Cashbox Canada Welcomes Bob Segarini as a Contributing Journalist
By Sandy Graham
The Music Industry of Canada has been thriving for decades, but there was a time when it bloomed and developed with young singers, songwriters, record guys, dj’s, bands and promo people that are now what makes up the ‘old school’ of the present day.
Bob Segarini was there at the beginning; a transplant from California and relocating to Montreal, Quebec. I first met Bob Segarini when I was working at the landmark building, International Music Store, on St. Catherine’s Street in the heart of Montreal, just around the corner from the famous Crescent Street bars, one being Thursdays, where years later Corey Hart wrote his tribute song to the ‘cool’ crowd, “Sunglasses At Night”. As a founding member of The Wackers, Segarini was part of the emerging artists that trailblazed into the 1970’s, and he was in the store to promote his new album by The Wackers. The band was all of that and ‘a bag of chips’ as the expression goes, and it is truly serendipity to come full circle to now work with Segarini at Cashbox Canada.
For those of you unfamiliar with the story of this recording artist, singer, songwriter, composer and radio host turned journalist, let me give you a little Readers Digest version of his career.
Segarini's earliest band, The Jades, established him as a singer in the town he grew up in, Stockton, California. Next, The Ratz, were a local San Joaquin County, California group in which he replaced Gary Grubb, who changed his last name to Duncan, and formed Quicksilver Messenger Service. After becoming the lead singer in Jack Ellis’s band, The Us, and recording a single for Autumn Records, Segarini next started his own band, the Family Tree with guitarist/singer Michael Dure, drummer Vann Slatter and bassist Bill Whittington, who was replaced by William “Kootch” Trochim early on. The four-piece group was soon joined by lead guitarist, Jim DeCocq, originally from Regina, Saskatchewan. They only released one album, Miss Butters, on RCA. Next, Segarini formed Roxy with De Cocq on guitar and Randy Bishop playing bass and vocals. The group signed with Elektra Records in 1969, but after one album, Bob and Randy (still on Elektra) formed a new band called The Wackers, adding drummer Spencer T. “Ernie” Earnshaw guitarist/singer Mike Stull, and former Family Tree bassist Bill 'Kootch' Trochim. The new group released three albums, Wackering Heights, Hot Wacks and Shredder.
Segarini, together with Randy Bishop, co-wrote and recorded two songs for the film ‘Vanishing Point’ (1971), Dear Jesus God and Over Me. He has also worked with UK songstress Elkie Brooks. In 1975, Segarini founded All the Young Dudes, with Brian Greenway, Kootch, Wayne Cullen, and Ritchie and David Henman. They recorded one album, ‘We're No Angels’, before breaking up. Segarini went on to a solo career, recording four albums: Gotta Have Pop, On The Radio, Goodbye L.A., and Vox Populi. The first three have recently been remastered and re-issued with bonus tracks by Bullseye Records.
During the mid 1980s, Segarini began his career in the radio industry, first with 104.5 CHUM FM, becoming “The Iceman” (a childhood nickname) at the suggestion of his mentor, Warren Cosford. He continued his radio career at rock radio station CILQ - known to Toronto locals as Q107, now a Classic Rock outlet. In 2009, after a successful 3 year stint on Sirius Satellite Radio's channel 85 (now 95), Segarini began writing weekly columns for FYI Music - an online magazine devoted to the music industry. His thrice-weekly column was entitled "Don't Believe a Word I Say", named after his 1979 single from ‘Gotta Have Pop’.
Segarini joins the ranks of the legendary Cashbox Canada team as a weekly contributing journalist, and will be given free reign to cover stories of new music, bands, movies, industry tidbits and gossip, and anything he feels merits the rank of ‘Music Matters’, the name of his new weekly column.
Welcome aboard Bob!
Please email your comments to him at [email protected]
