Yesterday I got a call from my friend who spent years in radio to tell me Red Robinson passed away. If you don't know Red Robinson, he was an icon on Vancouver radio and the first disc jockey to play rock and roll on a regular basis in Canada in 1954.
He introduced Elvis Presley at his Vancouver concert on August 31, 1957 at Empire Stadium. He continued to introduce all the rock and roll stars in Vancouver as they performed including the Beatles in August 1964.
Red was on radio and television. He continued in the music business for 63 years, retiring in 2017 at the age of 80. He was honoured with:
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994
- Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame in 1997
- Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 2000
- In September 2006, he opened the Red Robinson Show Theatre at the Boulevard Casino in Coquitlam
- In 2005 he was presented with the Bruce Allen/Sam Feldman Legend Award for his support in the music industry
- In 2008 he was honoured by the Royal British Columbia Museum
- In June 2012 he was given an honorary degree at the University of the Fraser Valley
- In July 2016 he was given the Order of British Columbia
My friends and I all listened to Red, followed his career and loved everything he did. He was such a part of my life, I feel so sad. He was married to the same lady for 57 years until her death in 2020. They had two daughters and he was a wonderful family man. Here is the family announcement posted last night on Facebook:
From Kellie and Sherrie Robinson:
"With deep sadness and broken hearts, we bring the news that our beloved Dad, Red Robinson passed this morning at 8:15am after a brief illness. We're so glad we got to spend his final moments with him, and having his brother Bill there made it extra special.
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 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.
Red's departure leaves a huge hole in our lives, as well as the lives of everybody he touched in the worlds of radio, TV, music and entertainment. An event celebrating his amazing life will be announced soon, and we invite you to share your memories here on Facebook.
We can't think of a better way to sum up Dad's life than the lyrics to one his favourite Elvis songs, "If I Can Dream":
Out there in the dark, there's a beckoning candle... and while I can think, while I can talk, while I can stand, while I can walk... while I can dream, oh, please let my dream come true... right now."
