RIP Allan Slaight

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erdnasephile
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Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm

RIP Allan Slaight

Postby erdnasephile » September 20th, 2021, 8:32 pm

https://celebrityaccess.com/2021/09/20/ ... ead-at-90/

He did so much for so many.

My condolences to his family and friends.

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Richard Kaufman
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Joined: July 18th, 2001, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Theodore DeLand
Location: Washington DC
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Re: RIP Allan Slaight

Postby Richard Kaufman » September 20th, 2021, 10:18 pm

From Julie Eng:

ALLAN SLAIGHT (1931-2021)

On September 19, 2021, John Allan Slaight passed away peacefully, aged 90, at his home in Toronto.

Born on July 19, 1931 in Galt, Ontario to John Edgar and Eileen Slaight, Allan soon made his mark, first, at 8 as a magician, and then, at 17 as a broadcaster, hosting a late night jazz program Spins and Needles in his new hometown of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. At 19, he married Ada Mitchell, moved to Edmonton, started a family, and jockeyed between local radio stations before becoming the News Director at CHED in 1953. In 1958, he relocated to Toronto and became the Program Director of CHUM, the fledgling rock and roll radio station. Thanks to Allan’s endless energy, intuitive grasp of programming, and extraordinary ability to inspire, CHUM soon set the standard for rock and roll radio in Canada, and abroad.

In 1966, Allan left CHUM to pursue his own endeavours. And the hits kept coming: rescuing Radio Caroline, the pirate radio station serving the U.K., pulling Global Television back from the brink of bankruptcy, creating Q-107 in Toronto, and then acquiring Standard Broadcasting and transforming it into the largest privately-owned network of radio stations in Canada. His indefatigable energy and street smarts also helped shepherd the Toronto Raptors to Toronto. Allan eventually took control of the franchise and the building of the Air Canada Centre before turning ownership over to new stewards.

For Allan, people were always more important than profits. He demonstrated this time and time again through his community and philanthropic efforts. Hundreds of organizations—particularly those within healthcare, community services and the arts— benefited not just from his financial contributions, but also from his leadership, creativity, timeliness, and willingness to make his friends and associates their friends and associates. His philanthropic initiatives will percolate across Canada for years to come through The Slaight Family Foundation and La Fondation Emmanuelle Gattuso.

While Allan maintained a lifelong love for the conjuring arts, writing one of the most celebrated texts in the history of the literature, his greatest feat was giving people, regardless of their field of endeavour, the confidence and support that they, too, could perform the impossible.

The recipient of, among other awards of distinction, a Juno, an Honorary Degree from Ryerson University, a Star on the Canadian Walk of Fame, and the Order of Canada, Allan is survived by his children Gary, Greg and Marie (and their respective partners); five grandchildren (and their partners), and several great-grandchildren; and his brother, Brian (and his wife, Annabel).

Allan is also survived by the love of his life these past thirty-five years, his wife, Emmanuelle Gattuso. Together they were one, with a passion for life, for each other, and for helping others.
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Q. Kumber
Posts: 1851
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Tom Whitestone

Re: RIP Allan Slaight

Postby Q. Kumber » September 22nd, 2021, 2:30 am

I had no idea Mr. Slaight had been involved with Radio Caroline.
That station was so popular when I was growing up.

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AJM
Posts: 1530
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Scotland

Re: RIP Allan Slaight

Postby AJM » September 22nd, 2021, 4:45 am

Me neither Quentin.

I remember those days trying to pick up the signal on the ‘wireless’.

We had to work for our entertainment in them days.

Good times.

Andrew

Joe Mckay
Posts: 2026
Joined: April 13th, 2008, 6:56 am
Favorite Magician: Lubor Fiedler
Location: Durham, England

Re: RIP Allan Slaight

Postby Joe Mckay » September 22nd, 2021, 1:47 pm

Very sad.

I love the massive Stewart James books. I have spent more time with those books than any other.

Wonderful books.

It is people like Allan Slaight who add sparkle to the magic community. We are lucky he was one of us.


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