jon » Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:47 am

The preceding was from Bob's blog on 630ched.com. It is the script for his Editorial which is aired repeatedly throughout the day on CHED.

Here is the audio version, which better reflects the emotions involved:
http://www.radiowest.ca/sound/gordlayton.mp3

The first voice you hear is Gord Whitehead, CHED morning man.
User avatar
jon
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 9256
Joined: Mon May 08, 2006 10:15 am
Location: Edmonton

Postby Buddy B » Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:38 am

I never had the pleasure of working with Gord as my departure from CKXL (forty years ago this week!) meant that Wayne Bryant moved from all-nights to my 7 - midnight slot and Gord was hired to fill Wayne's slot. Now they're both gone!

Gord was one of the first to welcome me when I found this site a few months ago, and I certainly enjoyed some of the memories he had from those long-ago days on 16th Ave. S.W. I'm going to miss his posts.
Be Good... Be Careful... Be Back...Keep Smilin Everybody....BYE NOW!!!!!
User avatar
Buddy B
Member
 
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2007 7:07 pm
Location: Hamilton, Ont

Postby Promotions Guy » Mon Mar 24, 2008 2:31 pm

I must bow to BCK. Fortunately I never worked for the big Corus . I did worked closely a long time ago with some of the early Shaw radio guys. I take back the reference to family.
Promotions Guy
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 146
Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2007 9:11 pm

Gord Robson

Postby Jackson Casey » Mon Mar 24, 2008 2:33 pm

I'm so sorry to hear of Gord's passing. In my mind, Gord will always be the 18 year old weekend "kid" at CKXL... and what a great kid he was. I remember how he lit up listening to airchecks of Dan Ingram, J.J. Jeffrey, and other radio greats from "south of the border." I also fondly remember going to Junior A hockey games (long before the NHL presence in Calgary) with Gord, and taking along the station's battery powered bullhorn, through which we would stir up the crowd and taunt the opposition players. One night, Jerome Angell, a defenseman for the Saskatoon Blades, came over the boards at Gord. Being a former Golden Gloves boxer, Gord didn't back down for a moment. Fortunately, someone broke up the fight before it started. I saw Gord about 20 years ago at a radio convention. Things were good, but the industry has suffered due to consolidation and corporate greed, and unfortunately, the changes have trickled down and made life tough for even the most talented veterans. I hope Gord has found peace. He is in my prayers and I'll never forget him.
Jackson Casey
Newbie
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2008 1:07 pm
Location: Boston, Massachusetts U.S.

Postby Sassy » Mon Mar 24, 2008 4:44 pm

I'm devastated by the loss of Gord Robson. He was quite possibly my favourite person (as opposed to personality) in radio -- kind, thoughtful, astute, a voice of reason... He encompassed my favourite qualities in a human being.

I hadn't spoken to Gord in years, although I did check on his status now and then. I always wanted to tell him how much his support had meant to me back in '84 (or so) when he called and asked me to do on-air entertainment reports on LG, my first (and last) radio job. I had a 'mic' phobia (almost as bad as my camera phobia), but I accepted with his encouragement. I'm sure -- very sure -- I was beyond terrible, but Gord was never anything but supportive.

While the radio job ended up an interesting footnote on my resume, a side effect proved much more life-changing. As was common in those days, I was paid in 'contra', resulting in the acquisition of a Commodore 64 computer. I had no idea how to work the thing, but with the help of a tech-savvy better half, I figured it out and ended up way ahead of the pack in computer literacy, and that opened a great number of doors in my life. Every time I updated my bio, I thought of Gord.

I wanted to thank him for that, and for just being who he is. I never would have guessed it would be too late this soon. Indeed, I only found this board when I went to search for more info re: his death.

So Gord, thank you, wherever you are.

Wish you were here. :(
Sassy
Newbie
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2008 3:27 pm
Location: Vancouver

Postby Jack Bennest » Mon Mar 24, 2008 5:15 pm

For those interested I just talked to CHED news.. apparently the family
is having a private ceremony for Gord. Not to much detail since
Dan told us of GR's departure.

I asked whether anything had been in the newspaper and the newsman
indicated that there had not been.

Would be nice to see the official notification.
User avatar
Jack Bennest
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 4471
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:25 pm

Postby Sassy » Mon Mar 24, 2008 5:44 pm

Top Dog wrote:I asked whether anything had been in the newspaper and the newsman indicated that there had not been.

Would be nice to see the official notification.


I find this stunning and disheartening when the loss of someone of this stature in such a public field as radio is barely acknowledged, much less trumpeted across the country.

I've been doing news searches with ZERO results, including the entire CanWest Informart database.

I don't know the cause of death and maybe the family is shell-shocked and insular, but the real story is the loss of a broadcasting legend no matter what circumstances. The details are secondary. If they are withholding information, that will only make it a lesser 'item' less befitting the man when/if it does run, as all here are aware, the key word in news' is 'new'. If the cause wasn't natural, it will only be more shaded when it is acknowledged.

If it's just a holiday bit of slackness on the part of the media, shame on them. I do hope they rectify this oversight, pronto. :(
Sassy
Newbie
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2008 3:27 pm
Location: Vancouver

Postby jon » Mon Mar 24, 2008 6:30 pm

I have been contacted twice today by a local (Edmonton) newspaper reporter. And have given him all of the info I have seen, pretty much all of it here on RadioWest.ca.

He seemed most interested, in his note just an hour ago, about funeral arrangements. I just forwarded him the info above.

Other than Radio discussion forums like this one, and the CHED and CHQT web sites, I have seen no other mention of Gord's passing anywhere on the Internet. I've even waded through digital copies of newspapers in case Google missed them.
User avatar
jon
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 9256
Joined: Mon May 08, 2006 10:15 am
Location: Edmonton

Postby Jack Bennest » Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:07 pm

His death is mentioned on:

www.bcradiohistory.com
www.bcradiohistory.com/Biographies/GordRobson.htm

www.redrobinson.com

http://members.shaw.ca/nwbroadcasters/recentnews.htm

as well as the two message boards started by Ted Wendland

in addition to CHED/630 and COOL880/CHQT

edmontonbroadcasters.com is updated
calgarybroadcasters.com is not (yet)

and

http://members2.boardhost.com/scrapbook ... 33885.html
User avatar
Jack Bennest
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 4471
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:25 pm

Postby jon » Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:22 pm

My point exactly.
User avatar
jon
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 9256
Joined: Mon May 08, 2006 10:15 am
Location: Edmonton

Postby OpenMike » Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:22 pm

from 1973

http://www.soundspark.com/dec73sixtomid.mp3


thanks to keith james..jr.

I really cant find gord on this montage but its worth the listen for the era
Geo Custer - "There are not enough Indians in the world to defeat the 7th Cavalry"
User avatar
OpenMike
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 296
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2007 5:17 pm

Postby Mike Cleaver » Mon Mar 24, 2008 8:49 pm

The news also is on the SOWNY board back east because of Gord's CFOX connection.
Mike Cleaver Broadcast Services
Engineering, News, Voice work and Consulting
Vancouver, BC, Canada

54 years experience at some of Canada's Premier Broadcasting Stations
User avatar
Mike Cleaver
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 2085
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2006 6:56 pm
Location: Vancouver

PreviousNext

Return to General Radio News

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 45 guests