Cape Breton's Magazine

career at CBI--the CBC Sydney--didn't you?) radio station in Yes. I had taken a public speaking course from Ann Terry (MacLellan) at the Univer? sity College of Cape Breton--now that was Xavier Junior College in those days. I went the first and second year it was es? tablished. Barry MacDonald was the manag? er at CBI and they needed a summer relief guy and I went up there. I had also done a little (radio) work when I was in Grade 11 at Notre Dame in Sydney Mines. CBI had a program on the air called "High Noon," and I met Bill MacNeil (later known na? tionally for "The Voice of the Pioneer"). Bill was very encouraging and very in? fluential. He said, "Well, you know, keep trying, keep trying." So when the summer relief job came up, he was one of the peo? ple that was around at the time. Anyway, all I did was say, "CBI Sydney," and a few things like that, and operate controls. It was a night job. Here's a kind of a funny story about my first night on the job. Lamont Tilden was the big network announcer at that time and he had a big booming voice. So he finished his newscast and he was coming down the network (from Toronto) in beautiful tones with, "This is the Trans-Canada Network of the CBC," or however he said it. And all of them were waiting at home for me to come on, you know. I came on with my meek little, "CBI Sydney," and that was that. So I immediately got on the phone and called Sydney Mines and I said to Mom, "We're people you can talk to" Dealers for: / Electronic Keyboards Guitars • Church Organs [Quality Brand Name Pianos' I • PA Rentals • Piano & Guitar Instruction Boutiliers' Music Shops OPEN MONDAY through SATURDAY Music Keyboards Guitars Reeds Strings Horns Violins Bagpipes Chanters Amplifiers PA Systems All Supplies niiiifiimiiiiiimiiii! Clyde Nunn, and a very young Ray "Mac" MacDonald "Hey, I was on! Did you hear me?" She said, "I heard you and you were great! You were a lot better than that other big slob who was on before you!" Ray laughs. That's the way mothers are! Lamont Tilden! You know, you talk about carrying anybody's shoelaces! (Then you went to CJCB in Sydney.) I went to CJCB, but again that was the Ann Terry influence. Because she was down there. When I say down there I mean she was just down the street on the other side of Charlotte Street and she knew that they were taking on some people and so I was one of them. CJCB was privately owned by the Nathanson family. They were pioneers and good broad? casters, too. I worked with Robbie Robert? son- -all those people. Bill Lobe and Lloyd Maclnnes and Donnie Maclsaac, Bill Davis, old Tex Taylor (Lloyd Taylor), Andy MacDo? nald, Bob Banbury, Bill Jessome later. Those were the people we worked with. (What was so wrong that you wanted to form a union there?) Oh, I don't want to sound like Bob White in this, you know-- it wasn't that kind of a thing at all! What happened was television was coming on stream and (the Nathansons) owned the television station and they were taking people from radio and putting them Cape Breton , Shopping Centre 39 Keltic Drive wodco Sydney River, N. S. DeptS're B1S1P4 CHOPPING CENTRE 562-001 8 QUALITY ACCOMMODATIONS ATAFFORDABLE PRICES II I 11 11 I 11 I " Cape Breton's Finest Locally-Owned Musical Outlet - SYDNEY 368 Kings Rd 562-0200 Fax 564-6410 THROUGHOUT CANADA TOLL FREE RESERVATIONS 1-800-668-4200 (?)(?)