Local broadcasting icon Red Robinson will say goodbye to the radio biz during a special four-hour show later this month.
Robinson will close his six-decade career in broadcasting on Sunday, Aug. 27 starting at noon, on the 鈥渙ldies鈥� station that has employed him in recent years.
The station will switch to an all-sports format in September, prompting Robinson鈥檚 departure from the radio business.
The so-long show will feature special guests Pat O鈥橠ay, a Seattle radio legend, and Bruce Allen, the brash talent manager. They鈥檒l help Red celebrate with a mix of music, memories and fun.
Although Robinson is quitting the radio biz, he鈥檒l continue to entertain at and other online channels.
Robinson鈥檚 autobiography, , was released by Harbour Publishing in 2016.
Earlier this year, in an interview with the Now-Leader, Robinson said he learned the meaning of courage from his son Jeff, who silently struggled with the pain of Crohn鈥檚 disease.
Jeff Robinson was 33 years old when the gastrointestinal disease claimed his life more than a decade ago.
In May, the West Fine Art Show paid tribute to Jeff with a memorial display at the annual event, held at Cloverdale Fairgrounds during the rodeo and country fair.
Red Robinson and his wife, Carole, have been backers of the foundation for many years, in honour of their departed son.
鈥淛eff had Crohn鈥檚 since he was 10,鈥� Robinson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a dozen years ago now since he died. You don鈥檛 want to lose a kid, I鈥檒l tell you that. It never leaves me, it鈥檚 sad.鈥�
READ MORE: , from March 2017
In 1957, Robinson was a high-school teen who found his voice as one of the first DJs in Vancouver to play rock 鈥榥鈥� roll records.
His Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-worthy story was told in 鈥淩ed Rock Diner,鈥� a musical that has played in Surrey several times, most recently in the fall of 2015 in an Arts Club on Tour production.
Back in 1998, the original production of the musical starred a young crooner named Michael Bubl茅 when the show toured to Surrey Arts Centre and other theatres in the region.
鈥淚 remember him well in that original production, and he was great,鈥� Robinson said in the fall of 2015.
鈥淚 went with the show to Toronto and the guy who played the Elvis-like character (Val) was Michael.鈥�
Later, when Bruce Allen sought Robinson鈥檚 opinion about whether he should manage Bubl茅鈥檚 music career, the broadcaster was firm and convincing.
鈥淪o I鈥檓 in Bruce鈥檚 office and (producers) Paul Anka and David Foster are on a conference call,鈥� Robinson recalled. 鈥淪o I tell them, 鈥榃hen Bubl茅 played 鈥楻ed Rock Diner,鈥� all the girls at the stage door were yelling for Michael 鈥� like, does that tell you something?鈥� And at the other end of the phone, Anka says, 鈥楪od, that brings back memories,鈥欌�� Robinson said with a laugh. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 take credit for Bruce signing him, but he did believe me that I thought this kid was a star. Bruce said it wasn鈥檛 his kind of music, but I told him it would be. He signed Michael (to an artist-management contract) and the rest is history.鈥�
READ MORE: from October 2015
The hit musical was written by Dean Regan, who roamed the hallways of King Edward high school with Robinson in the mid-1950s.
鈥淚 hadn鈥檛 seen him in years but he said he wanted to write a musical about me and those days,鈥� Robinson said of his mid-1990s conversation with Regan. 鈥淪o he wrote it, and we talked many times about those days, what happened, all the stories.
鈥淏ut yes, it鈥檚 flattering as hell, and when I hear some of the corny lines I used, I turn red in places other than my hair,鈥� he added with a laugh. 鈥淏ut that鈥檚 just how it was, and you gotta do it accurately.鈥�
