Clyde Gilmour

Clyde Gilmour, (8 June 1912 in Calgary – 7 November 1997 in Toronto) was a Canadian broadcaster and print journalist, mostly known for his half-century career with CBC Radio.

Early life and education Gilmour was raised in Medicine Hat, Alberta, where he attended Alexandra High School until graduation in 1929. The conditions of the Great Depression prevented Gilmour from continuing to university.

Career In 1930, Gilmour joined the Medicine Hat News staff. He served as a war correspondent and in public relations during World War II, and held the rank of lieutenant. He then moved to Vancouver, where he wrote film and music reviews for the Vancouver Province and Vancouver Sun newspapers, including a review in 1950 of some early Oscar Peterson recordings. He broadcast film reviews on station for CBC Radio on CBU.

In 1954, Gilmour moved to Toronto and wrote similar columns for Maclean's magazine and then the Toronto Telegram until that newspaper's demise in 1971. He later wrote for the Toronto Star as a film critic for the remainder of the 1970s. On 5 October 1956, he broadcast the first episode of Gilmour's Albums, a weekly music programme on CBC Radio which continued for more than 40 years until 14 June 1997.

Selections on the programme were generally drawn from his personal collection which eventually included 10,000 vinyl records and 4000 Compact Discs. These items were bequeathed to the CBC and today form the Clyde Gilmour Collection. Gilmour's Albums established a record longevity for single-host CBC Radio shows. created in 1997, Gilmour himself was posthumously honoured as the award's first recipient.

Career timeline 1930–1936: Medicine Hat News, newspaper columnist and reporter 1936–1942: Edmonton Journal 1939–1945 World War II: Navy News writer, wartime public relations 1945–1949: Vancouver Province 1947–1964: CBC Radio, film reviewer 1949–1952: Mayfair, music columnist 1949–1954: Vancouver Sun, film reviewer 1950–1964: Maclean's, film reviewer 1953–1955: Window On Canada, CBC Television, host 1954–1971: Toronto Telegram, film reviewer 1956–1997: Gilmour's Albums, CBC Radio 1958–1959: Folio, CBC Television 1971–1980: Toronto Star, film reviewer 1977–1983: Audio Canada, magazine writer 1980–1983: Toronto Star, features 1983–1985: Leisure Ways

Awards and recognition 1975: Member, Order of Canada 1976: Honorary Doctor of Laws from McMaster University 1990: Canadian News Hall of Fame