Stuart McLean, the host of one of the most iconic Canadian radio shows in history, has died.McLean was the host of the exceedingly popular radio show Vinyl Cafe for the last 23 years. The 68-year-old took a break from the show in December of last year to deal with his diagnosis of melanoma. He passed away on Feb. 15, 2017."Stuart connected us—to our country and to each other. He entertained us, he made us think, he made us smile. Occasionally he made us cry. And, through all of that, he reminded us that life is made up of small moments," reads a statement on the Vinyl Cafe website.
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"We never know which ones will be forgotten and which ones will stay with us forever. "Born and raised in Montreal, McLean started working in radio in the 1970s making documentaries for the CBC Radio program Sunday Morning. In 1994, as a summer replacement show, McLean created the Vinyl Cafe and the rest is, well, folksy well-told history.
Photo via Facebook
McLean and the show were known for their tales of Canadiana pulled from sources across the country that one wouldn't typically tap. Fans of the man with the distinctive voice and quirky tales took to Twitter to express their sadness of his passing.
When McLean took leave from his show in December he wrote a statement to fans addressing his cancer and treatment."I don't want you to worry about me. A year ago I told you that I expected this to be just a bump in the road, not the end of the road," it read. "I still believe that to be true. I hope we will meet up again—on the radio or in theatres. We'll make sure to tell you before that happens.""In the meantime, look after yourselves and each other. And know that this isn't goodbye. It's just … so long for now."Follow Mack Lamoureux on Twitter.