The architect of an exhibition to honour and showcase the life of broadcasting legend Rosalie Trombley is excited for the public to see the finished product.
Chris Renaud, senior account manager at HCA Mindbox in Windsor, has been working with the Trombley family on the Rosalie Trombley Commemorative Exhibition.
It will open to the public on Sept. 17 at the Chimczuk Museum in Windsor, featuring pictures, awards, memorabilia, information and music in a showcase of her legacy and the legacy of The Big 8 CKLW.
Renaud says when you get into the information about Rosalie's life, it's a humbling experience and he hopes the exhibition will bring all of that out for the public.
Trombley rose from a receptionist to serving as the music director at The Big 8 CKLW in the late 1960 and 1970s.
She was known as "the girl with the golden ear" for her ability to select hit songs and her influence in selecting hits spanned across North America.
She played a key role in helping a number of musicians and groups launch their careers into new levels, including Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Elton John, Kiss, The Guess Who, Bob Seger, and Alice Cooper.
Renaud says the most fascinating thing for him was what she as a pioneer.
"Being the first in an all-male dominated business at the time and was really, really good at it," he says. "The proof of that is the respect she earned. She could have been dismissed as I'm sure a lot of people along the way may have been but she wasn't."
Trombley persuaded Elton John to release "Bennie and the Jets" as a single because she believed, correctly, that it would be a cross-over hit, appealing to both black and white listeners.
Bob Seger even immortalized the mother of three in his 1973 song "Rosalie."
Renaud says people realized she was a force to be reckoned with.
"The Big 8 had a style and that was the other part of it, she had to fit that style and make that style work," he says. "For me, I really appreciate where she came from and the inroad she made to be able to do what she did. For me that was a real key part of it."
Rosalie Trombley passed away in November of 2021 at the age of 82.
Renaud says the exhibition covers a lot about Rosalie but also about The Big 8.
"It gives you a sense of that time and I use the phrase 'lightning in a bottle.' It was a defined period of time and the group made something happen, which today stands world wide in a lot of artists minds. And they openly say that publicly today still," he says.
Rosalie Trombley with Paul and Linda McCartney (AM800 file photo)
The exhibition is part of a day of celebrations planned to honour Trombley.
There will also be a statue unveiling along the riverfront at the corner of Riverside Drive East and McDougall Street as part of Open Streets Windsor.
This year's event will be known as Open Streets Windsor "the Big 8" Kilometre Edition, which will see eight kilometres of city streets closed to all vehicles from Sandwich Town to Ford City, allowing people to walk freely and interact with business and exhibitions.
The city will host a special entertainment at each hub along the route to honour Trombley.
The Capitol Theatre's Kelly Theatre on University Avenue West will screen Michael McNamara's 2004 documentary, "Radio Revolution: The Rise and Fall of the Big 8" on that same day followed by "The Big 8 CKLW" Remembers Rosalie.
Special guests and former Big 8 personalities Ted Richards, Pat Holiday, Les Garland, and others will discuss the musical past of the region and share their memories of Rosalie.
