Famous Firsts with Alan Cross
Alan Cross
All-round radio, podcasting, and alt-rock guy
About a dozen Corus Radio stations (The Edge/Toronto, Q107/Toronto, Y108 Hamilton, Power 97/Winnipeg, The Edge/Calgary, CFOX/Vancouver, The Wolf/Peterborough, Dave/Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge, CHED/Edmonton, CJOB/Winnipeg, and more)
Not counting the campus closed-circuit radio gig that had me broadcasting for an hour a week to an often-empty hallway, it was CFQX-FM/Selkirk, Manitoba. It was a 5000-watt elevator music station broadcasting from the middle of a wheat field and across the street from a mental health facility.
KISS! Winnipeg Arena on July 21, 1977, with openers Cheap Trick.
Elton John’s Greatest Hits Vol.1 for $4.99 using funds from my paper route. My mother was FURIOUS that I would waste my money this way.
Harlequin (a very popular Canadian band who played my high school) in 1979. Bass player Ralph James later went on to become one of Canada’s most powerful agents. We see each other a lot.
Out in the wheat field radio station, I misjudged the length of a bible tape. I stepped out to get a Big Mac while it ran. But the station was so poorly rated, I doubt if anyone even noticed.
