Rick Cluff
{{Short description|Canadian journalist (1950–2024)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Rick Cluff
| image = Rick Cluff.jpg
| caption = Cluff in 2014
| birth_date = {{birth date|1950|06|27}}
| birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| death_date = {{death date and age|2024|07|02|1950|06|27}}
| death_place =
| spouse =
| other_names =
| occupation = {{cslist|Journalist|radio host}}
| notable_works =
| education = Seneca College
University of Western Ontario
| years_active = 1997–2018
| known_for = The Early Edition
}}
John Richard Cluff (June 27, 1950 – July 2, 2024) was a Canadian journalist who hosted the CBC Radio Vancouver morning program The Early Edition from 1997 until 2018. He was a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Radio Television Digital News Association.
Early life and education
Cluff was born in Toronto, Ontario on June 27, 1950.{{cite web|title=CBC broadcaster Rick Cluff, former host of Vancouver's The Early Edition, had a front-row seat to history|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-cbc-broadcaster-rick-cluff-former-host-of-vancouvers-the-early-edition/|last=Hawthorn|first=Tom|date=July 3, 2024|publisher=The Globe and Mail|access-date=July 3, 2024}} His father was a former Air Force radio host, performer, and record producer in Toronto.
After being kicked out of school in grade 10, Cluff later attended college as a mature student. He attended Seneca College and the University of Western Ontario where he worked at the student radio stations.{{cite news |last1=Walkey |first1=Ana Rose |title=CBC Radio's Rick Cluff signing off on the Early Edition |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/cbc-radios-rick-cluff-signing-off-on-the-early-edition/article37192950/ |access-date=November 4, 2019 |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=December 4, 2017 |archive-date=December 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171221011836/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/cbc-radios-rick-cluff-signing-off-on-the-early-edition/article37192950/ |url-status=live }} After attending graduate school, he earned a position with the CBC.
When Cluff began working at Seneca's student radio show, his father discouraged him from thinking of radio as a career. He was especially opposed to the CBC "because the CBC is full of left-wing communists. And radio is a dead-end career."{{cite web |last1=Burns |first1=John |title=RICK CLUFF: THE VOICE OF VANCOUVER |url=https://www.echostories.com/rick-cluff-the-good-ancestors-interview/ |website=echostories.com |access-date=November 4, 2019 |date=May 11, 2016 |archive-date=November 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104061049/https://www.echostories.com/rick-cluff-the-good-ancestors-interview/ |url-status=live }}
Career
Cluff began his career at CBC in 1976 as a radio journalist focusing on sports.{{cite news |last1=Ryan |first1=Denise |title=CBC's Rick Cluff calls it quits after 41 years with Mother Corp. |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/cbcs-rick-cluff-calls-it-quits-after-41-years-with-mother-corp |access-date=November 4, 2019 |newspaper=Vancouver Sun |date=December 4, 2017 |archive-date=November 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104061046/https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/cbcs-rick-cluff-calls-it-quits-after-41-years-with-mother-corp |url-status=live }} As a sports journalist, he covered eight Olympic games and five Commonwealth games.{{cite web |title='Thank you for listening': CBC Radio One's Rick Cluff retires from The Early Edition |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/thank-you-for-listening-cbc-radio-one-s-rick-cluff-retires-from-the-early-edition-1.4431387 |website=cbc.ca |access-date=November 4, 2019 |date=December 4, 2017 |archive-date=November 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109035701/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/thank-you-for-listening-cbc-radio-one-s-rick-cluff-retires-from-the-early-edition-1.4431387 |url-status=live }} Cluff was one of the few journalists allowed to enter Moscow and Prague during the World Hockey Championships at the time of the Cold War.{{cite web |title=CBC marks 40 years with morning show host Rick Cluff |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/rick-cluff-cbc-40-year-anniversary-1.3566001 |website=cbc.ca |access-date=November 4, 2019 |date=May 4, 2016 |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108133815/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/rick-cluff-cbc-40-year-anniversary-1.3566001 |url-status=live }}
Cluff was sent as a reporter to the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, where he reported for two hours on the Centennial Olympic Park bombing with limited preparation. Upon his return, the vice presidents of CBC asked him if he would host his own show.{{cite web |last1=O'Grady |first1=Matt |title=Q&A: CBC's Rick Cluff Shares His Most Memorable Broadcasting Moments—and What's Next |url=https://www.vanmag.com/q-a-cbc-rick-cluff-lifetime-broadcasting-retirement |website=vanmag.com |access-date=November 4, 2019 |date=December 4, 2017 |archive-date=July 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707062403/https://www.vanmag.com/city/people/q-a-cbc-rick-cluff-lifetime-broadcasting-retirement/ |url-status=live }} He was later asked by Susan Englebert to take up a three-year position in Vancouver as host of The Early Edition, which was later extended.
Cluff began his 20-year career as host of The Early Edition in September 1997. In 1999, he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.{{cite web |title=RICK CLUFF |url=http://www.cfhof.ca/members/rick-cluff/ |website=cfhof.ca |access-date=November 4, 2019 |archive-date=November 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104061047/http://www.cfhof.ca/members/rick-cluff/ |url-status=live }}
In June 2017, before announcing his retirement, Cluff underwent open-heart surgery after living with hereditary heart disease.{{cite news |last1=Thomas |first1=Sandra |title=Heart surgery spurs Rick Cluff to make changes in his life |url=https://www.vancourier.com/news/heart-surgery-spurs-rick-cluff-to-make-changes-in-his-life-1.23112500 |access-date=November 4, 2019 |newspaper=Vancouver Courier |date=December 4, 2017 |archive-date=November 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104061056/https://www.vancourier.com/news/heart-surgery-spurs-rick-cluff-to-make-changes-in-his-life-1.23112500 |url-status=live }} In December 2017, it was announced that Stephen Quinn would replace Cluff.{{cite news |last1=Ryan |first1=Denise |title=Stephen Quinn to replace Rick Cluff as CBC radio host |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/stephen-quinn-to-replace-rick-cluff-as-cbc-radio-host |access-date=November 4, 2019 |newspaper=Vancouver Sun |date=December 11, 2017 |archive-date=November 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104061046/https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/stephen-quinn-to-replace-rick-cluff-as-cbc-radio-host |url-status=live }} In 2018, he was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Radio Television Digital News Association.{{cite web |title=RTDNA Canada congratulates Rick Cluff, Hudson Mack and Wayne Williams as recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award in the West Region |url=http://www.rtdnacanada.com/rtdna-canada-congratulates-rick-cluff-hudson-mack-and-wayne-williams-as-recipients-of-the-lifetime-achievement-award-in-the-west-region/ |website=rtdnacanada.com |access-date=November 4, 2019 |date=April 9, 2018 |archive-date=November 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104061055/http://www.rtdnacanada.com/rtdna-canada-congratulates-rick-cluff-hudson-mack-and-wayne-williams-as-recipients-of-the-lifetime-achievement-award-in-the-west-region/ |url-status=live }}
Personal life
Cluff and his wife had two children.{{cite web |title=Kind words for Rick Cluff as longtime host nears retirement |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/kind-words-for-rick-cluff-as-longtime-host-nears-retirement-1.4460789 |website=cbc.ca |access-date=November 4, 2019 |date=December 21, 2017 |archive-date=April 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180423085421/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/kind-words-for-rick-cluff-as-longtime-host-nears-retirement-1.4460789 |url-status=live }} He died from cancer on July 2, 2024, at the age of 74.{{cite web|title='A sweet human being': Longtime CBC Vancouver radio host Rick Cluff dead at 74|url=https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/rick-cluff-longtime-vancouver-host-of-cbcs-the-early-edition-dead-at-74|author=The Canadian Press|date=July 3, 2024|access-date=July 3, 2024|archive-date=July 4, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240704213547/https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/rick-cluff-longtime-vancouver-host-of-cbcs-the-early-edition-dead-at-74|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/cbc-radio-rick-cluff-dies-74-1.7168424 |title=CBC radio personality Rick Cluff dead at 74 |access-date=July 2, 2024 |archive-date=July 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240702193854/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/cbc-radio-rick-cluff-dies-74-1.7168424 |url-status=live }}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Canadian Football Hall of Fame members}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cluff, Rick}}
Category:Canadian talk radio hosts
Category:Canadian sports journalists
Category:Deaths from cancer in Canada
Category:Journalists from Toronto
Category:Seneca College alumni
Category:University of Western Ontario alumni