The Passing of Founder Red Robinson

Red Robinson was a treasure to his family, to the City of Vancouver, our Province, his friends, and our BC Entertainment Hall of Fame of which he was one of the founders.

A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, a recipient of the Order of British Columbia, Red’s latter day honours and tributes are almost too numerous to imagine. And yet he treasured every single one of them, just as he treasured every fan, every meeting, every experience in his long and storied career.

There is a moment in many Hollywood movies and TV shows where “the kid” opens his mouth or drops a needle onto a record and rock and roll is born in some uptight town. For Red, that moment was reality. He was on the air on CJOR while he was still in high school. After moving to CKWX, he met and interviewed some of the biggest legends in the business. Roy Orbison was a friend, Buddy Holly became a treasured memory, Elvis Presley handcuffed him to a shower rod after posing for a photo with a teddy bear, and John Lennon told him to “Get the fuck off our stage!” when he was introducing the Beatles and trying to calm the crowd.

Red was there for the excitement as a new type of music swept the world. And Red understood, better than most, the pull of that excitement. He remembered it and it burned within him through the rest of his life. I was very lucky to count Red as a friend and to have spent time with him through the years – sometimes on shows, sometimes at lunch. I have both of his books (you should get them) and the good fortune of having witnessed and even being inspired by that excitement, that enthusiasm. I can’t come up with a direct quote right now, but Red Robinson understood and appreciated the fans, the kids – and later adults – who chose to pour their allowance money – and later their wages – into records and concerts that connected with them, that entertained them.

And he had a long career on TV and radio. Red Robinson graced our airwaves until retirement in 2017. And even after that, he worked with family and colleagues putting together a podcast that will soon be available and will detail and celebrate his incredible love for music and the stories to which that love gave birth.

As a founding member of the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame, Red was a visionary intent upon perpetuating a legacy for entertainment in the Province. The world recognized him, BC recognized him, and while it pains me to write in the hours after his passing, we all should take a moment to recognize him for all that he brought to this place – the music, the memories, and the magic.

Red’s darling wife Carole of almost six decades predeceased him and the greatest feeling that any of us can have now is that Red and Carole are, at last, reunited. His daughters Kellie and Sheri remain to remember him and to live as only a Robinson really can!

Thanks for the memories, Red. Thanks for the music. Thanks for the entertainment. And thanks for your friendship.

Bill Allman
President, BC Entertainment Hall of Fame