John Ashbridge passes.

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John Ashbridge passes.

Postby Russ_Byth » Tue Jun 05, 2018 9:57 pm

Seeing many posts on Twitter that former CKNW news guy and P. A. voice of the Canucks John Ashbridge has passed away. I had the pleasure of working with John for a number of years at NW. He was always encouraging and just a nice guy. Rest in Peace my friend


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Re: John Ashbridge passes.

Postby radiofan » Tue Jun 05, 2018 10:10 pm

Wow. Sad news indeed. I just had a call from Gord Lansdell with the news.Not a lot of details yet, buy apparently, John's cause of death was cancer. He was in his early 70s.

Condolences to Yvonne and John's family.

Another longtime co-worker and friend gone way too soon. R.I.P. Ash.
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Re: John Ashbridge passes.

Postby kal » Tue Jun 05, 2018 10:24 pm

Who can forget his irreverent Crimestoppers public service announcements?
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Re: John Ashbridge passes.

Postby kal » Tue Jun 05, 2018 10:39 pm

And somewhat a shame that CKNW was rather late with the announcement, well behind that from News1130 and AM650.
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Re: John Ashbridge passes.

Postby Mike Cleaver » Tue Jun 05, 2018 11:05 pm

I loved working with John at CKNW.
Every shift with him was a joy with his great sense of humour and vast knowledge of broadcasting.
A real pro and all around nice guy.
John talks about his radio career in this interview I did with him a few years ago.
Go to bcradiohistory.com and click on Interviews by Cleaver, then scroll down to John's name.
My condolences to Yvonne and family.
He will be missed.
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Engineering, News, Voice work and Consulting
Vancouver, BC, Canada

54 years experience at some of Canada's Premier Broadcasting Stations
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Re: John Ashbridge passes.

Postby Jack Bennest » Wed Jun 06, 2018 6:21 am

http://www.oliverdailynews.com/biz-page-2/ashbarker.jpg

Caught off guard on this one

Spent a lot of summer visits with John and Barker. What a shock

John was John on the mike at Nw and at a hockey game - but a lot of fun off the air. Very funny guy.

Condolences to Yvonne.
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Re: John Ashbridge passes.

Postby Tom Jeffries » Wed Jun 06, 2018 9:46 am

Very sorry to have a great Vancouver Radio voice stilled, with the loss of John Ashbridge. My condolences to his wife Yvonne, his Family and his many friends.
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Re: John Ashbridge passes.

Postby Talker » Wed Jun 06, 2018 10:39 am

Another great friend and broadcaster has left us all behind. A great voice and a wonderful human being has passed at age 71.
RIP my friend. You will be missed.
Condolences to Yvonne and family.
Now, John, you have an opportunity to catch up on all the sleep you missed over the years. Rest well.
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Re: John Ashbridge passes.

Postby kal » Wed Jun 06, 2018 11:08 am

Kudos to CBC/Early Edition/Stephen Quinn for running an extended segment on John Ashbridge today. Not sure if 'NW ran anything similar. Fitting I suppose that both Stephen Quinn and this morning's CBC news reader, Drew Kerekes, both worked with Ashbridge at 'NW.
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Re: John Ashbridge passes.

Postby crs » Wed Jun 06, 2018 9:02 pm

when i think of iconic NHL PA announcers, three always come to mind. in no particular order...the breathy guy from Maple Leaf Gardens, Montreal Forum announcer's booming voice in both languages (i still mimic his "la troiseme etoile...the tird star") and Ashbridge raising the roof at the Pacific Coliseum....your Van-COOOOO-ver Canucks. No we have to contend with the rock star screaming announcer who best belongs at a Monster Truck event.

Thanks Ashbridge for being part of many a Van-COOOOO-ver Canucks game experience!
Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars!
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Re: John Ashbridge passes.

Postby Laterider » Wed Jun 06, 2018 9:58 pm

I have a lot of fond memories of John. During Expo 86 John managed the CKNW studios on the site for the international broadcasters. Also doing the Socred convention in Whistler that same year when we put an illegal FM transmitter on the air at the convention center to do the Bannerman show from the site. John was the only non engineering staff member to have keys to the engineering rack room. John could patch around any problem while the engineers were away.
John was a great guy and will be missed.
M sincere condolences to Yvonne and family.
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Re: John Ashbridge passes.

Postby The Unknown Copywriter » Wed Jun 06, 2018 10:32 pm

I never had the opportunity to share a station with John, but we did have a chuckle many a time in the preamble or aftermath of a satellite spot feed back in the 90's, which John would usually quarterback. For you youngin's, you'd need to go into the newsroom and ask nicely to commandeer one of their reel-to-reels to patch into the feed, and make sure you grabbed a reel long enough...without splices. (John: "All right stations, coming down are 3x30 for your BC Ford and Mercury Dealers. Roll tape...". Then, occasionally, after one or two generous re-sends, "OK, just for Prince George..."

If you want to catch John in action, watch "Miracle"...he has a role doing TV play-by-play.
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Re: John Ashbridge passes.

Postby Richard Skelly » Thu Jun 07, 2018 4:06 am

Gone at much too young an age. John will forever be in the pantheon of great CKNW voices.

We’ll see how well or poorly NW salutes its fallen alumnus. I hope the Vancouver Canucks, usually a very classy operation, arranges some pregame tribute this fall. John helped send fans’ spirits soaring when the team did well. His smooth delivery helped console when the Canucks slumped.

Godspeed, John Ashbridge.
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Re: John Ashbridge passes.

Postby radiofan » Tue Jun 12, 2018 6:59 pm

Great John Ashbridge story in The Globe & Mail ...

Announcer John Ashbridge, 71, was the velvet voice of Vancouver hockey
TOM HAWTHORN
SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL
UPDATED: 1 DAY AGO JUNE 11, 2018


John Ashbridge, the public-address announcer for hockey’s Vancouver Canucks for more than three decades, was an unseen but omniscient presence.

From his perch high above the ice, he announced goals, assists, penalties, lineups, attendance and the “last minute to play in this period” in a baritone so rich it was compared to that of James Earl Jones, a basso profundo. On august occasions, he recited the accomplishments of star players. Sometimes, he scolded fans for throwing debris or otherwise misbehaving.

Mr. Ashbridge, who has died three days before his 72nd birthday, served as the Voice of God for hockey fans on the West Coast, fulfilling a role in an elite fraternity whose membership has included such revered figures as Paul Morris in Toronto and the late Claude Mouton in Montreal, a bilingual broadcaster after whom a street has been named not far from the Olympic Stadium.

Mr. Ashbridge’s stentorian tones were a familiar part of the experience for patrons at the Pacific Coliseum and GM Place (now Rogers Arena). He was also the voice of the Vancouver Giants junior hockey team and served as a hockey announcer during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

In the 2004 movie Miracle, which starred Kurt Russell as the coach of underdog American collegians who defeat stern Soviet skaters, Mr. Ashbridge played the role of “American Announcer,” providing play-by-play for scenes filmed on the ice at the Pacific Coliseum. “Talk about being typecast!” he quipped in mock outrage.

The announcer was known for rarely flubbing his lines, though a goal in 2007 by Milan Lucic from Wacey Rabbit and Michal Repik proved to be a tongue-twister. On a second try, the announcer properly enunciated the goal by MEE-lan LOO-sihk with assists to WAY-see RA-biht and MEE-kahl REH-pihk.

For his part, Mr. Lucic, who was born in Vancouver and currently plays for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League, said hearing his name called by Mr. Ashbridge was a dream come true.

John Edward Ashbridge was born on June 8, 1946, in southeast England in the town of Hastings. “As in Battle of,” he liked to say. The former Florence Elizabeth (Betty) Sparks and Edward Ryder Ashbridge, a carpenter, immigrated to Canada before the boy’s second birthday. They lived in Ontario before settling on Vancouver Island, where he attended school in Lantzville, Nanaimo and Victoria.

Read the full story at: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/amp/spo ... ssion=true
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