Legendary broadcaster Red Robinson honoured at memorial

VANCOUVER – Nearly 300 people gathered to pay tribute to legendary broadcaster Red Robinson.

The iconic disc jockey died on April 1 after a brief illness, according to his family.

On Sunday, family and friends shared stories and said their farewells at the Commodore Ballroom, where rock-and-roll music filled the venue.

“Red Robinson wouldn’t want a somber event,” quipped Bruce Allen, a long-time friend whose own career in the music industry was inspired by Robinson. “He’d be here and he’d be the last guy left. He loved to see everybody, he’d know them by name…he’s been great for our town.”

Robinson was a fixture of Vancouver since he first hit the airwaves as a high school student.

He is credited for introducing the country to rock-and-roll music, and in 1994 he was inducted into the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame.

He was also appointed the order of British Columbia and Vancouver proclaimed his 80th birthday as Red Robinson Day on March 30, 2017.

In his storied career of 63 years, he was also a television broadcaster and built an ad agency.

For Kellie Robinson, he was just dad.

“I was probably 11 when I realized my dad doesn’t do the same thing every other dad does,” she said.

She said no matter how busy her father got, he always made sure to spend time with the family on weekends.

“I had an awesome childhood. Not many people get to go to concerts and then go backstage and meet the people that you’re watching. A lot of these entertainers were my father’s friends: the John Cashes and the Glen Campbells,” she said.

Robinson inspired generations of broadcasters and music lovers.

Al Murdoch remembers the first time he had contact with Robinson.

The first time he produced Robinson’s reunion show, he got a phone call from the icon saying he was doing a good job.

“They say you should never meet your heroes because you’d be disappointed, and Red never disappointed. He was always the nicest man, would go out of his way to help anybody in whatever pursuits that they were doing,” said Al Murdoch. “He inspired me not to just be a broadcaster, but to be a good person.”

Robinson was 86.