Talent: GORD JAMES
Station: CHUM Toronto
Date: August 3, 1979
Time: 45:47 (unscoped)
        22:50 (scoped)

Gord James was the last of a long parade of CHUM morning men during its music era.

It all started with Phil Ladd, who did CHUM's morning wakeup show from its birth as a Top 40 station on May 27, 1957 to the fall of that year, when Al Boliska took over the AM slot. Boliska stayed there until he moved to rival CKEY in 1963, and was replaced by Jay Nelson from Buffalo's  WKBW.

Nelson held down morning drive at CHUM for 17 years - by far the longest ever for a CHUM morning man - departing on Christmas Eve 1980. He was replaced by Tom Rivers, then by Roger Ashby (solo), then Ashby with Mike Holland. When Ashby went to CHUM-FM's morning show in 1985, he was succeeded by John Majhor, who held down the fort until CHUM's departure from Top 40/CHR in June 1986.

CHUM's Hits of Yesterday and Format came next, with Don Percy in mornings then Gerry Forbes. When CHUM went oldies in 1979 the crew of Bob (Magee), Sam (Houston) and Robbie (Evans) took over mornings. They gave way to Russ McCloud, then Brian Henderson, who closed out CHUM's first oldies era on May 7, 2001.

Henderson returned as morning man in August 2002, when CHUM came back to oldies after a short-lived foray as a sports station. Tom Rivers (with wife Nanci Krant) took over morning duties the following year, then Gord James took over mornings after Rivers died in 2004. James was the last morning voice heard when CHUM ended its music programming in March 2009.

James started at CHUM in 1979 after stops at Ontario stations CFTJ Cambridge, CJSS Cornwall, CKOC Hamilton and CFOX Montreal. He did two stints at CHUM-AM sandwiched around a 22-year stint at CHUM-FM (1981-2003). After his CHUM days ended, he had a three-year stay at Vinyl 95 (CING-FM Burlington, Ontario), as his radio career continued into a sixth decade.

Enjoy Gord James at 1050 CHUM (UNSCOPED) here.