Johnny Williams

Johnny Williams (not to be confused with the KHJ jock of the same name) was a Michigan radio mainstay, having spent many years at CKLW and later at WNIC-FM where his nightly "Pillow Talk" show was the number-one rated nighttime show for six consecutive years.

Williams also jocked at WTRX-FM Flint, Michigan, WOHO-FM Toledo, Ohio, WYSL-FM Buffalo, New York, and WQXL-FM Cleveland.

Johnny is playing records at CKLW on October 22, 1968. [ LISTEN ] (49:54)

Johnny opens this high quality unscoped aircheck with the Super Supremes and Love Child followed by Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones. Up next is Come On React by the Fireballs and the soulful Take Another Little Piece of My Heart by Janis Joplin and Big Brother & the Holding Company. Listen for the Michigan Mobile Radio commercial selling an 8-track player with four speakers for $48.80! More music, commercials, when Top 40 ruled the radio.

CKLW, 1982: Here's Johnny Williams with Jack London, Joe Evans, Charlie O’Brien, Ted Richards, Scott Miller, Doug Rollins and sitting Dick Purtan and Tom Ryan.

He has also served as Program Director of "The Heart,", the love channel station on XM Satellite Radio, and has been an imaging voice for XM's 50's Channel, Kids Channel, Radio Classics and Vox Channels.

Here's a Johnny Williams CKLW Montage in 1972.
[ LISTEN ] (38:10)

According to his family, Johnny Williams passed away from complications related to the COVID-19 virus on April 16, 2020.

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Red Robinson

Robert Gordon Robinson was born March 30, 1937 in Comox, British Columbia, Canada. A legendary pioneer and icon in Canadian broadcasting, Robinson was the first radio disc jockey in Canada to regularly play rock ‘n’ roll records, and one of the first in North America.

THE FOUR TUNES
"Marie"

While attending Vancouver’s King Edward High School in 1954, a 16-year-old Robinson phoned CJOR deejay Al Jordan on the air with a Jimmy Stewart impression, then followed that a week later with a Humphrey Bogart imitation. Impressed by his enthusiasm, Jordan invited the young Robinson to write scripts and do some production for his show.

His humorous impressions, along with his easy-going confidence and natural ad lib abilities, earned him an invitation from program director Vic Waters. He soon took over as the show’s DJ and played his first record, "Marie" by the Four Tunes, on November 12, 1954.

Robinson became one of the first white DJs to play so-called “race records,” incorporating African American-derived rhythm and blues and rockabilly into his show, and received insults and threats from listeners for playing music by black artists such as Ruth Brown and Lloyd Price. He would buy most of the records himself across the border in nearby Bellingham, Washington, rather than wait for them to be available in Vancouver.

CKWX

KGW

Before long Robinson was commanding killer ratings at CJOR - a 52 share at one point - as the first deejay to play rock 'n' roll on a regular basis in Canada. He did three shows a day for the princely sum of $35 a week. In 1957 - lured by a $22,000 a year offer - he moved to Vancouver Top 40 giant CKWX.

Robinson routinely generated headlines with his publicity stunts, including a whopper on the night of March 31, 1958, when he went on the air with a phony news report that a whale had washed ashore on Sunset Beach, just blocks from CKWX. He broadcast the story with the full cooperation of newsman, Jim McDonald, and repeated and updated it every ten minutes. (They) kept this up until midnight April 1st, at which point he played "A Whale of a Tale", a song from the movie "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea".

Robinson then asked Jim to go down to the beach and tell him what he saw. McDonald made the short walk, and was confronted with 15,000 angry people wondering what had become of the whale. McDonald turned tail and dashed back to the station, at which point word got out amongst the crowd of Robinson playing A Whale of a Tale. Just as he burst into Robinson’s studio to recount what he had seen, the a wave of irate beach-goers were pounding on the station’s front doors.

It was chaos. The assistant manager of the station, Sam Ross, showed up. He had been chewed out by Murray Newman, and before Robinson could say anything he was fired. Robinson hurried to the men’s room and threw up. After the mobs departed he wandered home, convinced his career was over.

The next morning, CKWX manager “Tiny” Elphicke told him to drop by the station. He stepped into Elphicke’s office. “Do you realize what you did last night?” said Elphicke. Robinson replied with a squeak. “I think so.” “No, I don’t think you do.” Elphicke opened his desk drawer and extracted the morning paper. The front-page headline stated, “Deejay creates havoc by reporting a whale on the beach—none existed.” Elphicke’s expression of stern disapproval transformed into a sly smile, and he extended his hand for Robinson to shake. “What are you going to do to top that tonight, old boy?”

Red at CFUN in April, 1962 co-hosting with Dave McCormick (on Dave's final show before he moved to KMAK.) [ LISTEN ] (21:30)

Robinson went stateside in 1959 to KGW Portland, Oregon, where he also did TV for the first time at KGW-TV. He then did a six-month stint in the U.S. Army before returning to CKWX in 1961. From 1962 to 1967, he was program director at CFUN. While there, he helped turn the station into one of the most prominent Top 40 stations in the country, and served as the MC when The Beatles played a packed Empire Stadium in 1964. In 1968, he returned to CJOR as operations manager, turning it into a successful talk radio station.

Robinson worked in sales for a year at CKLG and in 1971 he started DJ-ing the morning show at CKWX, which he continued until 1983. From 1985 to 1993 he hosted a cross-Canada oldies show called Reunion, and for Expo 86 he programmed and presented the Legends of Rock ‘n’ Roll, featuring more than 40 big-name acts like Ray Charles, the Everly Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Roy Orbison, in 13 weeks.

In 1993 Robinson began working for CISL, hosting a top-rated morning show there until 2000. Although he officially retired in 2001, he continued to host a weekly program. A devotee of the AM dial for nearly his entire life, he moved to FM for the first time in 2007 with a show on 104.9 FUN-FM, but eventually moved back to AM. He continued to play oldies on CISL's Red Rock Diner every Sunday.

KGW fan club

In 1959, Robinson took a job with KGW Radio in Portland, OR, on the condition that he also host a TV show. He got his wish, hosting Portland Bandstand on KGW TV. However, because of American draft laws, he was also required to do a six-month stint in the US Army at Fort Ord in California.

Red hosting LET’S GO in 1966
[ WATCH ]

After returning to Canada to work in radio, he became host of the CBC TV show Let’s Go/Music Hop in 1963. He introduced the country to such homegrown talent as The Guess Who, The Collectors (see Chilliwack) and Terry Jacks, until he left the show in 1966.

He was a frequent guest host of CBC TV’s Cross Canada Hit Parade and hosted CBC TV’s Trivia Challenge (1977–79). He also helped raise over $100 million for children in BC as the host of the annual Timmy’s Christmas Telethon for 23 years. His prime time Sunday movie program, Red’s Classic Theatre, was broadcast to loyal audiences in both the Lower Mainland and Pacific Northwest by Bellingham station KVOS-TV from 1989 to 2001.

Robinson also worked in the advertising world, founding Trend Advertising (later Palmer Jarvis Advertising) in 1969, which counted McDonald’s among its clients. Robinson helped open the first three McDonald’s restaurants in Canada and appeared in the company’s first Canadian TV commercial. He also co-founded Vrlak Robinson Advertising, which merged with Hayhurst Communications in 1987 to form Vrlak Robinson Hayhurst Communications Ltd., one of the largest advertising agencies in Vancouver.

At the opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1995, Robinson was one of a number of pioneering DJs honored as having a legendary impact on rock ‘n’ roll. A play called Red Rock Diner, written about Robinson’s late 1950s career by Dean Regan, has had three runs in Vancouver, as well as in Toronto, and played many other Canadian cities as well as Kansas City.

The Red Robinson Show Theater at Coquitlam’s Boulevard Casino opened in his honor in September 2006. However, controversy erupted in the fall of 2013 after it was announced that the theater would be renamed upon the rebranding of the casino as Hard Rock Casino Vancouver at the end of 2013. An online petition to stop the name change was supported by musical luminaries as Bruce Allen, Terry David Mulligan and Michael Bublé. It failed.

The Royal BC Museum in Victoria has honored Robinson as one of 132 influential British Columbians. He has donated much of his memorabilia to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and is a passionate advocate for a museum devoted to Canadian broadcasting.

Considered by many to be “Canada’s Dick Clark,” he has been a fixture on Vancouver’s radio and television scene for sixty years. Robinson has been inducted into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame, the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, and was honored as a legendary DJ by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The list of Red's additional awards includes, Broadcast Performer of the Year, BC Association of Broadcasters (1969), CAB Quarter-Century Club, Canadian Association of Broadcasters (1981), Inductee, Broadcaster Hall of Fame, The Record (1991), 100 Distinguished Citizens, North Vancouver Centennial Award (1991), Canada 125 Achievement Medal, Government of Canada (1992), Inductee, BC Entertainment Hall of Fame (1994), Inductee, Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame (1997), Inductee, Rockabilly Hall of Fame (2000), and Bruce Allen/Sam Feldman Legend Award, Vancouver Music Industry Association (2008).

WHERE DID RED WORK? Here is the list: CJOR, CKWX, KGW, CKWX, CFUN, CJOR, and CISL.

Some materials found on this page were originally published by the following: The Canadian Encyclopedia, Rock Radio Scrapbook.

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Shane Gibson

A Buffalo radio legend, Shane Gibson, also known as “The Cosmic Cowboy” and “Shane
Brother Shane,” spent more than 30 years dedicating his life in roles as both a deejay and program director all across the United States.

Gibson began his radio career in 1962 at KFWB in Los Angeles. A year later he moved to Montana working at several stations across the state. In 1967, he traveled cross country to WCOG in Greensboro, NC replacing Jack Armstrong as deejay and program director. Shortly after that, he headed back west to KGA in Spokane, WA and then KMAK in Salt Lake City, UT in 1969. Gibson finally came to Buffalo in 1973, where he came in second place after doing a one show audition at WKBW for the “Great American Talent Hunt.”

Several months later he replaced the winner as the KB night man. He continued to work in Buffalo at WYSL in 1974, then WGR until 1985, leaving as PD. He was brought back by the Rich family as program director again until 1989.

Gibson moved back to Richmond, VA to once again work at WLEE until finally leaving radio and joining the PGA in 2002. He currently serves as a golf instructor in Richmond.

On the night of March 7, 1972 Max Gibson auditioned for the night (6-10 PM) on-air slot on then 50,000 watt WKBW radio. "Shane" was one of several jocks from around the country competing to replace Jackson Armstrong, on Program Director Jeff Kaye's Great American Talent Hunt.

Shane was not the winner of the talent search, instead it went to Warren Miller known as "The Janitor". However, Kaye dumped Miller after a few months and brought back Shane, who stayed for two years before jumping to WYSL and eventually WGR.

From the day he arrived in Buffalo in 1974 for WKBW’s Great American Talent Search wearing pants with SHANE written in studs up and down the legs, to the day he ran for Common Council in Buffalo, Shane always kept the Queen City on its ear.

Shane has received many honors, including being rated the number one jock in America by Billboard Magazine in 1965 while working at KUDI in Great Falls, Montana. Gibson moved back to Richmond, VA to once again work at WLEE until finally leaving radio and joining the PGA in 2002. He later served as a golf instructor in Richmond.

There’s no way to justly describe the Cosmic Cowboy…. Buffalo’s Shane Brother Shane.

“WYSL:1975” (2:53) “WGR:1977” (6:43) “Shane Sings” (3:43)

Shane drops in on the Sandy Beach Show at WBEN on July 31, 2009.
[ LISTEN ] (51:56)

He was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2011.

His on-air presentation was always different than anybody else. He didn't copy anyone else, he was an original. In days where a lot of people had their favorite disc jockey and tried to copy them, he was his own man.

Shane passed away in Richmond, Virginia on February 15, 2021. He was 78.

Some materials found on this page were originally published by the following: All Access, Buffalo Broadcasters.

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Chuck Buell

Chuck Buell started his radio career early, building a one watt broadcaster in his bedroom at the age of 12, and working on-air while in high school in Rapid City, S.D. He came to the University of Denver in 1963, working weekends at KDAB but within a year was the afternoon jock on Denver’s premiere rock station KIMN.

While at KIMN he was prominent in KIMNs listener promotions including the famous 14 hour whirlwind trip that took 80 listeners from Denver to see the Beatles live in St. Louis during their second American tour in 1965.

KIMN 1967: Hal 'Baby' Moore, Chuck Buell, Gary Todd, and Johnny Presley

Chuck remained at KIMN for four years until lured away to WLS-AM in Chicago, where he did evenings, afternoons and became music director. He helped break hit records by then up and coming artists like Rod Stewart, Carly Simon, Elton John and John Denver.

Chuck's playing records at WLS in July 1968. Listen to [ Part 1 ] (33:21) and [ Part 2 ] (14:12)

Buell returned to KIMN in 1978, once again handling the afternoon drive slot which was crafted to be a “morning show in the afternoon”.

With Kris Stevens

WLS 1969

As AM radio began to wane in popularity, he moved to FM and a morning slot at Y108 in 1983, giving that new station instant credibility in the market. He left in 1986 for KMOX in St. Louis where he hosted morning drive and a talk show.

Buell also worked in the San Francisco, Houston, Las Vegas, Phoenix and San Diego markets. He was the station voice for KMGH Channel 7, KBTV Channel 9 and KWGN Channel 2 at various points in his career and has hosted in-flight entertainment programs for Continental Airlines. As of 2018, Chuck was still doing freelance voice work.

WHERE DID CHUCK WORK? Here is the list: KRSD, KIMM, KIMN, WLS, KFRC, KIMN, KRXY, KHTR, KMOX, KKLT, and KBZT.

Some materials found on this page were originally published by the following: Chicago Radio Spotlight, Radio Disc Jockey, Radioville.

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