FITZROY GORDON, OWNER/OPERATOR OF TORONTO’S G98.7 FM, DIES AT 65!

By Jacob Lorinc—

Fitzroy Gordon, whose death was announced this week, was a prominent figure within the Toronto radio scene.

Before he came to own CKFG-FM radio station — a station dedicated to a multitude of genres, ranging from reggae to soca to smooth jazz — he was a late-night radio DJ, offering a soundtrack to those burning the midnight oil.

He’s largely viewed as the one responsible for bringing radio targeted toward Toronto’s Black and Caribbean communities onto the airwaves — though not without great difficulty.

After leaving CHIN radio in 1998, he began the long and arduous quest for his broadcasting network to seek licence to take over 98.7 FM. Despite opposition from national media giants, the CRTC gave approval for his licence request in 2011 after a decade-long process.

“It’s a very happy day,” Gordon said on the day his network received the licence.

“For me, it was not just about getting a radio station for a business. I want to leave a legacy for the Black and Caribbean population of Canada. I want to make sure that never again will this large population we have be out of a radio station. If the people are going to be successful then they must have a voice.”

Gordon’s death was announced in a brief statement issued Tuesday by his wife, Marvette Gordon, on social media. He was 65.

“It is with great sadness that I announce his passing,” Gordon said. “At this time, as you can imagine, we are overcome with grief and we would like to thank you for your support, understanding and prayers.”

MPP Mitzie Hunter (Scarborough-Guildwood) said his friends, fans and community were mourning the loss of a great man, who achieved his lifelong dream of launching a Black-owned radio station.

“The station amplified the voices of the Black community and offered us a unique platform to share our lived experiences,” Hunter said in a statement. “G98.7 could be relied upon to play the many rhythms from the vast genre of Black music.”

Gordon “brought people together, gave them a voice, and worked to make Toronto an even better, more inclusive place — both on & off the air,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement.

“He’ll be deeply missed, but his legacy & contributions to Canada will live on.”

The radio station was a pre-set for most in Toronto’s Black community, the Star wrote in 2012.

“Mr. G, as I like to call him, was a visionary and a great boss to work for,” said Gail Phillip, a former employee at the radio station who, as a sales executive and as a curator of performances from local talent, worked closely with Gordon. “A lot of us that worked with him may not have had an opportunity to work in commercial radio if it wasn’t for him.”

Mayor John Tory said Gordon’s death “is a loss for all of Toronto.”

“He was a caring citizen who constantly showed leadership in the Black community but also took a keen, active interest in the advancement of newcomers to Canada,” Tory said in a statement.

Born in St. Andrew, Jamaica, Gordon arrived in Canada in 1979, where he started his first show on CHIN, Grapevine, in 1991. Prompted by the title of a reggae tune, he became known as Dr. Love, a man whose radio show began every midnight and concluded only when the sun came up the next morning.

Pretty much anything was up for discussion on Gordon’s show between the hours of 3-6 a.m., wrote former Toronto Star reporter Peter Goddard in a 1997 profile of Gordon in his early years.

“Sometimes it’s sex, sometimes family. Religion, faith and family all get a good going over, too … it’s the one time radio has to itself — the one time Dr. Love has to himself.”

His fans at the time were few but dedicated. After the station cut back his hours due to falling revenue, station manager Lenny Lombardi told the Star they received plenty of flack from his listeners.

Gordon, a sports buff as well, served briefly as a sports columnist for Contrast, was a cricket writer for the Toronto Sun and a co-host of The Fan 590’s World Sports Report.

“It’s hard to capture the impact Fitzroy Gordon had on Toronto,” Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen wrote on Twitter. “He gave so much to our neighbourhoods and always worked toward a more inclusive city.”

“We have to continue Mr. G’s dream,” Phillip said. “This station is needed in our community and we cannot let it die. The G987FM legacy must continue.”

Jacob Lorinc is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto.