Red Robinson, Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer and legendary Vancouver DJ, has died
Legendary Vancouver disc jockey Red Robinson has died, his family announced Saturday.
"With deep sadness and broken hearts, we bring the news that our beloved dad, Red Robinson, passed this morning at 8:15 a.m. after a brief illness," wrote Kellie and Sherrie Robinson in a message on Facebook.
Robinson first made a name for himself in the 1950s, playing rock 'n' roll music before it hit the mainstream.
In 1957, he emceed Elvis Presley's only concert in Vancouver. Seven years later, he did the same when The Beatles came to town.
In 1995, Robinson was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.
Robinson was a fixture on Metro Vancouver airwaves for more than six decades, finally retiring in 2017 at age 80, after 63 years in broadcasting.
"Most people knew our dad as a rock 'n' roll DJ, a TV personality, an ad agency owner, a spokesperson, or through his philanthropic work," he family wrote.
"He was larger-than-life in a lot of ways, but to us he was a devoted father and grandfather, a loving husband to our late mom Carole, and a loyal friend to everybody."
In 2006, the casino in Coquitlam – then known as Boulevard Casino – named its 1,100-seat theatre the Red Robinson Show Theatre.
When the casino's owners rebranded as the Hard Rock Casino a few years later, thousands of people signed a petition urging them to keep Robinson's name on the venue. Local crooner Michael Bublé was among those outraged by the decision, telling CTV News at the time that he was "livid."
"Red Robinson has meant a lot to me," Bublé said at the time. "But the truth is it’s more than that. It’s not a personal thing in a way, it’s bigger than that. I’m a very proud Vancouverite, I love this city, and we’re talking about an icon."
Speaking to CTV News on the day of his last broadcast, the icon himself was much less grandiose about his legacy.
"I'd just like to thank everybody for putting up with me for six decades," he said at the time.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Boeing 737 catches fire and skids off the runway at a Senegal airport, injuring 10 people
A Boeing 737-300 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 10 people, according to the transport minister, an airline safety group and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire.
Canadian-Israeli man shot dead in Egypt; claim links killing to Gaza
A Canadian man 'of Jewish Israeli descent' has been shot dead in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in a suspected criminal case, a security source said, while a previously unknown militant group said it carried out the attack in reaction to the war in Gaza.