Eleanor Collins

Speaking of birthdays, CBC radio's long-running, regionally broadcast Hot Air jazz show celebrated the birthday of singer Eleanor Collins yesterday.

Collins, who turned 100-years-old last Thursday, was born in Edmonton on November 21, 1919 of American parents. She had many offers to visit the U.S. and pursue her career there, but chose to remain in Canada in honour of her parents' decision to to come to the Prairies, as other Black American families did, and "homestead." A long-time resident of Vancouver, Collins is the first woman in Canada to have hosted her own TV show.

A big thank you to Hot Air host Margaret Gallagher and part-time host Paolo Pietropaolo for putting together yesterday's episode. If I could ask one thing of you two: How about gathering some of Eleanor's past performances and making a concert of them, to be shown on the CBC's outdoor screen some summer's night?