Garland Remembers Rosalie
• Legendary programmer Les Garland had the unique privilege of working with Rosalie Trombley at CKLW in the mid-’70s. RAMP reached out to Garland, who was gracious enough to share his first-hand perspective about working alongside such a seminal figure in radio history.
“Rosalie had been at CKLW a few years before I arrived to be Program Director in the mid ’70s. Her legend preceded her. She was already one of the most important people in music radio in America, Canada, and beyond. We worked together at CKLW for three years. I believe our first time out together was in September of ’75 when we attended two historic nights of Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band at Cobo Hall (when the Live Bullet album was recorded). That’s Rosalie, Seger and Garland during those formative years.
Rosalie totally impressed me, blowing my mind with her professionalism and personality in the presence of Bob, [his manager] Punch Andrews, and others. My respect, admiration, and love for her began developing then. It was my pleasure knowing and working with the two best pop radio Music Directors of all time — Dave Sholin and Rosalie Trombley. They were both gifted with the best ears. Bob Seger said it better than anyone when he referred to her as ‘the teen queen, Rosalie’ in his song about her. He sang, ‘she knows music,’ and that is true. She LOVED music even more. She loved the game. She loved her associates. She loved artists. She loved radio. She loved the industry. She loved label friends, managers, people in music retail, and promoters.”
Garland continued, “Rosalie loved her children, Tim, Diane and Todd, even MORE. She was proud of them. We all watched them grow in our big family at the Big 8. Yep, she knows music and she knew people. It was Rosalie who introduced me to Bob Seger, Paul Anka, Alice Cooper, Shep Gordon, Berry Gordy, and more. The team at CKLW then was truly a family. ‘CK’ was The Big 8 and it was BIG TIME. It was a time when everyone there was surfing on the same huge wave. And there she was, out front, on top of that wave surfing it like the female Kelly Slater. I don’t believe a day ever passed when Rosalie didn’t come rockin’ into my office with a 45 rpm record spinning in her fingertips. It was usually something like, ‘You gotta’ hear this,’ and then, as always, I’d crank the speakers to rattle the walls. She loved being FIRST. She loved it when CKLW got industry credit for breaking another hit or another act. Not herself, but CKLW. We did it often. Her walls in our beautiful facility and the large adjacent library were lined with multi-Platinum and Gold. Rosalie is a legend. I’m most thankful I knew her and that I had the privilege of working with her for those years. The one and the only Rosalie. I believe there will be a statue honoring her one day.”
• For anyone who has a story about Rosalie to share — Garland suggests you visit the Facebook group page, THEBIG8CKLW. And for a more complete picture of this legendary woman, Garland also recommends the documentary, The Rise And Fall Of The Big 8. [Seger photo courtesy of Les Garland / Rosalie photo: Windsor Star]
