Radio legend Roger Ashby retiring after over 50 years on air

The iconic radio voice of CHUM 104.5’s morning show Roger Ashby is retiring after 50 years on air.

For nearly half a century, countless Torontonians have been awakened by a voice which has become a staple in the city.

Listeners have tuned in for Ashby’s interviews with some of the biggest idols in the musical industry, including The Bee Gees, The Jackson 5, Mick Jagger, Lionel Richie, Cher, Janet Jackson, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Rihanna, and Coldplay.

“I’ve always known since I was ten that I wanted to do it (this job),” he told CTV’s Your Morning on Tuesday, adding that he attributes his success to “following the rules.”

Ashby says he feels fortunate for “being able to do what I wanted to do for as long as I’ve done it.”

Ashby’s loved radio so much, he said relatives have photos of him as a three-year-old toddler “playing radio again.”

The legendary broadcaster will host his final show from the Sheraton Centre Toronto Grand Ballroom on Wednesday from 5 to 9 a.m. ET.

At his side will be CHUM 104.5 co-hosts Marilyn Denis and Jamar McNeil who will be sending Ashby off in style, with the trio looking back at some of the most memorable moments over the past five decades.

Denis has been Ashby’s co-host for over 32 years, after she beat out over a hundred other job applicants in 1986.

“He’s been really gracious. Not only is he a great broadcaster but he —inside (his head)— is a program director and a musicologist,” Denis told Your Morning, adding that he taught her so much about timing and listening.

“It is tough to get up and do this grind but knowing when you come here — he’s there for you, he’s got your back,” she said, remembering them calling each other out and even arguing in the studio.

“But that’s OK. That’s a good marriage, don’t you think?” she laughed.

Ashby said he knew way back then that Denis was the perfect match for him.

“I knew instantly. The moment we sat down, we clicked,” he said. “I got to choose. Most people don’t get to choose who they work with.”

Co-host McNeil, who’s only been on the job for four months, said: “there is just one Roger Ashby and I had the privilege of working with him.”

Wednesday morning’s show will also be complete with musical performances and celebrity guests stopping by.

And to cap off Ashby’s enduring legacy, a boardroom in the CHUM 104.5 space will be re-named the Roger Ashby Boardroom.

Ashby said he wants to “give a big thank you to people who’ve listened.” He calls it “the highest compliment anybody can say” when people tell him they see him like family.

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