By Tim Kane (209.202.70.114) on Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 03:41 pm:

I am interested in Robyn Seymore and his TV show from the sixties that some people refer to as "Teen Time." Although I remember the show being called "Swingn'Time."

Does anyone know anything about Robyn Seymore and his shows?

By Ralph Terrana (ralph) (209.240.198.62) on Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 03:44 pm:

Tim,
I suggest you search the archives. There is quite a bit posted about Robin Seymour.

By Sue (63.85.105.20) on Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 03:44 pm:

Ouch ...Robyn is an Olde Englishe spelling?

Actually it's Robin Seymour, and he even was on this Forum briefly once. You can find a lot about Robin's show if you search the archives here.

By STUBASS (206.135.204.2) on Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 03:49 pm:

OLD ROBIN SEYMOUR!!!...ACTUALLY, A PRETTY NICE GUY!!!...I REMEMBER WHEN MY SISTER WAS RUNNER UP IN THE "MISS DETROIT" PAGEANT...ROBIN SEYMOUR WAS THE MASTER OF CEREMONIES...HAD TO BE 61 OR 62!!!...I WAS A PUP BACK THEN!!!...STU

By douglasm (68.113.15.28) on Thursday, February 13, 2003 - 12:46 pm:

This is something that Tom Genova at www.detroitkidshow.com should look into as part of his site.
It was on CKLW-TV, wasn't it?

By mhc (172.149.164.240) on Thursday, February 13, 2003 - 09:46 pm:

You might want to do like I did and get a copy of "Rockin' Down The Dial", by David Carson; I got mine from amazon.com. It gives a complete history of Detroit radio from the mid '40s through the early '70s. Robin Seymour is a prominent figure in the book.

By STUBASS (152.163.197.186) on Thursday, February 13, 2003 - 09:53 pm:

LET'S NOT FORGET MICKEY SHORE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DETROIT RADIO OF THE 50'S AND EARLY 60'S...AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT HIS KID HIJACKED A PLANE TO CUBA...MICKEY WAS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT CHARACTER ON THE EVOLVING DETROIT MUSIC RADIO SCENE!!!...HE ALSO SOLD A LOT OF TAPE DECKS FOLLOWING HIS RADIO CAREER!!!...STU

By douglasm (68.113.15.28) on Thursday, February 13, 2003 - 10:50 pm:

Wonder if Mickey Shore was related to Crazy Jack at MMR?
Wasn't Mickey involved in a payola scandal?

By Sue (64.12.106.47) on Thursday, February 13, 2003 - 11:22 pm:

There was a big payola "scandal" in Detroit in 1959 -- Tom Clay was fired and Mickey Shorr voluntarily resigned, without saying that he did it. Clay never made any bones about it, he admitted that he took payments, and saw nothing wrong with it.

You have to remember, back then payola was almost business as usual, and very small-time, it was deejays who would get the money as opposed to now, when the payments are huge and go to corporate headquarters.

I heard about one Detroit disc jockey who actually had a rate card printed up. One play a week, $25, etc. It wasn't guaranteed that the song would be a hit, only that it got played x number of times. Another record guy told me he didn't know why a certain group's career tanked, "we paid the disc jockeys just like we always had."

Back in the '50s, when some disc jockeys were also responsible for selling ad time, paying to have a record played was almost routine, a fee. So the professions of scandal and shock ...you have to temper all that with understanding of the time.

A lot of disc jockeys of the era say they absolutely never took a penny, and I'm sure that's true too.

One well-placed guy I know says he's got tapes of Mickey Shorr talking about the payola scandal ...I hope to hear that sometime.

By STUBASS (64.12.102.154) on Friday, February 14, 2003 - 10:03 am:

HEY DOUG: MICKEY HAD HAS OWN STORES UNDER HIS OWN NAME SELLING STEREO'S AND TAPE DECKS!!!...I NOW DO REMEMBER THAT PAYOLA DEAL, ALTHOUGH I WAS PRETTY YOUNG AT THE TIME...I REMEMBER ONCE VISITING MICKEY AT A REMOTE BROADCAST THAT HE USED TO DO AT NORTHLAND SHOPPING CENTER WHEN I WAS A YOUNGSTER!!!...MICKEY WAS WITH WXYZ AT THE TIME...I BELIEVE!!!...ALSO...ONE OF MY OWN RADIO MENTORS...SPECS HOWARD...WHO TRAINED ME IN MY OWN BROADCASTING CAREER... WAS A MAINSTAY AT WXYZ BACK IN THOSE DAYS!!!...STU

By radiogoon (198.208.223.35) on Friday, February 14, 2003 - 12:06 pm:

There are some airchecks and photos of Robin Seymour on the Keener 13 site you may want to check out also. I believe there may even be some info at the classic cklw page. An you are correct, the name of the show was in fact "Swingin' Time" and was produced out of Windsor Ont. Our lead guitar player claims to have been on it as a teen.

Dr. Z

By Millie (216.8.139.140) on Friday, February 14, 2003 - 02:39 pm:

Robin and I have been good friends since the Swingin' Time days...I even worked on the show as talent coordinator with Olga Chokreff! Robin is one of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet, and is currently living in Los Angeles doing infomercials. He comes back to Detroit once a year to see his sister, and we always get together. In fact he was here last fall, and we had lunch with Armen Boladian, Johnny Powers, Tony Micale (the Reflections), Johnny Ginger, Gino Washington, Gordon Prince (of Motown), Marilyn Bond, Lee Alan, Art Vuolo, and our own Sue Whitall. I spoke to him in December when I was in L.A., and he's doing great! He's 75 years old, looks 60, has a daughter (Dani) who's 15, and is great shape...his attitude and memory are to be envied!!!

By Sue (63.85.105.20) on Friday, February 14, 2003 - 02:45 pm:

Millie's right, Robin looks great, just defies age apparently.

The only difference I can see between Robin now and Robin on my old Keener music guides is his hair's gray/white. Still cropped short.

He's a walking compendium of Detroit music history, having started in the late '40s.

By Tim Kane (209.202.70.114) on Friday, February 14, 2003 - 02:45 pm:

Thanks to everyone who entered this discussion on Robin Seymore. I heard that he is still alive and living in LA, but he must be over 80. I'm going to check out the suggestions that you offered like the WKNR site and the book on the history of Detroit radio.

Robin Seymore's Swing'n Time was shot at the CKLW-TV studio in Windsor. I lived just down the street from the station and was on the show on many ocassions.

Does anyone remember when he would tape the shows on Bob-Lo Island in the summers? It seemed that every big name act passing through Detroit would appear on the show.

By Sue (63.85.105.20) on Friday, February 14, 2003 - 03:07 pm:

Tim -- dude, it's SEYMOUR.

It wasn't so much that every big act coming through Detroit would play "Swingin' Time," as that most of the acts -- the Motown folks etc. -- were already here.

He would salute a different high school every week and have cheerleaders from the school on camera.

He looks good for his age, but he is NOT over 80. Early '70s I believe but Millie can speak to that.

By Millie (216.8.139.140) on Friday, February 14, 2003 - 03:49 pm:

Tim,
Read my post above...Robin is 75 years old, but looks much younger! He's amazing, and as Sue said, the only real difference between Robin from Swingin' Time days and today is his hair...it's gray/white, he's got a lot of it, and it's cut short...to quote EnVogue/Salt & Pepa, "What A Man, What A Man, What a Mighty Good Man"!

By SisDetroit (68.42.209.170) on Friday, February 14, 2003 - 04:02 pm:

StuBass......"LET'S NOT FORGET MICKEY SHORE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DETROIT RADIO OF THE 50'S AND EARLY 60'S...AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT HIS KID HIJACKED A PLANE TO CUBA"

Is that a true story about the hijack? What happened, are they still in Cuba?

By douglasm (68.113.15.28) on Friday, February 14, 2003 - 04:08 pm:

Millie....
....Lunch with Vuolo. Did anyone get a word in edgewise?
Stu...
....Mickey's shop was on Woodward, a bit north of the Totem Pole, wasn't it? Crazy Jack had a shop on Woodward and 13 1/2, and one on Livernois 4 used car lots (and Bakers) south of 8 mile. Both used A LOT of radio, as I remember.

By Sue (63.85.105.20) on Friday, February 14, 2003 - 04:14 pm:

Doug,
If you mean on the east side of Woodward, that Mickey Shorr location is still there.

Remember when he first opened them, they were the "Mickey Shorr Tape Shacks"?

By douglasm (68.113.15.28) on Friday, February 14, 2003 - 04:19 pm:

Sue....
.....Jeez, I'd forgotten all about that! Totem Pole's gone, isn't it?

By Sue (63.85.105.20) on Friday, February 14, 2003 - 04:43 pm:

The Totem Pole's gone, yeah, although during Dream Cruise Week Ford puts up a drive-in restaurant over on the west side of Woodward in Berkley that's pretty cool. They take it down and put it up again each year ...

By STUBASS (64.12.102.176) on Friday, February 14, 2003 - 06:21 pm:

SIS: MICKEY SHORES SON DID HIJACK A PLANE TO CUBA AS I RECALL!!!...I BELIEVE IT WAS AROUND THE MID TO LATE 60'S!!!...THATS JUST THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION ON THAT ONE...AND AS FAR AS I KNOW...HE IS STILL THERE!!!...I'LL TRY TO DO SOME RESEARCH ON IT!!!...DOUG: I REMEMBER MICKEY'S STEREO SHOP ON WOODWARD...AND I THOUGHT THAT THE ONE YOU REFERRED TO ON LIVERNOIS WAS MICKEY'S TOO...BUT I COULD BE MISTAKEN ON THAT ONE!!!...STU

By STUBASS (205.188.209.38) on Friday, February 14, 2003 - 08:06 pm:

PS TO SIS: WHILE I DO REMEMBER READING SUCH A STORY...MY "RESEARCH DEPARTMENT" SAYS THAT THERE WERE TOO MANY SUCH INCIDENTS AND ATTEMPTED INCIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO RESEARCH...SO IN FAIRNESS...AND SINCE I MAKE THE UTMOST EFFORT TO POST ON THIS FORUM ONLY THINGS THAT I WITNESSED, OR KNOW OF FIRSTHAND...UNLESS STATED AS OPINION...I'LL RETRACT THE HIJACK STORY UNTIL I CAN OBTAIN SOME VERIFICATION!!!...SORRY!!!...STU

By douglasm (68.113.15.28) on Friday, February 14, 2003 - 08:08 pm:

Sue, what's Robin doing now, besides boppin', or is he completely retired?

By Sue (152.163.201.208) on Friday, February 14, 2003 - 08:10 pm:

Robin's got a video production company, they do infomercials. From what I understand he's got all his "Swingin' Time"s, too, while all the Club 1270s (the Channel 7 music show) were taped over -- wouldn't it be great to see those released on DVD, like the Shindigs ...?

By douglasm (68.113.15.28) on Friday, February 14, 2003 - 08:14 pm:

Sue...
...someone on the Discuss Detroit side made me feel old. Seeing "Swingin' Time" would make me feel worse. Anybody on SD ever on one of the shows?

By Sue (152.163.201.208) on Friday, February 14, 2003 - 08:16 pm:

Who made you feel old, and how? Seeing Swingin' Time is a hoot, Channel 4 aired a special a few years ago where they played highlights from ST.

Millie worked there so I think she might have been on one of the shows.

By Steve Litos (209.100.86.4) on Friday, February 14, 2003 - 08:32 pm:

I think I've seen some bootleg "Swingin' Time". On the tape I have is Lenny Welch, Johnny Nash, & Bobby Goldsboro. On this video, the audio & video are of pretty good quality.

By douglasm (68.113.15.28) on Friday, February 14, 2003 - 09:38 pm:

Sue...
...We were talking about the Ho-Jo on Washington Blvd. across from the Book Cadillac. Nobody remembered it as being a Ho-Jo's, and I commented I used to eat lunch there back in '68.

Now....Someone mentioned Bob-Lo. I don't remember that, but didn't they used to shoot Swingin' Time outside the studio on the lawn during the summer?

By Clay (66.73.217.201) on Saturday, February 15, 2003 - 08:19 am:

Is Robin Seymore Still with us? If so is he still in Detroit?

By Clay (66.73.217.201) on Saturday, February 15, 2003 - 08:24 am:

Is Robin Seymore Still with us? If so is he still in Detroit?

By Sue (205.188.209.38) on Saturday, February 15, 2003 - 10:25 am:

Clay,
Yes, Robin's 75 yrs old, looks and acts 55, lives in L.A. area, produces infomercials, comes back to Detroit area a lot to see an older sister and gathers with radio friends for a big lunch every year.

By bobby lewis (68.41.166.148) on Saturday, March 01, 2003 - 02:11 pm:

millie, my name is bobby lewis and i played with a group in the 60's called the headliners. we were signed with motown. my wife and i were friends on robin seymours. we lost track of him over the years. could you get a message to him and tell him bobby and jan said hi. i would love to see him or contact him if he remembers us. if he wants it i could leave an e-mail address. it would be greatly appreciated. ill check this string from time to time to see if you have any luck. thanks much. tell him i'm still actively performing in detroit. bobby lewis

By Ed Golick (68.42.155.37) on Monday, March 03, 2003 - 03:47 pm:

douglasm,
The www.detroitkidshow site is mine, not Tom Genova's. I do have a link to his great TV History page, though. My website honors kid show performers only. Detroit music shows deserve their own page. I will be posting a story on Art Cervi, who was CKLW's Bozo and worked with Seymour on Swingin' Time.

Ed Golick

By douglasm (68.113.15.28) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 10:58 am:

Ed....
......Did I post the wrong name? If I did, I am sorry.
As to Art Cervi, FAR OUT!!! I'm waiting for the Bwana Don interview, though. My zoo key is at the ready.

By Millie (216.8.139.140) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 01:35 pm:

Hi Bobby Lewis!
Your name is very familiar to me, and I'm sure we've met somewhere along the way!
Please e-mail me, and I'll give you Robin Seymour's home phone number, so you can call him yourself! I'm sure he'd love hearing from you.

By larry (216.23.183.2) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 04:06 pm:

Hey Mill,
what if Robin owes Bobby money?
;)

By Millie (216.8.139.140) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 05:33 pm:

Larry,
hm....I didn't think of that!!!!!

douglasm,
Are you in touch with Art Cervi? I talk to him frequently and can put you in touch with him if you'd like.

By radiogoon (206.148.224.54) on Friday, April 04, 2003 - 03:51 am:

Is that Bobby Lewis of "Bobby Lewis and the Cracker Jack Band"?

By bobby lewis (68.41.166.154) on Saturday, April 05, 2003 - 04:51 pm:

hi millie. bobby lewis here. ihave been gone for awhile, but just checked in. i don't know what your e-mail address is. i will leave you mine. and by the way, robin doesn't owe me money. that was pretty funny though. and in answer to radiogoons question, yes its bobby lewis of the crackerjack band. millie, my e-mail address is, swamprunner60@hotmail.com you may check with robin first, but i'm sure it would not be a problem. thank you for your time. sincerely, bobby lewis