Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - May 2023 Memorial Episode: Toronto Mike'd #1264

Episode Date: June 2, 2023

In this 1264th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike pays tribute to those we lost in May 2023. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, the Yes We Are Open podcast from Moneris, The Moment Lab, Ridley Funeral Home and Electronic Products Recycling Association.

Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them. As always, I open this episode with that quote from George Eliot, because I sincerely believe it to be true. By remembering those who have passed, we give them life. Let's remember those we lost in May 2023. This memorial episode of Toronto Mic'd, as always, is brought to you by Ridley Funeral Home, pillars of this community since 1921. As always, is brought to you by Ridley Funeral Home. Pillars of this community since 1921.

Oh, man. Maybe a little Gordon Lightfoot chatter off the top before we get to your 10. Yep. Did you ever have the pleasure of meeting Gordon Lightfoot? I sure did. I was at an event at Queens Park, was it? And he was there, and this is quite some time ago, I was still married, so it was like 20, I don't know, 10?

And he was there, and I have loved him my whole life, listened to him as a kid. My parents loved him. My parents got to go to his house for a party in the 70s, by the way. Was that on the bridal path or was he living somewhere else? He's on the bridal path now, but his longtime place was Rosedale.

Wow. That was the 70s place. And so my parents were friends with people in his band. They went to a party at his house. They said he had a big butler that they were calling Lurch. Remember Lurch? Of course. The Munsters or Adam's family?

Adam's family. I met him. So I saw him at this event. And I never would bother people for interviews. I said, Mr. Lightfoot, I'm a huge fan. Is there any chance I could do a sit-down, sort of more in- in depth interview with you and just add it? Yep. Just like that. Yeah. Wow. I heard he's a sweetheart. Oh, he was lovely and gave me the information who to contact. We set it up. I ended up doing

it for 16 by nine, the news magazine that was on global so we could do a longer, more in depth. Some play in Kitchener as part of it. talked to Ronnie Hawkins as part of it, talked to Jim Cuddy as part of it. Nice. And then went to his home in the Bridal Path area, a couple blocks from Drake, by the way. Yes, so I hear this is the place to be. You live on the Bridal Path as well, right?

I would live, not even someone's garage, on top of someone's garage. The boathouse. Yeah, exactly. You're lucky. And he took me around his house. He has the names of all of, had, it's hard to use past tense stuff. I know, isn't it?

Yeah. The names of all the men that drowned on the Edmund Fitzgerald, on his wall, wall of people that he's performed with and met and knew, and it's everybody, everybody, everybody. Oh, and he was sitting with a guitar in his lap and kind of, you know, messing around with it a little bit, and he was saying he had it for such a long time. And he said, I wrote Beautiful on this guitar. And I said, oh, you're kidding.

I said, that was my wedding song. And he said, what? Wow. And then he stopped and started playing it for me and singing it to me. Wow. Extraordinary. Yesterday I was driving up Bathurst Street

and of course it's the day after he died and so a lot of stations that wouldn't necessarily play him were playing him right at the end when Fitzgerald comes on and I'm like, not me crying on my way up Bathurst right now. It's heartbreaking because he was a lovely man, an enormous, enormous talent, a representative of our country in the best possible way, so heartbroken, even though 84, man, not a bad run.

Gordon Lightfoot will be missed. I want to just tell the listenership, if they haven't heard it already. So yesterday, originally, I was actually not going to do any special episode for Gordon Lightfoot. i think i'll talk to liza about it and then as guests come in we'll bring it up of course pay tribute but then uh gilles leblanc in the uh not so secret fotm dm group uh said hey mike are you doing a like a special episode for gordon i was thinking well like typically i aim at the the gen xers and like the gen x heroes like a gordon for example of course we're going to do a special episode but i felt gordon lightfoot i felt

i loved his music very much and i've been listening to a lot of it the last couple of days but i felt like you know you and i are gen xers it felt like we we missed we missed it like we were born too late for the the heyday so i just thought, I'll leave that for like another podcast. But then I realized I should phone Dave Hodge. So I said, Dave, do you mind if we have a recorded chat? Like just give Dave a heads up. I'm recording our phone call, Dave Hodge. And Dave said, give me a call. I'm just waiting like for my car. And then I called up Dave Hodge. So there is like a beautiful 30 minute conversation I had with Dave Hodge about his friend, Gordon Lightfoot. And we played, you know with Dave Hodge about his friend Gordon Lightfoot,

and we played Dave Hodge's favorite Gordon Lightfoot song of all time, and that's in the feed, the episode before this one. So that would be 12.48 to hear Dave Hodge talking about his friend Gordon Lightfoot. Gordon Lightfoot was a singer-songwriter best known for For Loving Me, Early Morning Rain, Steel Rail Blues, Ribbon of Darkness, Black Day in July, Remember Me, I'm the One, If You Could Read My Mind, Sundown, Carefree Highway, Rainy Day People, and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,

and so many other hits. He was, without a doubt, one of Canada's all-time greatest songwriters. When I learned of his passing at the age of 84, I thought of FOTM Dave Hodge, and I called him to chat about his friend, Gordon Lightfoot. Dave, I'm so sorry on the loss of your friend, Gordon Lightfoot. Well, those of us who knew Gordon, those of us who loved his music,

of us who loved his music, really anybody that has written a song or has strummed a guitar, knew that Gordon was not in good health and at his age might not live a lot longer, but there were earlier times in his life where that assumption was proved incorrect. So you can say that you were prepared, and yet no amount of preparation would limit the feeling that indulged a Gordon Lightfoot fan or friend when the news reached us last night. His music and his friendship were lifelong for me. I was, I was a kid, I was a teenager, uh, who, whose second home was, was Yorkville. It was those infamous or famous clubs called the Purple Onion and the Riverboat among others, um, in the Yorkville scene in the 60s that for a music fan were like no other really since then and you know it wasn't only Gordon Lightfoot and Ian Sylvia and Joni Mitchell but you know

some of the most famous folk singers from John Prine to Steve Goodman to Chris Christopherson that would play those clubs regularly. And you could sit from here to my window, and believe me, that's not very far as I speak, and see greatness. And I should have mentioned Phil Oakes because as I'm talking to you now, Mike, you might recall that a list of my 100 favorite songs, which we talked about a few years ago and was posted on my website, thanks to you, hodge100.com, listed Phil Oakes' song called Changes as my favorite song of all time. And in fact, Phil Oakes wrote Changes virtually sitting next to Gordon Lightfoot at the riverboat in 1960, well, let's say 64 or 5.

And Gordon told me this story when I had to admit to him that my favorite song wasn't one of his, but was Changes by Phil Oakes. Yet Gordon covered that song. And so somewhat laughingly, somewhat seriously, I said to Gordon, but I prefer your version and listen to it more often than the original of Phil Oakes. And Gordon then told me the story of Phil Oakes writing changes, playing it for Gordon, teaching it to Gordon,

in fact, and encouraging Gordon to record his own version, which he did. So I have listened to that song all my life, as anybody would, his or her favorite song. I've listened to it nonstop today, both versions, Phil Oaks' version and Gordon Lightfoot's version. So that's the sort of history that goes with me as a young Gordon Lightfoot fan. And then the friendship started in a rather strange way because we happened to frequent the same barber shop. In those days, I had lots of hair and Gordon didn't have as much as he had later in life because later in life, he didn't have his hair cut really ever. It was snipped, let's say, at the end, but would still go in regularly.

And so that's kind of how the friendship started. But anyway, it ended. The friendship didn't end, but sort of the full circle of this story occurred following a lunch that included myself and Gordon and others. And as I was leaving, Gordon Lightfoot, my boyhood hero, called me back and said words that have been in my head ever since

and can't leave my head now, called me back and said, thanks for being my friend. And I hope anybody listening to this doesn't think that that's meant to say something about me. It's meant to say everything about Gordon. And it's meant to say everything about Gordon. And I thought of that when I heard of the news, and I thought I had lost a friend much more than I had lost a musical hero. So that's a long, long way of describing Gordon Lightfoot and Dave Hodge from 1965 to this very day. And Dave, share with me the story of that day you organized

where great Canadian musicians would cover Gordon Lightfoot songs in his presence. Share that story with us. Yes, I have a very good friend named Maury Taws, who is the owner of two prominent wineries in Niagara, Taws Winery and Redstone Winery. And Maury is a huge Gordon Lightfoot fan. And I happened to mention that I was having lunch with Gordon the following day. And Maury, in his innocence, I guess,

Innocence, I guess, said, do you think Gordon would ever come and play at my winery? And I said, it's doubtful, Maury, but I'm having a social lunch. I don't want to turn it into a business lunch, but we'll see if there's a way of throwing that out and getting a response. And I decided to do just that. And Gordon said, maybe, maybe, maybe, check with his manager. His manager said he's playing Royal Albert Hall in London next week. I doubt he's going to be playing at a winery in Niagara anytime soon.

But our mutual friend, the barber, named Sandy Bozo, who should get full credit for this, said Gordon will do just about anything short of a full performance at a winery if there's charity involved. So can we make any kind of a charitable event and have Gordon attend without performing? So I presented that to Maury Taws, and he said he would put up a very generous amount of money, donated to Gordon's favorite charities, if Gordon would attend the winery. And then it was up to me to provide the music. So I first approached Tyler Kite from the band Dwayne Gretzky. This is six years ago, mind you,

so it was easier then to ask the members of Dwayne Gretzky to come and play for no compensation, but be really the house band for a Gordon Lightfoot tribute concert. And they immediately said, if Gordon Lightfoot is in attendance and is listening to us play his songs, we will be there for sure. And they learned 15 songs. They knew some of them already because Dwayne Gretzky,

if you know Dwayne Gretzky knows more songs than we can name if we're on here for two hours and they can't only name them, they can play them. And I followed that up with a terror life foot, no relation, Justin Rutledge, Ron Sexsmith. Others were in attendance. Andy Kim was there. Wow. Carl Dixon.

Barry Keene, who was Gordon Lightfoot's drummer for 40-some years, said could he come and sit in on the finale, which was Sundown, which found me on stage prominently placed next to Gordon, just so I could say that I pulled rank. And we had hundreds, 700, 800 people in the audience, and this included some interviewing that I did with Gordon and it also included a song by Gordon which wasn't scheduled wasn't supposed to happen but to know Gordon if there's a guitar in the in the trunk of the car it's coming out and he's going to play. So a surprise or not, there was one song by Gordon Lightfoot in this event. Unfortunately, we thought of everything but videotaping the entire proceeding.

but there followed a dinner that Maury Taws generously included, and it was a marvelous event that had the proper weather, and Gordon, the smile never left Gordon's face. One other little story I'll tell you. Yes, please. Is that Justin Rutledge sang his two or three songs. Gordon was very impressed and went to Justin and said, how many recordings have you made? Because I would like to get my hands on as many of them as possible.

And Justin said, I have a copy of every record I've ever made in my car for good luck or simply because I like to keep them close or whatever. Um, and, uh, he said, if you wait here, Gordon, I'm running back to my car and I'm getting, uh, my records and I'll bring them to you and hand them to you right now. And five minutes later, Gordon said, thank you, Justin. I will listen to each and every one of these. And a week later, there was a handwritten letter that arrived at Justin's house from Gordon Lightfoot saying, thank you. I've listened to all your songs.

I think you're terrific. and Justin called me immediately and said, you told me I wasn't going to get paid for this event. I just did get paid more than I could have imagined. So Maury Tawes got Gordon to sign every one of his guitars, and Maury's guitar collection is just about as good as his wine collection. It was unforgettable. And, you know, we haven't even mentioned the Massey Hall concerts and all of the elsewhere that Gordon has played with the same band all these years,

pretty much the same band all these years. with the same band all these years, pretty much the same band all these years. And we haven't even, you know, mentioned Edmund Fitzgerald or the Railroad Trilogy or Early Morning Rain or, you know, all of those songs. We haven't mentioned Bob Dylan in Gordon Lightfoot's living room here in Toronto.

The two of them just jamming for each other. I mean, the stories are endless, what this guy meant to music, meant to Canada, and meant to the people who knew him. It was, you know, the thrill of a lifetime to hear him and to meet him. And I know I'm talking too much, and Mike, you've got more questions, but you tempted me with the opportunity to talk about Gordon Lightfoot.

And unfortunately, his death provides that opportunity like nothing else did during his life. But it's all built up and it might as well come out. No, I don't think anybody needs to hear my voice right now, Dave. I really appreciate this. A couple of quotes I just want to share with you before we do turn it back to the music. You mentioned Bob Dylan. So one of the many great quotes Bob Dylan has about Gordon Lightfoot goes like this.

I can't think of any Gordon Lightfoot song I don't like. Every time I hear a song of his, it's like I wish it would last forever. Well, and they all do. Not to try to top Bob Dylan, but yes. And I would say they run together, They don't. Each is its own hit, if you will, for many different reasons. You know, the beauty of the Edmund Fitzgerald song is to know how it came about. I'm also told, and if anyone who knows the record of the Edmund Fitzgerald

knows that it is not an easy song to sing, and I couldn't imagine that it would be an easy song to record. I'm told that the version that you and I and everybody else has listened to for all these years of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald was the one and only take that was ever recorded. Wow. Straight off the floor and somebody decided that it couldn't be improved. And I would agree.

That tale has circulated, and I don't know that it's untrue. I've heard it too often to think that it's not true. And, you know, it's as complicated a song as can be in one sense and must have been as simple a song to record because of its greatness, as that story indicated. But all of the songs, and I go back to some of the songs that he recorded that he didn't write, and obviously Changes for me is at the top of that.

So there wasn't much he could put his talent, his voice to, that wasn't terrific and brilliant, and his effect on everyone in the music business. I mean, these tributes that we have seen on social media from just here, there, and everywhere in the music business, you know, name your five or ten other favorites, and they probably all weighed in in one form or another on the effect that Gordon had on them.

So not to get into the rating business, if you will, but I can't think of Bob Dylan and maybe one or two others whose death is going to affect us the way this one has. And he's ours. And we, from the prime minister on down, to that kid who's sitting in a bar somewhere now listening to someone on a microphone a few feet away. You know, it would come full circle. I wish I had longer to live to hear more of his songs, but for all the people who do, they are there to be heard.

You just said, Dave, he's ours. On that note, another name you mentioned recently, another Canadian singer-songwriter who we lost recently, Ian Tyson had this to say about Gordon. I'm going to read his quote here. He said, I don't think anybody before or since has had the impact on Canadian culture through popular music or folk music that Gordon Lightfoot has had.

popular music or folk music that Gordon Lightfoot has had? Yes, there's no disagreement at all. And this comes from, you know, my second favorite act, if you will, in Yorkville was Ian and Sylvia. And so it could be Gordon Lightfoot one night and Ian and Sylvia the next in the same club. Or if it wasn't the riverboat, it was the purple onion around the corner. And, you know, in one sense,

I didn't know what I was witnessing or what would come of these artists and the Canadian music scene and their effect on it. And yet, I must have known because I couldn't stop watching and applauding and realizing that it was something special. I wasn't spending my time listening to artists who weren't going anywhere. I must have known that they were going to rise as high as they did. And I'll pat myself on the back and say I would have made a pretty good talent scout because if you'd asked me then who the stars of the Canadian music scene would be

10 and 20 and 30 years and on, those two would have been my answers, Gordon Lightfoot and Ian Sylvia. And the one other thing I will say is that when people hear the words Canadian content, sometimes they say, you know, don't force Canadian content on us. It has to be great on its own.

And yet, a culture minister named Pierre Junot, for whom, though the spelling is different, the Junot Awards have been named, the Juno Awards have been named, determined that Canadian radio stations had to play a certain percentage of music by Canadian artists. And think of the Canadian music scene today and spread it far and wider than Gordon Lightfoot and Ian and Sylvia and include, you know, the list is endless. that we could say, as I have said many times, that if there were Music Olympics, Canada could win the gold medal.

I'm not sure that would be the case if Canadian musicians weren't given the opportunity that the Honourable Minister Pierre Junot provided. Unpopular as it might have been with many people at the time. Yes, Gordon Lightfoot was going to be great no matter what, but he paved the way for a lot of others. A lot of the other Justin Rutledge's, shall we say, who have gained an audience because people had the opportunity to hear them. So, yeah, let's, in a much wider sense,

celebrate Canadian music today and realize that Gordon Lightfoot is the biggest reason we're doing it. Dave, outside of the Phil Oakes cover, what's your all-time favorite Gordon Lightfoot song that he actually wrote? It is Sundown. Sundown. When I told you that I planned this event in 2017,

event in 2017, I had a little selfish be beside Gordon while we all sang that song. We could have ended with anything else, but I thought I want to end with my favorite so I can say I sang it with Gordon. I take great liberty in making that a serious comment, but Sundown is my answer. Dave, thanks for sharing your memories of your friend Gordon Lightfoot. and Lightfoot. Well, Mike, I've been thinking about him ever since the news came last night, and believe me, in my house, his music is played all day long. I've had lots of time to think, lots of time to think and this is really my first opportunity to put

all those thoughts into words so I thank you for giving me that chance because it helps to get through this day and to let your listeners know that Gordon was

somebody to be celebrated and really to be loved by millions of those of us who call ourselves Canadian music fans. Thanks, Mike. Sit by my side

Come as close as the air Share in a memory of gray And wander in my words And dream about the pictures that I play Of changes Green leaves of summer Turn red in the fall

To brown and to yellow they fade Then they have to die Trapped within the circle time parade Of changes Moments of magic will glow in the night All fears of the forest are gone And when the morning breaks They're swept away by golden drops of dawn of

changes passions will part to a warm melody as fires will sometimes turn cold like petals in the wind we're puppets

to the silver strings of souls Of changes Your tears will be trembling Now we're somewhere else One last cup of wine We will pour I'll kiss you one more time And leave you on the rolling river

Shore of changes Of changes. Okay, so not one of your jams. We're going to get to your 10 jams in a moment here. But I do want to spend just a few seconds off the top because I learned from listening to Running Things of Donovan Bailey, the amazing podcast you co-host, well you host and it's co-hosted by Jason Portwando, also a good FOTM,

but I heard you got to meet Tina Turner. Would you mind sharing with us, uh, about the times you met the queen of soul herself? Listen, I'm, I'm very fortunate in my circle to travel and, and,

and competing in London. She was, she was performing in London. She also lived in Switzerland and, and, and competing in london she was she was performing in london she also lived in switzerland and and and she was also and i'd seen her visiting a friend of hers in ville france in monaco uh beside monaco um so it's my tiny circle as as one of the fast men in the world at one point this has allowed me to open the door and meet some incredible people with michael jackson prince um you know some of the greatest that ever did it. So Tina was one of the people that I met when she was performing.

I'm naturally curious because this song is the best, and that line we just heard, simply the best. So do you hear this often when people, let's say you're speaking engagement, I don't know, you're speaking to a bank or whatever, you're at some engagement. Do they play this song for you because you were the fastest man in the world? Yes, that's a short answer. I mean, yeah, I probably owe Tina's estate some royalties. This is definitely a song I've been hearing quite a bit or I've heard quite a bit over my life, over my career.

And so, yeah, the short answer to your question is yes, I hear this quite a bit. Thank you to Liza Fromer and Dave Hodge for the conversations about Gordon Lightfoot and Donovan Bailey for the conversation about Tina Turner. Tina really was the queen of rock and roll. She began her career in 1957 under the name Little Ann,

Anna Mae Bullock being her birth name. Ike and Tina Turner released such classics as River Deep Mountain High, Proud Mary, and Nutbush City Limits. But in the 1980s, when I discovered Top 40 Music, Tina Turner launched one of the greatest comebacks in music history. What's love got to do with it? Better be good to me, private dancer, we don't need another hero,

typical male, I don't want to fight. She was acting. She was winning Grammys. She had stellar live shows. Tina Turner has been very honest with us about the abuse she suffered at the hands of her ex-husband, Ike Turner. And I understand hearing Ike's voice might be triggering to some. But I'm going to play my very favorite Tina Turner performance of all time, and it's their cover of CCR's Proud Mary. Tina's voice and her performance on this song kicks so much ass,

we should celebrate it. Tina Turner passed away at the age of 83 on May 24, 2023. You know, every now and then, I think you might like to hear something from us. Nice. Easy.

But there's just one thing. You see, we we never ever do nothing Nice Easy We always do it Nice And rough But we're gonna take the beginning of this song

And do it Easy But then we're gonna do the finish Rough It's the way we do Easy But then we're gonna do the finish Rough It's the way we do Proud Mary And we're rolling Ooh, rolling

Ooh, rolling On the river Listen to the story Left a good job Down in the city Working for the man every night and day And I never lost one minute of sleeping Worn about the way that things might have been

Think we'll keep on turning way that things might have been. You know that big wind keep on turning. Brown Mary keep on burning. And we're rolling, rolling, rolling, yeah, rolling,

rolling on the river. On the river. Cleaned a lot of plates in Memphis You know I pumped a lot of tin down in New Orleans But I never saw the good side of the city Until I hitched a ride on the riverboat queen Big wheel keep on turning Proud Mary keep on burning And we're rolling, rolling, rolling, yeah

Rolling, rolling on the river Rollin' on the river We're rollin' Rollin' Rollin', yeah Rollin' Rollin' on the river Rollin' on the river I left a good job in the city Working for the man every night and day

And I never lost a minute sleeping Worrying about the way things might happen Big wheels keep on turning Round and round they keep on burning Rolling, rolling, rolling on the river So we're rolling, rolling, rolling on the river The river Do do do do do do do do do do

Alright! All right! Oh, I played a lot of plates in Memphis And I parked a lot of trains down in New Orleans But I never saw the good side of the city Till I hissed a ride on the lip of the queen Big wheel keep on turnin' Primary keep on burnin' And we're rollin', we're rollin' We're rollin' on the river

I tell you we're rollin', rollin' We're rollin' on the river If you come down to the river I bet you're gonna find some people who live And you don't have to worry if you got the money People on the river are happy to give We'll keep on turning, turning, turning Keep on burning, burning, rolling, rolling And we're rolling on the river

Tell me one more time, rolling, yeah, yeah Rolling, rolling, rolling on the river Yeah, alright, alright Rolling, yeah, rolling on the river Rolling, yeah, rolling're rolling on the river Rolling, yeah, we're rolling, yeah, we're rolling on the river I tell you, we're rolling, we're rolling, we're rolling on the river Yeah, all right, ha ha! On a two bicycle, on a hillside desolate Pantyb bysicol ar y llawr ym Mhyn,

Byddwch chi'n gwneud fy ngwlad yn dda. Pan mae'r car yn ymddygiad, Mae'r men yn y y byddwn i'n groesig, bod rhywun mor hansom yn ddiddorol. He knows so much about this thing He knows so much about this thing Andy Rourke was the bassist best known as an almost original member of the Smiths. He literally joined the band after their very first gig. After the breakup of the Smiths, Andy Rourke played with Sinead O'Connor,

The Pretenders, Dolores O'Riordan from The Cranberries, and a number of other artists. On the morning of May 19, 2023, at the age of 59, Andy Rourke died from pancreatic cancer. He knows so much about these things He knows so much about this space. He knows so much about this space. Introducing from Paradise Valley, Arizona, the superstar Billy Graham.

Superstar Billy Graham, Very charismatic, colorful individual. The first thing I think of when I hear the name Superstar Billy Graham is charisma. I think Superstar Billy Graham's impact on professional wrestling at that time was tremendous. He was the first real big, impressive, strong man of the wrestling business. Look at the size of those upper arms. Ladies and gentlemen, they border in some 22 inches. He was unquestionably one of the most unique performers in the history of the business. Unique is the only way to describe superstar Billy Graham.

When the bleach blonde, chiseled, and highly flamboyant Graham entered the WWE in 1975. He hit the wrestling world like an atomic bomb, wearing tie-dyed clothes, feather boas, and spouting Muhammad Ali-like poetry. I'm the man of the hour. I'm the man with the power. Too sweet to be sour. Graham instantly became the original man you love to hate. And on April 30, 1977, in Baltimore, Maryland, Graham reached the pinnacle

of superstardom. Superstar's controversial victory over Bruno Sammartino started what would become the longest title run of any villain in WWE history, a record that still stands today. During his reign, Graham not only proved to be a great WWE champion, but a huge box office draw, selling out 19 of 20 Madison Square Garden shows that he headlined. The entire world now realized something that Billy Graham knew all along. He was indeed a superstar. I think what made superstar Billy Graham a star was the fact that he had charisma. There aren't that many guys who have presence.

It's something that someone either has or they don't, and Billy Graham had that. He was a guy that when he walked down the aisle, you couldn't take your eyes off of. He was a guy that when he walked down the aisle, you couldn't take your eyes off of. He was extraordinary. What his main asset was, was his ability to entertain you with the microphone. I eat T-bone steaks. I live by a bell plate. I'm getting sweeter than a dripper chocolate cake. Eldridge Wayne Coleman Jr., better known by his ring name Superstar Billy Graham, is best known for his tenure in the WWWF, then WWF, then WWE. He passed away on May 17th, 2023, at the age of 79.

Well, that's it. We've been cancelled. I think we can be proud that we never did a bad show. Except for that week Ray J. Johnson was my co-host. You can call me Ray, and you can call me Jay. That thing was funny for about three seconds. But the important thing is, we're like a family. Krusty. Shut your hole!

That, of course, was Krusty the Clown from the Simpsons episode, Krusty Gets Cancelled. That was the season four finale, and I originally watched it on May 13th, 1993. You Can Call Me Ray, or You Can Call Me Jay, was a reference that went right over my head. But eventually I'd learn it was a reference to Ray J. Johnson, a character performed by William Saluga.

How are you this week, Mr. Johnson? Oh, you doesn't have to call me Johnson. My name is Raymond J. Johnson Jr. You can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay, or you can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay, or you can call me Johnny, or you can call me Sonny, or you can call me Johnny, or you can call me Ray Jay, or you can call me RJ, or you can call me RJ Jay, or you can call me RJ Jay Junior, but you won't have to call me Justin.

But you don't have to call me Justin. William Saluga died in Los Angeles on March 28, 2023, at the age of 85. On May 15, 1990, the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins played the longest game in Stanley Cup final history. Here's a shot, score! Edmonton took a 2-0 lead in Game 1 of the series, courtesy of goals by Adam Graves and Glenn Anderson. Anderson from Messier, and it's 2-0 Edmonton. Two third-period goals by Boston's Ray Bourque evened the score at two.

Score! Ray Bourque has scored again! And it remained that way until the end of regulation. Scoreless through the first two extra stances, a power failure in Boston Garden halted the game for 25 minutes during the third overtime period. Once the lights were turned back on, Peter Klima, who had spent long stretches of the game on Edmonton's bench, provided the game winner. She scores!

Klima gets the goal for the Edmonton's bench provided the game winner. Five hours and 32 minutes after it began, the Oilers won game one of the final. They went on to raise the Stanley Cup for the fifth time in seven seasons. Peter Klima was the left winger who played in the NHL from 1981 to 2003, suiting up for the Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. His Oilers, as you heard in that clip, won the Stanley Cup in 1990, and he scored the game-winning goal in the longest Stanley Cup Finals game in history

in the third overtime of Game 1 against the Boston Bruins. Peter Klima died on May 4, 2023, at his home in the Czech Republic. He was only 58 years old. I don't have to hide. I don't have to hide. I don't have to hide from you. I don't have to hide.

I don't have to hide. I don't have to hide from you. Earlier this year, Bachman Turner Overdrive founding member Robbie Bachman passed away. And sadly, in May 2023, his brother, Tim Bachman, died at the age of 71. Tim Bachman played guitar

in Bachman-Turner Overdrive, was a founding member, as I said, and he co-wrote a few songs, including this one, I Don't Have to Hide. He rejoined BTO in 1984 for a reunion album and supporting tours and then led touring versions of the band

in 1987 and 1988. A song for you Who'd care to cash in on a dream or two I hope you do Go hit your stride and ride like behind a blue keep it simple and true let a spirit flow through

every note that you play you got something to say every note is a light if it's gonna burn bright You'll be out of its way

But don't worry if the stars don't align Rule number one, have a good time Even shade in your 60 watt shine Open it up, hold on tight. Why not aim high? That you should even have a single try. You're listening to Electra Glide from Vida Blue. Vida Blue got its name from the Major League Baseball pitcher who won three world series championships with the oakland athletics during a 17-year career vita blue won the american league cy young award and most valuable player award in 1971. on may 6 2023 vita Blue died at the age of 73. Half of what people say seems less crazy each day

I guess I'm headed that way Aspirations be met, I hope you win every bet In the end you just might deserve what you get. Treasure moments like these into your 70s Keep the moment alive, it's an all-night drive Try to recreate this in every state Well, at least you can try But the magical experience won't last

Nearly that long Time passes by You can hang on But the harder you try The less you enjoy Hold on tight Then finally, my old lady called Jim Brown up She said, Jim, I'm gonna come over and tell you

Fuck Jim Brown I'll show Jim Brown I'm the come over and tell you fuck Jim Brown I'll show Jim Brown I'm the man I don't give a fuck nobody afraid of Jim Brown here Jim was coming in the driveway I got all nervous boom jee-ling where's it Jim Rock bullshit motherfucking gonna scare me to me get my pipe pipes it come on rich me and you will show Jim don't't worry about it. Shit, Jim, don't scare nobody. That's right, Rich. Jim come in the room. I start smoking. Hey, Jim.

How you doing, bro? And Jim had psychology. Jim go, wanna go roller skating? Hype. Maybe you want to go for a ride. Jim say, what you gonna do? Say, what do you mean? What you gonna do about that shit? What? I'm doing what I want you know I ain't afraid of you you know you ain't no movie star to me I ain't scared of you motherfucker I'm

your friend what you gonna do you gonna get well or you gonna end our friendship? What you gonna do? The pipe said, don't listen. You're trying to fuck with your rich. Jim, I am a man. There ain't no doubt about that. But what you gonna do? And Jim kept saying that to me all through the hall.

What you gonna do? Leave me the fuck alone. That's what I'm gonna do. I'm getting the fuck away from you so I don't have to hear what you gonna do. Because I don't know what the fuck I'm gonna do. Now leave me the fuck alone. What you gonna do? So Jim almost got me to the hospital, but he had to go somewhere, like to home to eat. And I was in the room with the pipe, and the pipe said, hey, Rich, Jim's gone.

Jim Brown coming to the 40, 45, 50. Jim Brown's on the sideline. Jim Brown is going for the score. What can I say about Jim Brown? Yes, he's in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, possibly the greatest running back in the history of football. He retired at the peak of his brilliant career to become an actor. In addition to being an actor, he was a prominent civil rights advocate, especially during the 1960s. And that story you heard from Richard Pryor was from when Pryor was at the low point of his drug addiction and his wife called Jim Brown to talk some sense into the comic. Jim Brown was 87 years old when he passed away this past month.

What you gonna do? month. What you gonna do? This has been the Ridley Funeral Home Memorial episode of Toronto Mic'd for the month of May 2023. If you lost someone you love in May, my sincere condolences. Peace and love to all I'm Toronto Mike අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි අපි Thank you.