It’s a fate that has happened to many older hits; going from being heard non-stop to falling off the airwaves into historical obscurity.
However not all is lost as these faded hits are being brought back once again, thanks to the hard work of a dedicated group of retired announcers on the internet.
Lifestyles 55 Digital is an internet radio station based here in Winnipeg that is restoring the glory and lustre to not only the forgotten golden No 1s but also the other “almost top hits” that are shiny silver treasures. The station is heard across Canada, United States and the United Kingdom.
Founded in 2023 to appeal to both the baby boomer and gen-Xer’s demographic, Lifestyles 55 Digital is a newcomer that’s once again breathing life into forgotten musical favourites. Alex Regiec, co-founder along with broadcast veterans Jim Ingebrigtsen, Dorothy Dobbie, John Einarson, Chris Tuffer, Chris Golden, Greg Gardiner, Bill Quinn and John Panting, along with Ian Leatt, said that initial response to station’s format in its first six months surprisingly attracted 20,000+ listeners.
“When we began broadcasting, we knew that as the new kid on the block filled with many radio stations that we had to be unique and appeal to the memories of our audience,” Regiec said. “It’s wonderful to hear from a listener who’s excited about rediscovering a song they listened to in their youth. In this age of data-driven programming, you end up hearing new music you don’t recognize over and over. What we’re doing is breaking that mould with the human touch. We’re the station that’s tuned into you!”
Looking through their extensive music collections, veteran DJs such as Chris Tuffer and Chris Golden dig out a lot of songs that haven’t been played on the radio for a long time. On Quest for Silver with Mr. T, Chris Tuffer relives his love of spinning vinyl and playing the “almost number ones” of the 60s & 70s, while on Golden’s Oldies, great musical nuggets are mined from the 60s, 70s & 80s along with artist facts and trivia shared with the audience straight from Chris’ memory!
Another listener favourite is musicologist, renowned author and Order of Manitoba recipient John Einarson. Known as the “Old Professor”, he explores the rock & roll and country-rock genres, the artists and their recordings telling stories and sharing insights into their influence on music history on four shows … My Generation, Off the Record, Desperados, and Night Moves.
Finally, for lovers of Doo-Wop, Jim Ingebrigtsen celebrates the music from the early 1950s to the mid 1960s all for the melancholy minded. On his other show, Radio Redux, you’ll hear his interviews with some of the icons of the music business.
You can enjoy these memorable hit song comebacks online at www.lifestyles55radio.ca, on Alexa smart speakers or at Live365 athttps://live365.com https://live365.com.
