Cullen honoured with memorial plaque

Cullen honoured with memorial plaque
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby NOW assistant editor
Published Aug. 21, 2002

One of Burnaby's greatest musical treasures will be memorialized forever on a plaque being installed inside Brentwood Town Centre tomorrow morning.
The ceremony will honour the legendary broadcaster and long-time Burnaby resident Jack Cullen, who once owned and operated his own record store inside the mall during the heyday of his radio career on CKNW.
"Jack was the king of radio for over 40 years," said his long- time friend and colleague Sev Morin. "He had a photographic memory for names, dates and people, and his interviews were in a league by themselves."
Cullen, who passed away in April at the age of 80, had his start in the business in the booming post-war years, bringing famous jazz and big band stars to town. He counted Louis Armstrong, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Ella Fitzgerald, Frankie Lane and hundreds more big- name entertainers as his friends.
In 1954, he was responsible for bringing new music sensation Bill Haley and the Comets to Vancouver, But rather than switching his interest to this new rock-and-roll-style of music, Cullen stuck to the music he loved the most - big band and jazz.
His Owl Prowl radio show will forever be remembered as one of the most popular radio shows in the history of the Lower Mainland.
On hand for the ceremony will be Alan Emmott, who was mayor of Burnaby during Cullen's heyday and current mayor Doug Drummond, plus the Lower Mainland's next best-known DJ, Red Robinson, who made his career out of promoting that same rock-and-roll music that Cullen didn't believe would go anywhere.
"Jack made a real impact on this market with all kinds of music and entertainment," said Morin. "When rock and roll took over with the Beatles and Elvis Presley, Jack was the only one in town to keep the nostalgia alive."
Cullen's hard work behind the scenes helped to promote local big bands such as Bobby Hales and Dal Richards. It was a passion that Cullen carried throughout his life.
Even in the later years, Cullen could recognize a musical talent when it crossed his path. His latest, and possibly greatest, musical find was Burnaby's own youthful crooner, Michael Buble, whose first ever radio interview was on one of Jack's late night show.
"Jack never dwelt on the old-time thing," says Morin. "He just liked good music."
Besides unveiling the plaque, Brentwood Mall plans to turn its centre court water fountain into a permanent tribute to Cullen by donating all the coins thrown into the water to the broadcaster's favourite charity, the CKNW Orphan's Fund.
"Honestly, this has been quite an experience for me to get in contact with all of these Vancouver and Burnaby originals," Brentwood town centre marketing director Charlene Hess said after meetings with Morin, Robinson, and other friends of Cullen. "They're the ones who put this together to give Jack some credit for his career and accomplishments."
The plaque along with a large display commemorating the life and career of Jack Cullen will be unveiled in a formal ceremony at the mall at 11 a.m. Also on hand for the event will be the Society Promoting Antique Radios in Canada, which will do a live radio broadcast from the site.
After the weekend, the plaque will be moved to a more permanent location next door to the Radio Shack store, almost the exact spot where Jack Cullen Records used to stand.