Growing Up with the Hits!

Nevin Grant, avid record collector and musician, left law school in the 1960s to pursue a career in radio - and became part of music history, leading one of the nation's most influential stations to become an acclaimed hit-maker on Top 40 CKOC radio. Growing up with the Hits! offers his insightful recollections on the music, times, books, movies, fads, fashions and pop culture icons of 1955-1989 - a must read! - Michael Davie, author, Winning Ways Nevin on Nevin - and the times of our lives: "I became a serious collector of 45 rpm recordings in the mid-Fifties. I tried to collect every hit single... I'd also buy any recording I really liked, whether a hit or not. Add on my Rhythm and Blues collection ... and you can see how I amassed a major collection with close to 15,000 45 rpm singles... I owe my parents very much for providing the magic of a background in music... I was always the flamboyant one attacking works by my favourite composers, Chopin and Rachmaninoff... I played piano in a Combo... You almost had to be there to imagine the impact of Elvis Presley on the world of pop music... My father always said my high school years would be the best years of my life - was he ever right!... Motown would soon be taking a major chunk of the music market... The British invasion... was a positive thing as it shook up the establishment... Collectively we held our breath as Kennedy stared down Russian Premier Kruschev in a scary game of nuclear roulette... Over the years CKOC would earn the reputation of being "the Hitmaker," a leader in breaking new hits and new artists as more than 25 framed gold and platinum record awards would attest..." - Nevin Grant, author, Growing Up With The Hits! Reliving the Best Time of Your Life - 1955-1989 Nevin Grant is a freelance broadcaster, journalist, playwright and musician. He served as the Program Director and Music Director of OLDIES 1150 CKOC, Hamiltont and the Program Director of 820 CHAM, his CKOC tenure totaling 38 years with CKOC as a TOP 40 STATION and 12 years as an Oldies station. 820 CHAM was Country. Nevin still does freelance features on CKOC. After graduating in Radio and Television Arts from Toronto's Ryerson University, Nevin started at CKOC in 1966 as a copywriter and became Creative Director, Music Director, Assistant Program Director then Program Director. He is most proud of his years mentoring and encouraging local Canadian musical talent while providing exposure on one of Canada's leading Top 40 Radio Stations - CKOC.