Sunny Wong was raised in Vancouver, B.C.'s "Chinatown". He remembered his mother complaining through the door into his room to "turn off that noise". Yelling, with exactly the same exuberance that many of you have remembered a parent or two frustratingly explaining a need that the loud (the word raucous must be used) sounds coming from our musical sanctuaries HAD to be turned down. Little Richard was the "noise" his mother was referring to in Cantonese. Seems fitting cuz' a lot of Jazz musicians called what Charlie Parker and Sonny Stitt and Thelonious Monk were producing - "Chinese Music". Born in the 9th day of 1943, Sunny was one of what we now know as - lucky children. Bill Haley & The Comets, Hank Ballard & The Midnighters, Brook Benton, Al Hibbler, Bill Doggett, Little Willie John, Elvis Presley, James Brown, Chuck Willis, The Platters, Chuck Berry and so many more fabulous stars were being introduced to Canadian and the World's pre-teen ears. In Sunny's teens the "work" he loved to do as a hobby was making tapes to listen to at home and in the car. He used to say to WAGRadio Vinyl Librarian William "Fats Is Back" Reiter, "Boy, this making tapes (mixed tapes) is work isn't it?". This "joke" - because of the dedication of "getting it right" and the pressure it put them under - was taken as humour by the two life-long pals. Sunny joined "Fats Is Back" Reiter at Vancouver radio station CJVB-AM 1470 in the mid 2010's. His knowledge and love of New World African Music (especially the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's) was the asset and pillar that the Sunday Nite radio show was built on. And yes, you can bet, at least one or two James Brown platters (that's what Sunny would call them) would HAVE TO BE HEARD per programme.
WAGRadio
180.2 am 1802 fm
3 comments:
Will miss Sunny! We grew up in the same neighborhood! Harry
Hope to see you at Sunny’s Celebration of Life on Nov. 6th
So sorry to hear of sunnys passing, condolences to his family. Bobby garrison .
Post a Comment