times

In my lifetime there have been times, or more accurately, events, that have happened to me that have shaped the way I think, changed my direction significantly or made me take a second, or two, and say, ‘wow, that happened…” I remember meeting Alan Trammel (albeit briefly) – World Series MVP and Detroit Tiger shortstop – at Tiger Stadium in 1986 and thinking I was meeting someone of a particular greatness. The same feeling came over me when I met Tony Bennett in one of the hallways at CBC after he had finished an interview with Vicki Gabereau and, as he shook my hand and asked how I was, I felt a little in awe and slightly shocked at the same time. I remember getting a few line e.mail from Tom Snyder after I had found his address and had sent him a note saying how much his work meant to me. I wish I still had that e.mail. It was short but it meant the world to me. In and around 1990 I came home from work and as I was checking my answering machine I had another of these moments as it began to reel off the messages of that day. One was the voice of David Wisdom, host of CBC’s ‘Nightlines’ (a show I was a listener of…) and he was, in his way, saying he know who I was, and I kinda knew who he was, and that I should give him a call and, well, that I should call him. I played this message over and over, for me, for my friends, for my girlfriend, for anyone who’d listen.
I met with David one afternoon, and while he ate a Ruben sandwich, we talked about radio and how the powers that be thought he should have a co-host or sidekick or at the very least someone who could come in when he was on vacation and do the show. Was I interested? I remember feeling like I had been drafted. I was being asked if I’d like to play music on the radio and talk and get paid for it. Before my brain could even really assess what had been asked of me the word ‘yes’ was coming out of my mouth. I gave no regard to my current work schedule at the printing house I was working at. Why would I? I was being asked to work with David Wisdom. At CBC. Home of Vicki Gabereau and such. My cheque would be signed by the same person who signed David’s and Vicki’s. I was all in.
As the years went on I hosted Nightlines a fair bit, did spots very regularly, became good friends with David, did spots on other shows – both am and fm (Early Edition, Afternoon Show, Radio Sonic, Reatime, etc.) – and had a great time within the walls of the CBC on Hamilton st. and I always felt proud of being able to work along side, shit privileged, David, who in my eyes – and those of many others – was the Canadian equivalent of England’s John Peel.
Then as life does sometimes, things went awry at CBC for many, me included. And while I’m not going to go into the details here, I will say this, it was shitty. And with that my relationship with David kinda fell away as well, in fact, as of this writing, I have not seen David for five years but still regard him very highly.
I’m not sure what happened but I do know the last time I saw him. It was at my 40th birthday party that I celebrated at the Topanga with a bunch of my closest pals. David and Connie – David’s amazing wife – showed-up and then, after looking around, said they were just gonna go for a walk and come back in a bit, they never did. Mutual friends of ours tell me that it’s nothing, that he still speaks of me fondly and that I’ve done nothing that life just goes that way sometimes. I agree with that.
We were suppose to have lunch one day a couple of years back that I failed to make it to, my fault, and since then there has been talk of other dinners but nothing has materialized, and there’s a part of me that’s ok with that.
David changed my life in a huge fashion and I will forever be thankful for my time spent with him talking about music, women, more music and life in general. He introduced me to people, some famous, some not I still see and know and others I am glad to have met even if it was only once.
Why all this?
Well, David wisdom is having a show of his photographs beginning may 17th at the Teck Gallery, SFU Vancouver Campus, 515 Hastings st. Photos taken between 1970 and 1975 of Vancouver during that time. You should go and see it.
I hope that wasn’t too painful – my little trip down memory lane – but I just thinking about David and me and radio and life and stuff….

Have a great Friday.

g. xo