How could we forget “our Tommy,” as former Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel calls Tommy Banks.
But the 80th birthday of the Edmonton legend was nearly overlooked by many.
Fortunately, CKUA’s CEO Ken Regan checked and found no official event marked the Dec. 17 birthday of the man whose tributes are as long as the North Saskatchewan River.
In case you hail from beyond our solar system, Banks is revered around the globe as a pianist, conductor, arranger, composer, television personality and former senator.
He is an Officer of the Order of Canada and a recipient of the Alberta Award of Excellence.
“It was only two weeks ago I thought of Tommy’s birthday,” says Regan. “I knew we had to do something. But I wasn’t sure what we could pull off at such short notice.”
He added: “Tommy was his usual self-effacing self and said he didn’t need …