Gerry McNamara was the Toronto Maple Leafs scout who in Sweden, where he was initially sent to investigate Inge Hammarström, scouted Börje Salming. He's go on to become General Manager of the Leafs in the 1980s.
March 15, 2026
In Memoriam
Total 1727 Posts
Marc Nathan was the music industry veteran who helped discover Kon Kan and Meryn Cadell, and he introduced the Barenaked Ladies to Seymour Stein at Sire. And that's just his Cancon contributions.
Greg Millen played 14 seasons between the pipes in the National Hockey League for six teams: the Pittsburgh Penguins, Hartford Whalers, St. Louis Blues, Quebec Nordiques, Chicago Blackhawks, and Detroit Red Wings. Over his NHL career, Millen appeared in more than 600 regular-season games. His broadcasting career includes roles as
Jay North was the child actor who gained fame as Dennis Mitchell on ]Dennis the Menace.
Val Kilmer was the actor who found fame after appearances in comedy films Top Secret! and Real Genius, and later in the military action film Top Gun and the fantasy film Willow. Kilmer gained acclaim for his portrayal of Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's The Doors.
Mark "Trees" Laforest played 103 games in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Ottawa Senators between 1985 and 1994.
Richard Chamberlain was the actor best known for his role in the 1960s medical drama Dr Kildare and leading role in Shogun and The Thorn Birds.
Kevan Staples was the multi-instrumentalist that formed Rough Trade with Carole Pope.
George Foreman was a two-time heavyweight champion boxing legend who fought Muhammad Ali in 1974 during the legendary "Rumble in the Jungle" in Zaire.
Jesse Colin Young was the frontman and co-founder of the seminal Sixties group the Youngbloods, best known for their 1969 hi, "Get Together."
Oliver Miller, a member of the inaugural Toronto Raptors team, appeared in 493 games over nine NBA seasons. I loved The Big O, and asked Acie Earl about him when I chatted him up on Toronto Mike'd in 2023.
Roy Ayers was the vibraphonist, composer and jazz-funk pioneer behind "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" who was sampled in many a hip-hop jam.
David Johansen was the frontman for the New York Dolls who had a hit with his cover of "Hot Hot Hot" in the guise of Buster Poindexter.
Gene Hackman won the best actor Oscar for his role as Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in William Friedkin's 1971 thriller The French Connection, and another for best supporting actor for playing Little Bill Daggett in Clint Eastwood's Western film Unforgiven in 1992. His other Oscar-nominated roles included 1967's Bonnie and Clyde
Michelle Trachtenberg was the actress best known for her roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl.
Roberta Flack was the 1970s R&B vocalist known for "Killing Me Softly" and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face."
Mike Lange served as the Pittsburgh Penguin's lead play-by-play announcer for the Penguins' radio and television network, never missing a broadcast from 1976-2006.
In New Toronto, there's a mural celebrating greats from Lakeshore Village. One image is of Jerome Drayton, a long distance running who lived in Mimico. Drayton was once ranked as the top marathoner in the world and his Canadian record of 2:10:09 stood for 43 years. He's also
Paul Morris was the longtime public address announcer at Maple Leaf Gardens. His voice is tattooed on my brain for all eternity.
John Donabie was a radio legend and an absolute sweetheart. He visited me a few years ago to talk about working at CKFH, CHUM-FM, Q107, CJCL, CFGM, CFRB, CKFM, CKEY, CISS-FM, Jazz-FM and CIUT. We also discussed his interviews with John Lennon, attending The Last Waltz and so much more.
Dick Button was a figure skater and skating analyst. He was a two-time Olympic champion and five-time consecutive World champion.
Marianne Faithfull was the singer and actress best known for her hit As Tears Go By.
Garth Hudson was the keyboardist and occasional saxophonist for The Band. Garth was the last living original member of the group.
Joan Plowright was the award-winning British actor who with her late husband Laurence Olivier did much to revitalize the U.K.'s theatrical scene in the decades after World War II.
David Lynch was the director-writer who radicalized American film with a dark, surrealistic artistic vision in films like “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive” and network television with “Twin Peaks.”
