Harry Taylor

CJNU Producer

I started in radio as a production operator at CKRC on April 1, 1960 after entertaining on that station and CJOB and CKY as a musician - playing and traveling steel guitar in country and western bands for a few years (that's me on the left below). After 14 years there, I moved over to CKY-AM and FM in Polo Park in charge of production for five years. At the beginning of 1980 I started as a recording engineer at Century 21 Studios in Winnipeg.

After being out of the work force for nearly two years in the early '90s as the result of a relatively mild stroke, I began driving for Keystone Courier. It was during this period that CKVN went on the air and I again found myself drawn back to radio. And the rest, as they say, is history...in the making.

Over my recording career I have been fortunate to work with very talented local arrangers and musicians, such as Ron Paley, Bob McMullin and Neil Harris. I was the first to record Neil Young at CKRC's studios in the mid '60s. I had a week-long session with England's internationally famous pianist Ronnie Aldridge and members of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Members of the symphony were also involved in a session with Roland Shaw from the United Kingdom, playing arrangements of Mantovani's music.

There was also a ten-day session with Harry Belafonte, his son David and a troupe of travelling instrumentalists, recording during the day and entertaining at the Concert Hall in the evening.