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This Is The Place To Reflect Your Memories Of The Big 8 CKLW And Old School AM Top 40 Radio In General.

28/09/2025

Today’s Big 8 Radio Music Datebook Sept 28
Those born on this date include: blues queen Koko Taylor (“Wang Dang Doodle”) in 1928
Former Drifters front man Ben. E. King in 1938
Elbridge ‘Al’ Bryant of the Temptations in 1939
Songwriter and harmonica man Norton Buffalo in 1951
***People we lost on this day were Liverpool rocker Rory Storm (& The Hurricanes) in 1972
Jazz legend Miles Davis in 1991
Frankie Ford (“Sea Cruise”) in 2015
"Dr." Lonnie Smith, jazz Hammond B3 organist (George Benson Quartet; Lou Donaldson) and UK singer Barry Ryan (“Eloise”) in 2021
Singer/songwriter/actor Kris Kristofferson in 2024

27/09/2025

Art Vuolo,Jr. had his Big 80 birthday celebration today. Plenty of radio types were in force to celebrate. This was a very clever gift - and I don’t know who brought it. Jo-Jo and I are holding it up.

27/09/2025

Today’s Big 8 Radio Music Datebook Sept 27
Those born on this date include: Mar-Keys sax man Don Nix (“Last Night”) in 1941
Randy Bachman of the Guess Who, Brave Belt & BTO, and Detroit music producer, songwriter and arranger, Dale Warren (“Love Makes the World Go Round”) in 1943
Meat Loaf in 1947
Men At Work sax man Greg Ham (“Down Under”) in 1953
Shawn Cassidy in 1958
**People we lost on this day were Wings bassist/guitarist Jimmy McCullough in 1979
Metallica bassist Cliff Burton in 1986
Dale Houston of Dale & Grace (“I'm Leaving It Up to You”) in 2007
Rockets bassist John Fraga in 2010
Motown songwriter Frank Wilson (“Love Child”) in 2012
Lenny O'Henry (“Across the Street”) in 2013
Crusaders bassist/sax player Wilton Felder (session musician MotownWest LA / Steely Dan / Joni Mitchell / Bobby Womack / Billy Joel) in 2015
Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane/Starship in 2018
Songwriter/producer Bob Esty (“Last Dance”) in 2019

26/09/2025

Today’s Big 8 Radio Music Datebook Sept 26
Those born on this date include: George Gershwin (“Rhapsody In Blue”) in 1898
John Zacherle (“Dinner with Drac”) in 1918
Marty Robbins (“El Paso”) in 1925
Singer/actress Julie London (“Cry Me a River”, Emergency) in 1926
Chambers Brothers bassist George Chambers in 1931
Country singer David Frizzell, and Youngbloods drummer Joe Bauer in 1941
Roxy Music lead singer Bryan Ferry in 1945
Lynn Anderson (“Rose Garden”) in 1947
Olivia Newton-John in 1948
***People we lost on this day were blues legend Bessie Smith in 1937
Billy Vaughn (“Autumn Leaves”, “Swingin' Safari”) in 1991
Flint-born jazz singer Betty Carter (“Baby It's Cold Outside”) in 1998
Lyricist Carl Sigman (“It's All In the Game”) in 2000
Robert Palmer in 2003
Original Small faces keyboard player, Jimmy Winston in 2020
Status Quo bassist Alan Lancaster, and George Frayne (Commander Cody & The Lost Planet Airmen) in 2021

25/09/2025

Today’s Big 8 Radio Music Datebook Sept 25
Those born on this date include: Shel Silverstein, writer and cartoonist (Now Here's My Plan: A Book of Futilities; The Giving Tree) and songwriter ("A Boy Named Sue"; "The Cover Of The Rolling Stone"), in 1930
Glenn Gould, Canadian classical pianist (Bach's Goldberg Variations) and broadcaster (Solitude Trilogy) in 1932
Ian Tyson, Canadian folk singer-songwriter (Ian & Sylvia – “Lovin’ Sound”) and Erik Darling, folk musician (Rooftop Singers) in 1933
(Jules) Gary Alexander, rock vocalist and guitarist (Association - "Cherish") and John Locke, rock keyboardist (Spirit - "I Got A Line On You") in 1943
Onnie McIntyre, Scottish guitarist (Average White Band - "Pick Up The Pieces") in 1945
***Those we lost on this date include: Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham in 1980
Pop singer Andy Williams in 2012
Rod Temperton, British pop musician (Heatwave) and songwriter ("Boogie Nights"; "Thriller"; "Give Me the Night"; "Yah Mo B There") in 2016

24/09/2025

Today’s Big 8 Radio Music Datebook
Those born on this date include: bluesman Blind Lemon Jefferson in 1893
Ventures drummer Mel Taylor (“Walk Don't Run”) in 1933
Barbara Allbut of the Angels in 1940
Linda McCartney of Wings in 1941
Gerry & Pacemakers front man, Gerry Marsden, and Phyllis Allbut of the Angels in 1941
Detroit-born Gospel singer Cedric Dent of Take 6 in 1962
***People we lost on this day were Larry Hall (“Sandy”) in 1997
George Hilliard of the Tymes (“So Much In Love”) in 2014
Buckwheat Zydeco in 2016
(Farrell) "Pharoah" Sanders, American jazz saxophonist (John Coltrane groups), and composer (Karma) in 2022

23/09/2025

Today’s Big 8 Radio Music Datebook Sept 23
Those born on this date include: sax great John Coltrane in 1926
The 'Genius', Ray Charles in 1930
Jazz piano great Les McCann (“Compared to What”) in 1935
Blues guitarist Roy Buchannan in 1939
Walter Scott of the Whispers, Lovin' Spoonful bassist Steve Boone, and singer Julio Iglesias in 1943
Singer/actor Paul Petersen (Donna Reed Show, “My Dad”) in 1945
Alice Cooper drummer Neal Smith, and Sugarloaf front man Jerry Corbetta (“Green-Eyed Lady”)/Four Seasons Tour band in 1947
"The Boss", Bruce Springsteen in 1949
***People we lost on this day were Average White Band drummer Robbie McIntosh in 1974
Country singer Jimmy Wakely in 1953
Country singer O.B. McClinton in 1987
Blues guitarist Etta Baker in 2006
Grateful Dead songwriter Robert Hunter in 2019
WS Holland, drummer (Carl Perkins / Johnny Cash) in 2020
Singer Sue Thompson (“Norman”) and [Alfred] "P*e Wee" Ellis, jazz, funk, and rock saxophonist, arranger (James Brown; Van Morrison; Maceo Parker), and songwriter ("The Chicken"; "Cold Sweat") in 2021
Terry Kirkman, rock vocalist, songwriter, and keyboardist (The Association - "Windy"; "Cherish") in 2023
Freddie Salem, rock guitarist (The Outlaws, 1977-83 - "Ghost Riders in the Sky") in 2024

21/09/2025

Today’s Big 8 Radio Music Datebook
Those born on this date include: Flint-born Don Preston of the Mothers of Invention in 1932
Songwriter Leonard Cohen (“Suzanne”) in 1934
Dickie Lee (“Patches”) in 1936
Motown singer G.C. Cameron of The Spinners (“It's a Shame”) / The Temptations (2003-07) in 1945
Don Felder of the Eagles in 1947
Midland, Michigan-born Bobby Randall of Sawyer Brown in 1952
***People we lost on this day were singer/actor Walter Brennan (“Old Rivers”, Real McCoys) in 1974
Jaco Pastorius of Weather Report in 1987
Spanky & Our Gang guitarist Oz Bach in 1998
Singer/bassist Boz Burrell of King Crimson and Bad Company in 2006
Ohio Express guitarist Doug Grassel in 2013
Trumpet man Ben Cauley, the only surviving member of the 1967 plane crash that killed Otis Redding & the other members of the Bar-Kays in 2015
Singer/songwriter John D. Loudermilk (“Indian Reservation”) in 2016
Roy Head (“Treat Her Right”), and Tommy DeVito of the 4 Seasons in 2020
Ray Edenton, first call Nashville session guitarist in 2022

20/09/2025

Today’s Big 8 Radio Music Datebook Sept 20
Those born on this date include: jazz drummer Chico Hamilton in 1921
Gogi Grant (“Wayward Wind”) in 1924
Bobby Nunn of the Robins & Coasters in 1925
Sylvia Peterson of the Chiffons and Manfred Mann's Earth Band guitarist Mick Rogers in 1946
Chuck & John Panozzo of Styx in 1948
***People we lost on this day were Jim Croce in 1973
Singer/songwriter Steve Goodman (“City of New Orleans”) in 1984
Drummer Tim Davis (Steve Miller Band) in 1988
Songwriter Jule Styne (“Let It Snow”) in 1994
Nappy Brown (“Don't Be Angry”) in 2008
Sara Dash of Labelle in 2021
Katherine Anderson Schaffner, singer (The Marvelettes - "Please Mr. Postman") in 2023

19/09/2025

Today’s Big 8 Radio Music Datebook Sept 19
Those born on this date include: Billy Ward (“Star Dust”) in 1921
Nick Massi of the 4 Seasons in 1927
Brook Benton (“Rainy Night In Georgia”) in 1931
Beatles manager Brian Epstein in 1934
Bill Medley of the Paramours/Righteous Brothers, Canadian singer Sylvia (Fricker) Tyson, and songwriter/actor Paul Williams (“We've Only Just Begun”) in 1940
Mama Cass (“Make Your Own Kind Of Music”) in 1941
Detroiter Freda Payne (“Band of Gold”) in 1942
Status Quo drummer John Coghlan in 1946
Lol Creme of Hotlegs/10CC (“I'm Not In Love”)/Godley & Creme in 1947
Nile Rodgers of Chic in 1952
Singer/actor Rex Smith in 1955
***People we lost on this day were country star Red Foley in 1968
Gram Parsons of the Byrds/Flying Burrito Brothers in 1973
Skeeter Davis (“The End of the World”) in 2004
Motown songwriter/producer Willie Hutch (“I'll Be There”) in 2005
Champs sax man Danny Flores (“Tequila”) in 2006
Pianist Arthur Ferrante of Ferrante & Teicher, in 2009
Johnny Dawson of the Elgins (“Put Yourself In My Place”) in 2018
Motorhead guitarist Larry Wallis in 2019
Uriah Heep drummer Lee Kerslake in 2020

18/09/2025

Today’s Big 8 Radio Music Datebook Sept 18
Those born on this date include: singer Jimmie Rodgers (“Honeycomb”) in 1933
Frankie Avalon (“Venus”) in 1940
Singer Michael Franks (“Popsicle Toes”) in 1944
Ace lead guitarist Alan King (“How Long”) in 1946
Kerry Livgren of Kansas in 1949
Dee Dee Ramone in 1951
***People we lost on this day were bluesman Blind Willie Jefferson in 1945
Jimi Hendrix in 1970
Amboy Dukes bassist Greg Arama (“Journey to the Center of Your Mind”) in 1979
MC5 lead singer Rob Tyner (“Kick Out the Jams”) in 1991
Funk Brothers keyboardist Earl Van D**e in 1992
Blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon (“Who's Next”) in 1997
Singer Charlie Foxx (Charlie & Inez Foxx) in 1998
"Please Mr. Postman" songwriter Georgia Dobbins in 2018
Pamela Hutchinson of the Emotions in 2020

18/09/2025

Sept. 18 is a bittersweet day in CKLW history. It marks the birthdate of celebrated Music Director Rosalie Trombley in 1939 and the passing of the great DJ Brother Bill Gable in 2018.

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The Big 8 - A Legend.

Over 50 years ago the Drake Format debuted on what was already a powerhouse radio station in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. This 50,000 watt station’s signal travelled not just up and down the East Coast of Canada and the USA, but into the mid-west and even skipping across the ocean to Europe. The memories of growing up listening to The Big 8 in The Motor City remain strong in thousands of radio fans. Thank you for voting CKLW The Big the “Best Top 40 Radio Station of All-Time” (Inside Radio 2017 poll).

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Hits Just Keep On Comin’!