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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.

02/12/2025

Today’s Big 8 Radio Music Datebook Dec 2
Those born on this date include: bandleader and sax great, Charlie Ventura in 1916
Ted Bluechel of the Association (“Along Comes Mary”) in 1942
***People we lost on this day were singer/actor Desi Arnaz in 1981
Composer Aaron Copeland in 1990
Valorie Jones of the Jones Girls (“You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else”) in 2001
Shocking Blue lead singer Mariska Veres (“Venus”) in 2006
Folk singer Odetta in 2008
Songwriter/keyboardist Eric Woolfson of The Alan Parsons Project in 2009
Howard Tate (“Baby I Love You”) in 2011
Rolling Stones/Joe Cocker and session sax player Bobby Keys in 2014
Mike Maxfield, British rock guitarist and songwriter (Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas) in 2023

01/12/2025

Today’s Big 8 Radio Music Datebook Dec 1
Those born on this date include: Lou Rawls (“You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine”) in 1933
Billy Paul (“Me and Mrs. Jones”) in 1934
Drummer Sandy Nelson (“Let There Be Drums”) in 1938
Capitols lead singer Samuel George (“Cool Jerk”) in 1942
Doors drummer John Densmore, and Eric Bloom of Blue Oyster Cult in 1944
Singer/actress Bette Midler in 1945
Gilbert O'Sullivan (“Alone Again Naturally”) in 1946
***People we lost on this day were music publisher Fred Rose in 1954
Chicago bluesman Magic Sam in 1969
Singer Lee Dorsey (“Ride Your Pony”, Working In the Coal Mine”) in 1986
Pilot, Alan Parsons and Bay City Rollers keyboardist Billy Lyall in 1989
Black Sabbath (1986-87) singer Ray Gillen and Peter Wood, English session and touring rock keyboardist and songwriter (Sutherland Bros and Quiver; Al Stewart; Joan Armatrading; Lou Reed) in 1993
Irving Gordon, American songwriter ("Unforgettable"; "Me, Myself, And I") in 1996

01/12/2025

Busy Monday on the go so get those request in for Friday's show! 50's, 60's or 70's hit sides.
Catch you Friday at Noon and 7pm eastern. Sunday at Noon eastern.
Streaming at www.big8radio.com

30/11/2025

Coming up on this week's Top 10 at 10 show it's the hits from the week of Nov. 30 , 1970. We'll use CKLW Big 30 chart #192. Featured on the cover? George Harrison - who just happened to pass away many years later (Nov. 29, 2001) same week.
Catch the countdown streaming Tuesday at 10am/10pm at www.big8radio.com

30/11/2025

Happy birthday this week to former Big 8 DJ (and prior to that Tom Shannon's producer in the 60's): Len Robinson!

29/11/2025

Today’s Big 8 Radio Music Datebook Nov 29
Those born on this date include: songwriter Merle Travis (“16 Tons” in 1917
British blues singer John Mayall of The Bluesbreakers in 1933
Meco Monardo (“Star Wars/ Cantina Band”) and singer Bobbi Martin (“For the Love of Him”) in 1939
Denny Doherty of the Mugwumps/Mamas & Papas, and Chuck Mangione (“Feels So Good”) in 1940
Country singer Jody Miller (“Queen of the House”) in 1941
Rascals front man Felix Cavaliere (Groovin’”) in 1944
Guitarist Ronnie Montrose in 1947
Boston guitarist Barry Goudreau in 1951.
***People we lost on this day were Ray Smith (“Rockin' Little Angel”) in 1979
Former Beatle / Traveling Wilbury George Harrison (“My Sweet Lord”) in 2001
Dick Dodd of the Standells (“Dirty Water”) in 2013
Songwriter Irving Burgie (“Jamaica Farewell”, “Banana Boat Song”) in 2019

29/11/2025

Catch up with the CKLW History of Rock and Roll coming your way all day today. We're just getting started at Noon.
The first 6 chapters are on back to back - all day long - way past midnight. :)
Streaming now at www.big8radio.com

28/11/2025

Today’s Big 8 Radio Music Datebook Nov 28
Those born on this date include: Motown founder Berry Gordy, Jr. in 1929
Jazz sax man Gato Barbieri in 1932
Fleetwoods lead singer Gary Troxell (“Mr. Blue”) in 1939
Bruce Channel (“Hey Baby”) and original Foundations lead singer Clem Curtis (“Baby Now That I Found You”) in 1940
R.B Greaves (“Take a Letter Maria”), and Randy Newman (“Short People”) in 1943
Little River Band guitarist Beeb Birtles (“Reminiscing”) in 1948
Former Dave Letterman bandleader from Thunder Bay, Ontario Paul Shaffer in 1949
Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron in 1962.
***People we lost on this day were Steppenwolf drummer Jerry Edmonton (“Born to Be Wild”) in 1993
Drummer Tony Meehan (Cliff Richard & The Shadows) in 2005

27/11/2025

Today’s Big 8 Radio Music Datebook Nov 27
Those born on this date include: Booker T & M.G.s drummer and Al Green songwriter, Al Jackson in 1935
Singer/songwriter Eddie Rabbitt (“I Love a Rainy Night”, “Kentucky Rain”) in 1941
Jimi Hendrix in 1942
The Move & ELO drummer Bev Bevan in 1944
Supertramp sax player Dave Winthrop (“Logical Song”) in 1948
***People we lost on this day were Barbara Acklin (“Love Makes a Woman”, “From the Teacher to the Preacher”) in 1998
4 Aces front man Al Alberts (“Love Is a Many Splendored Thing”) in 2009
Mickey Baker of Mickey & Sylvia (“Love Is Strange”) in 2012
Bassist Robert ‘Pops’ Popwell (The Young Rascals / Crusaders) in 2017
Skip Knape (Van Winkle) of Teegarden & Van Winkle (“God Love and Rock and Roll”), and ragtime pianist Johnny Maddox (Crazy Otto) in 2018
Bob Bryar, drummer (My Chemical Romance, 2004-10) in 2024

26/11/2025

Today’s Big 8 Radio Music Datebook Nov 26
Those born on this date include: Bobby Sharp, piano player, songwriter (“Unchain My Heart”) and Michael Holliday [Norman Milne], British pop singer ("The Story of My Life") in 1924
Bob Babbitt [Robert Kreinar], session bassist (Motown's The Funk Brothers) in 1937
Soul legend Tina Turner; David White, singer and songwriter (Danny And The Juniors - "At The Hop": Leslie Gore - "You Don't Own Me) in 1939
Detroiter Amos Garrett, session and touring blues, rock, and roots guitarist (Maria Muldaur; Anne Murray; Doug Sahm) in 1941
Alan Henderson, Irish rock bassist (Them) in 1944
Jean Terrell, singer (The Supremes, 1970-73) in 1944
John McVie, British rock bassist (John Mayall's Blues Breakers; Fleetwood Mac), Jim Mullen, Scottish session and touring jazz-rock-funk guitarist (Pete Brown & Piblokto); Average White Band; Terry Callier) and Michael Omartian, session pop, country and contemporary Christian singer-songwriter and keyboardist (“We Are The World”/Steely Dan), and Grammy Award-winning producer (Christopher Cross) in 1945
Bert Ruiter, Dutch bassist (Earth & Fire; Focus) in 1946
***People we lost on this day were: The Shadows bassist John Rostill in 1973
David Briggs, record producer (Neil Young; Nils Lofgren) in 1995
Drummer Keith ‘Keef’ Hartley (Keef Hartley Band / John Mayall) in 2011
Ronnie Bright, doo-wop bass vocalist (Johnny Cymbal - "Mr. Bass Man"; The Coasters, 1968-2009) in 2015
Louise Tobin, big band singer (Benny Goodman; Ziggy Elman) in 2022

25/11/2025

Today’s Big 8 Radio Music Datebook Nov 25
Those born on this date include: Dave Brubeck Quartet sax man Paul Desmond (“Take 5”) in 1924
Motown exec/songwriter Gwen Gordy (“To Be Loved”, “Distant Lover”) in 1927
Jazz trumpet man Nat Adderley in 1931
Singer Herman Griffin in 1936
Percy Sledge (“When a Man Loves a Woman”) in 1940
Bob Lind (“Elusive Butterfly”) in 1942
Amy Grant (“Baby Baby”) in 1960
***People we lost on this day were British singer/songwriter Nick Drake in 1974
Cadillacs lead singer Earl Speedo Carroll (“Speedo”) in 2012
Jazz drummer/bandleader Chico Hamilton in 2013
Singer Irene Cara [Irene Cara Escalera] (“Fame”, “Flashdance”) in 2022
Les Maguire, British rock saxophonist and pianist (Gerry & the Pacemakers, 1961-66 - "Ferry Cross the Mersey") in 2023

24/11/2025

Next stop on the Top 10 at 10? 1966 and the Keener13 Music Guide. It's the hits from the week ending Nov. 28, 1966.
Catch the Countdown Tuesday at 10am/10pm Eastern time.
Streaming at www.big8radio.com

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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’!