Former
Miramichi finds success on national radio
- By Carole Morris
Part
two.
April
13, 2005 - John Beaudin, considered by many
to be a pioneer in Smooth Jazz radio, got his
first break at the local radio station in Newcastle
after hounding then-owner Ian Byers to let him
volunteer. But Beaudin was into music long before
he approached the station. His love of rock
and pop helped propel him into a long career
in the radio industry. According to Beaudin,
he often found himself buying Led Zeppelin and
Barbara Streisand in the same purchase and although
he had a few jazz records, it wasn't until he
listened to Bill Evens he realized just how
passionate he was about jazz. "I used to
go to Zellers … and buy blank 8-Track tapes
because I had an 8-Track recorder. One day,
I went to Zellers and figured out that it would
be cheaper to buy an 8-Track with music on it
and re-record it then it was to buy a blank
one," Beaudin explained. He looked for
8-Tracks with the longest running time. His
preference, Bill Evens Live in Paris. "He's
a musical genius and jazz legend on piano. But
I never listened to it until one day, I was
just zoning out in my bedroom and I looked at
the cover and thought I should at least listen
to this album. Believe it or not, that's how
I got into smooth jazz," Beaudin said with
a laugh.
"I
listened to it, got really turned on and
I thought, 'Wow, this is the best music
I've ever heard in my life.'" Beaudin
accredits much of his success to the early
years, when he was first getting his feet
wet in the radio world. He volunteered at
the local station and was a DJ for Miramichi
Valley High School. "That kind of community
atmosphere that a small town radio station
has is golden. It's just unbelievable,"
he said. "You learn more stuff at a
small town radio station then you do at
a major market radio station because you
have to do everything. You have to write
the commercial, produce the commercial,
host the morning show and then, maybe, read
the news. You learn fast," he added.
The summer Beaudin graduated, he produced
a six-part TV documentary on his hometown
as part of a Canada Works project before
leaving for Edmonton to pursue a degree
in broadcasting from CHIT. He then became
the first CHIT broadcasting student to ever
be hired by a major market station. This
break was at 96 K-Lite in Edmonton. Within
a few years, he pitched his idea of blending
the Smooth Jazz format with New Age to CKXM
and it was a huge hit with the 25-54 market.
This success launched Beaudin into the forefront
of this new radio format, where he's been
a pioneer ever since - co-creating an award
show dedicated solely to smooth jazz as
well as a website for smooth jazz enthusiasts
(www.smoothjazznow.com).
"I
always thought when I was a kid that I'd
end up working there (in Miramichi). But
then I got older and realized that in order
to get where I wanted to go I needed to
go to a bigger market," he said. With
much determination and dedication to achieve
his dreams, Beaudin is now the president
of one of the largest growing musical formats,
is extremely successful, has a beautiful
family, and entertains on average about
65,000 listeners at least once a week. (The
numbers are much higher for those who tune
in multiple times.) That's not to mention
the perks. He gets to meet famous musicians,
up and comers and various celebrities, with
his most memorable being Randy Bachman (of
BTO and Guess Who fame) and Randy Meisner
(of the Eagles).
According to Jeff Graham, his best pal from
the early days, Beaudin has a deep longing
to return to the Miramichi. "A lot
of times when we're together, he whips out
his yearbook. He really likes to reminisce,"
Graham said. "He doesn't sound like
a Miramichier anymore but he still is a
true Miramichier," Graham added. "John
has mentioned it quite frequently that he'd
like to retire there. It'd be easier to
do then."
Even Beaudin - son of Charles and Theresa
Beaudin of Bellefond - readily admits he
hopes to return one day. "I definitely
look forward to coming back to the Miramichi.
Being 45, I've gotten melancholy about where
I came from," he said.
"I thought about the Miramichi every
freaking day after I left for at least five
years.
"I do hope to eventually move back,
and have no qualms about it, because I know
that I've gone out and done what I had to
do."
April
13, 2005 - John Beaudin, considered by many
to be a pioneer in Smooth Jazz radio, got his
first break at the local radio station in Newcastle
after hounding then-owner Ian Byers to let him
volunteer. But Beaudin was into music long before
he approached the station. His love of rock
and pop helped propel him into a long career
in the radio industry. According to Beaudin,
he often found himself buying Led Zeppelin and
Barbara Streisand in the same purchase and although
he had a few jazz records, it wasn't until he
listened to Bill Evens he realized just how
passionate he was about jazz. "I used to
go to Zellers … and buy blank 8-Track tapes
because I had an 8-Track recorder. One day,
I went to Zellers and figured out that it would
be cheaper to buy an 8-Track with music on it
and re-record it then it was to buy a blank
one," Beaudin explained. He looked for
8-Tracks with the longest running time. His
preference, Bill Evens Live in Paris. "He's
a musical genius and jazz legend on piano. But
I never listened to it until one day, I was
just zoning out in my bedroom and I looked at
the cover and thought I should at least listen
to this album. Believe it or not, that's how
I got into smooth jazz," Beaudin said with
a laugh.
